I was given a wristband last week and started wearing it right away. Driving to basketball practice with My Boys last weekend, Patrick noticed it and asked me about it. I explained that the entire elementary school was given a challenge to be kind and that completing a certain number of acts of kindness, earned a prize. One of the prizes in the first week was lunch with the UES Head Custodian and a tour of the basement (very popular in the car at that time) and another was lunch with the UES Principal at Positive Pie (one of My Family's favorite pizza places in Montpelier). There was silence in the car.
Then Brendan spoke up, "What if we were a part of the challenge?" He wanted do something with the students at UES. "What if we got to eat with one of the winners?" I started to think about that...
This past Friday was a non-student day in Chittenden South Supervisory Union, My Boys were coming to work with me. The idea started to percolate with me a little more...
Once we got to practice, I quickly e-mailed UES Principal Chris Hennessey and Cathy Clements who gave me the wristband that started this whole conversation. I heard back from both that it could work.
With a little legwork from the fine folks at Union Elementary School, this past Friday at Positive Pie in Montpelier, two deserving first graders from Mrs. Dostie's class and Mr. Hennessey joined Brendan and me (Patrick was home sick) for a #kindness celebration!
I am proud of the commitment to relationships that we have in MPS, starting with our youngest learning community. I am proud that adults lead the way by developing and maintaining relationships with our students, and demonstrate in words and in deeds that this is important to being a human being on this planet.
It is incredibly important to me as well. In my role as Superintendent, I would rather be kind than be right and while it doesn't happen every time, it is something that I consistently strive for. People and relationships are central to the work we do, so for me it is critical for all to understand that #kindness matters.
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