Practice kindness in honor of MLK Day of Service

Fifth grade student leaders visited classrooms to read “Do Unto Otters: A Book About Manners” to younger students at Crooked Billet Elementary School.

Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” Hatboro-Horsham School District students are doing a lot for their MLK Day of Service and Acceptance Day.

Keith Valley Middle School’s National Junior Honor Society and Blair Mill Elementary School both partnered with The Giving Tree to create “sock rolls” or Gifts of Hope packages. Socks are often the number one requested item by displaced individuals. Students rolled a granola bar and packet of crackers into each pair of sock. The Gifts of Hope will be distributed to the surrounding community and the greater Philadelphia area to offer comfort and support to those experiencing hardship.

“The school’s involvement helps foster a sense of empathy and community, and encourages young learners to understand the power of giving back. By participating in the assembly of these packages, students are actively living out Dr. King’s teachings of helping others, promoting unity and spreading kindness,” said Elisha Gee, principal of Blair Mill Elementary School. “We are proud to play a role in honoring his legacy and inspiring future generations to make the world a better place.”

For Crooked Billet Elementary School’s Acceptance Day and Day of Service, fifth-grade students visited classrooms to read aloud Do Unto Otters: A Book About Manners by Laurie Keller, to teach students the importance of kindness and treating others how they want to be treated. “The book Do Unto Otters was selected due to our theme of respect and focus on our school community and community at large,” said Tami Wunder-Italia, school counselor. “The book highlights how to be a good friend and neighbor.”

One way students are being good neighbors was by recognizing the many “Heroes of Hatboro” at the January School Board meeting. Students created signs and cards, and presented them to the local EMS, fire company, police, crossing guards, public works and Hatboro administration to show their appreciation and respect.

Additionally, Crooked Billet’s Home and School Association funded an assembly for all Crooked Billet students on Acceptance Day. Hip-hop dance star DJ Reggie Williams performed “R-E-S-P-E-C-T Spells Hip Hop.” During the assembly, students learned about the pillars of character and that students who learn to work together and help each other will flourish.

Hallowell Elementary School celebrated Acceptance Week with activities to celebrate unity and kindness. “We discussed the importance of understanding and respecting differences, and how that diversity makes us more successful as a school and as a society,” said Principal Steve Glaize.

A special assembly, made possible through a Home and School Association funded grant, featured Maria Dismondy, the founder and CEO of Cardinal Rule Press. She taught students the concept of “bucket filling,” or when students do the right thing, it fills the other person’s bucket with positivity and kindness.

As a service project, students created cards and posters for the residents of Souderton Mennonite Homes Health Care Skilled Nursing Unit. Simmons Elementary School will kick off its MLK Day of Service project in February when they launch a five-week food drive to increase resources for those in need.

Fifth-grade students will collect different items each week, including cereal, oatmeal, peanut butter and jelly, soup, pasta, mac and cheese, canned veggies, fruit, beans, snacks, canned meats, and toiletries.
Students will collect nonperishable goods and count the number of items each day, organizing it into groups and also create thank you cards for classrooms.

In March, Simmons will distribute the collected items to Lehman Church and the Hatboro Community Pantry, who assist families in the Hatboro-Horsham community.