Dinkelmeyer School Spreads Kindness

Tasked by another school to perform 2,000 acts of kindness, students and staff at the John Dinkelmeyer Elementary School in the North Bellmore School District were certainly up to the challenge.

Principal Faith Skelos answered the Kindness Challenge that came from the principal of Robert Seaman Elementary School in Jericho. At an assembly, Skelos showed students the video challenging Dinkelmeyer, talked to them about kindness and highlighted potential good deeds. Children learned how to be bucket fillers by spreading kindness to others.

From Dec. 14-21, students and staff completed 5,060 acts of kindness both in school and at home, far exceeding the goal. Good deeds performed throughout the week included a pajama drive organized by the sixth grade, a student donating her pennies to help needy children in Uganda and second-graders writing thank you notes to staff members. Pictures of each fifth-grade student were hung in the hall, and classmates added Post-it notes to identify and recognize individual acts of kindness.

“We wanted to rise to the challenge,” Skelos said. “I’m very proud of our school. I’m proud of the children and I’m proud of the adults. It was a very positive experience and the goal is to keep it going.”

At a closing assembly before the holiday break, Skelos acknowledged the many acts of kindness that students performed. The school will now create its own video and challenge three schools in other districts.

Photos: North Bellmore School District