In Millburn: Kids Perform 100 'Acts of Kindness'

What was the last act of kindness that you did for somebody?

If it takes you a moment to think about your answer, then Trish DiMinni’s second-grade class at South Mountain School in Millburn have some suggestions for you.

In February, DiMinni’s students performed “100 acts of kindness” as part of a class project that attempted to combine the best parts of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Valentine’s Day and the 100th day of school.

“We came up with the idea of ‘doing something nice for other people,’ which led to an even bigger discussion on random acts of kindness,” DiMinni told Patch.

DiMinni then challenged her students to complete 100 benevolent acts before the end of the school day.

Her students didn’t disappoint.

An eight-year-old girl reported that she made room at her lunch table for someone who had nobody to sit with. Another student reported that he saw one of his classmates all alone and asked him if he wanted to play at recess.

“One of the boys said that he ‘felt good inside,’” said DiMinni. “Another little girl said she ‘liked making people smile.’ One of my students said, ‘If we can do this in one day, I wonder how many we can do in a month, or even a year.’”

Photos courtesy of the South Mountain School Publicity Committee

Photo 1: Students at South Mountain School in Millburn recently performed “100 acts of kindness” as part of a class project.

Photo 2: Students’ individual acts of kindness are posted on their classroom wall.

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