The Kindness Rocks Project at Seven Hills has been spreading instant joy and gratitude throughout the community. The project began last year as an activity during the school’s Extended Day Fall Camp. Teacher Debbie Shipherd saw a post on Facebook regarding The Kindness Rocks Project and decided it would be a perfect fit for her students.

Before and after school, children worked hard to paint and decorate river rocks and then tuck them all around campus. Finding a rock was a special treat, and the challenge was to either keep it for inspiration, or pass it along to someone who may need some extra encouragement. As the project expanded and each new delivery of rocks arrived, students eagerly volunteered to wash and dry them, shared new ideas for designs, and became very creative hiding them.

The project also began to infuse various areas of curriculum. Preschool and Kindergarten students spent two weeks in January focusing on empathy and kindness, and as an extension, painted, decorated and hid more rocks. Second grade teachers responded to students’ interest by giving a homework option to create rock art. In February, our Pre-K class held a “28 days of Kindness” challenge, which included making kindness rocks and hiding them in the ECE yard for their friends to find.

As a treat for faculty and staff, a tray of kindness rocks was set out in the lounge for anyone to take and share. One teacher took rocks to her oncology clinic to share with other patients receiving treatment, and a few physician parents accepted bags of kindness rocks to take to their offices to give to patients. A week later, a friend of our Expressive Arts teacher texted him with a picture of a Seven Hills rock he found while getting treatment. This news energized our students to continue sharing ideas, writing comforting and inspirational messages, and using their imaginations to plant seeds of kindness … one rock at a time. Their uplifting work continues in full force today. Kindness rocks!