Landing Students Learn About the Impacts of Compassion

GLEN COVE, NEW YORK (DECEMBER 2022) — Landing Elementary School students recently learned about the importance of spreading acts of kindness during an assembly called Cultivating Kindness, presented by the ReesSpecht Life Foundation. Founder Richard Specht, who taught science for 16 years at Long Island schools, led students through interactive science demonstrations to teach them about chain reactions and how one, small act of kindness can create a huge impact.

“Our students are choosing kindness each day in our hallways and this assembly taught them about the effect those acts have on their friends, community and the world around them,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Maria Rianna. “Mr. Specht led them through hands-on activities to teach them about chain reactions and taught them about how the kindness of others helped guide his family through a personal tragedy, inspiring him to pay it forward by starting his foundation.”

Richard Specht and his family lost their toddler Richard Edwin-Ehmer Specht, nicknamed Rees, to a drowning in their backyard pond in 2012. Their family received an overwhelming amount of support during their grief, motivating Mr. Specht to share his story and Rees’s legacy with a mission of spreading kindness around the world. To date, the program has reached over 300,000 students and staff members across the country.

At the conclusion of the assembly, Landing students were given “ReesSpecht Life: Pay it Forward” cards to hand out each time they do something kind in their community. The goal is that the students will start their own chain reactions and each person who receives a card will carry out another act of kindness. So far, the foundation has distributed over 750,000 cards.

In addition to the assembly, the foundation sponsors a memorial scholarship, holds an annual holiday toy drive that has collected over 35,000 toys for local families, and hosts a “Pay it Foodward” program that provides meals and sundries to families in need.

During his visit to Glen Cove, Mr. Specht also reunited with some of his former students, fifth-grade teacher Melissa Harechmak and our District Coordinator of Science Victoria Schilling. The District thanks the Landing Elementary School PTA for the generous support in bringing this experience to Landing students.

For more information about the Glen Cove City School District, please visit the District’s website at www.glencoveschools.org. Happenings in the District can also be followed on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/glencovecityschools.