Danbury Students Learn Kindness and Compassion by Doing for Others

Press release:

DANBURY, CONN. — From collecting books and socks to making lunches and serving up community meals, Danbury students are making kindness and compassion an important part of their lives.

At Stadley Rough Elementary School, 20 students in grades three, four and five meet weekly afterschool to work on various community activities and projects. On Dec. 18, the school’s Kindness and Compassion Club met to make bag lunches to be delivered to the Dorothy Day Hospitality House in Danbury. Gathered around three long tables, the students formed an assembly line and did all of the work themselves – from slathering peanut butter on bread to wrapping sandwiches to adding apples, cookies and juice boxes for a complete meal.

At the end of the day, 125 lunch bags were ready for delivery for the following day. Debbie Ireland, a third-grade teacher at Stadley Rough, said the club started three years ago to encourage students to live a life of purpose, do simple acts of kindness and make their school a better place. Each year the club has two collection, two fundraising events and several community service projects.

“They learn leadership skills and go into other classrooms to talk about bullying, leadership, journaling, tolerance and kindness,” Ireland said. “I see a difference in these kids. I notice fewer students being mean to each other. They understand about disabilities more.”

Even a few older girls, former members of the club, from Broadview Middle School and one from the high school came back to assist in the project.

“It’s nice to see them coming back and what they’ve seen,” Ireland said. “They talk to the students about the importance of being kind.”

Last year the Stadley Rough group raised more than $2,000 for “Pennies for Leukemia,” a number matched by the students at Shelter Rock School. Past efforts also include collecting 100 coloring books and crayons for Healing the Children and monetary donations to Wounded Warriors, St. Jude’s children’s hospital and Friends of Sandy Hook.

Ireland said the students wanted to do something more than donate money and last year held a sock drive for those in need. She said they had trouble understanding that people didn’t have something basic as socks.

“They are learning what it means to be homeless and not have basic necessities,” she said. “That was eye opening for them.”

Fifth-grader Stephanie said “We get to help other people and it’s nice that the teachers let us do kind things for other people. I feel sad for people but happy that we are trying to help them.”

At Rogers Park Middle School, students recently participated in several activities that reach out to the community. “Kids Giving to Kids,” an effort at the school, is a holiday book drive that so-far has collected more than 60 gently used books that will be distributed to local elementary school children.

RPMS students are also working with Jericho Foundation and helped this Thanksgiving by boxing up food donations for people in the community. Students also helped serve up a community Thanksgiving meal at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Danbury.

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