To spread kindness, Elementary School ‘rocks’ on

Mar 10, 2023

Your next stroll through town just got nicer.

“Don’t let anyone dull your sparkle,” “Choose joy” and “It’s only temporary” are just a few of the kind words painted on rocks by Wareham Elementary School staff.

The Elementary School’s Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports team placed the encouraging, brightly-painted rocks throughout town.

The activity is part of the Kindness Rocks and Smile Project, created by Barnstable-based “kindness activist” Megan Murphy and Pennsylvania-based author, artist and educator John Schlimm to spread goodwill during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond. 

“We were just seeing a need amongst students to be kinder toward one another,” said Elementary School Adjustment Counselor Rebecca Myers. “We decided to get the community involved to show our students that they live in a place that promotes and spreads kindness and happiness and positivity.”

Elementary School staff painted the rocks during a staff meeting before their February vacation.

“I feel like they had a really fun time,” said Myers. “They were sitting at tables all together, laughing and communicating and working on a common goal.”

On top of placing kindness rocks around town, Myers and her team are raffling off student-made banners for local businesses and organizations to display. 

To enter the contest, participants must find a kindness rock placed in the community and post a picture of it on Facebook with a “pledge to spread kindness” using the hashtag #weskindness. 

“It's one thing to say that you're going to spread kindness, but it's another thing to actually pledge to do something,” Myers said.

So far, Kaleidoscope of Dance and Gymnastics, Forno Bakery, Cafe Soleil, the Onset Clay Room and A.D Makepeace have entered the raffle. Myers hopes that at least six more businesses will enter. 

If other local businesses wish to enter the raffle, there is no deadline.

Myers hopes that the project can put smiles on a few faces. 

“We want our kids and our community and our staff members to be proud… to be part of the Wareham community,” she said.