“Someone’s daughter was selling Girl Scout cookies, and a neighbor or someone paid for the person behind them,” said Shaver-Hood. “It went five people deep. It’s those acts of kindness that we would really like to perpetuate.”

This story is featured on a blog found on Wareham Public Schools' website. The blog documents acts of kindness that have been happening in the community -- something the schools have been pushing.

There are also little blue cards floating around town. On the front, there is just a Viking logo with “ahoy” written on it. Don’t throw it out. Turn it over.

The backside explains that it is part of a pay-it-forward effort in town, driven by Wareham Public Schools. The idea was created by Superintendent Kimberly Shaver-Hood.

“It seemed like the best thing to do was make up these cards so people would know we were doing these acts of kindness,” Shaver-Hood said.

Shaver-Hood said setting up these acts are not for attention, though the cards may make it appear that way. The reason for the cards is to simply spread the word.

Shaver-Hood hopes these pay-it-forward acts can eventually become “second nature for folks.”

“I think sometimes we take for granted our acts of kindness, and how it impacts other folks,” Shaver-Hood said.

“I truly believe that there are going on all the time,” said Shaver-Hood. “We’re just trying to draw attention to all the good things that are happening in Wareham, and the kindness of people in the community, and bring it to the forefront.”

Shaver-Hood provided another example of a middle school student who helped pushed a man’s car, which had died, to the side of Route 6 during rush hour.

“He didn’t have to send me an email, and our student certainly didn’t have to stop what he was doing and help this gentleman,” said Shaver-Hood. “It’s that kind of goodness that I see in our students.”

“We had a staff member who had suffered from a fall, and got a significant bruise,” said Shaver-Hood. “The students were so concerned and wanted to help her with that, and it just speaks to the bonds that our students have with our teachers, staff and our administrators.”

Even smaller things, like the scarecrow competition where each school participated, leave Shaver-Hood excited about her students.

“Our kids are really nice, and they need us and they need the community,” Shaver-Hood said.

“Our schools are very grateful for what the community has done to support us,” said Shaver-Hood. “We’ll continue to be very grateful, and if there’s anything we can do bring something nice or a positive action into somebody’s life, then we would certainly like to help support that.”

When Shaver-Hood talks about the support the schools get from the community, she thinks of human interaction alongside of fiscal help.

“The fiscal end help runs our schools, but that’s not what makes our schools,” said Shaver-Hood.

“I think a lot of times we get caught up in the negativity, especially with the challenges and difficult times we face coming ahead,” said Shaver-Hood, relating to budget concerns – among other things.