By Kathy Brown.
Some members of the Allies in Diversity, a group of eighth grade students who work on improving the school climate, wanted to hold a Kindness Carnival at Haddam Killingworth Middle School. Eighth graders Callen Powers, Johanna Houska, Aleia Goodison, Kelsie Piela, Nick Frasco, and Juliana Gagliardi came up with the idea of the Kindness Carnival, according to Rebecca Degnan, their advisor and a School Counselor at HKMS. “Their idea was to create a day focused on the importance of showing kindness to each other through fun activities and reflective conversations,” said Ms. Degnan. The six students used their flex period once a week since the Fall to organize and plan the event. “We overcame many challenges during the planning stage,” said Nick. Ms. Degnan commented, “I am really impressed by their dedication and perseverance throughout the planning process. And it definitely paid off in the end.”
The Allies in Diversity is a leadership group created and advised by Ms. Degnan which focuses on increasing acceptance and decreasing mean-spirited behaviors in our school and community. “In addition to the Kindness Carnival, Allies members have acted as mentors for younger students throughout the year and run other programs, including a Stand Up Raffle in which students are entered into the raffle if someone sees them stand up for another student if they are being teased or treated poorly,” explained Ms. Degnan. “Each month, there is a drawing where the students can win a bag of Jolly Ranchers.”
Dr. Jennifer Olsen, HKMS Principal, said of the group, “The Allies in Diversity have had a significant impact on the culture of HKMS through their mentoring programs for fifth and sixth grade students. Our eighth grade Allies model kindness and respect throughout the school as they work with fifth grade students during recess, tutor students in their academic classes, and stand up for others when needed.”
The group came up with six stations for the Kindness Carnival, which was held on May 22, 2019, during a scheduled half day:
- Alphabet Game – groups had to race to form letters with their bodies on the ground
- Arts & Crafts – each student made individual artwork, which will be put together to form a grade-wide mural
- Trivia – questions were asked, many of them with the theme of kindness
- Name that Tune – students had to identify songs, which had the theme of kindness
- Classroom Games – students were encouraged to include each other in games
- Carnival Games – students were encouraged to cheer each other on during carnival-type games
At each station, the student leaders discussed how the students could show kindness and acceptance during the activity. At the conclusion of each station, the student leaders recapped how the activity related to the Kindness theme, and asked students to give a shout out to any other students who showed kindness during the activity. Throughout the day, Allies students gave out a “Kindness Coin” to any student or adult they observed demonstrating kindness or acceptance. “The carnival really was great in the aspect of how we got to help all the younger students,” said Callen.
Juliana observed, “I think the carnival was a success. Everyone had fun and we expressed and taught a lot about kindness.”
On of the fifth grade teachers, Eileen Mills, observed, “The Kindness Carnival was a beautiful day organized by our eighth grade Allies for our fifth grade students. It was great watching the students use the kindness tools we learned and discussed all year while playing games at the carnival. Students were encouraging each other and sharing strategies on how to improve their technique while playing a game. At the end of each activity, the eighth grade Ally celebrated the kindness skills demonstrated by the group. It was a true morning of teamwork and mentorship. Thank you, Allies.”
If you would like to read more about this group, THIS is a past article.
Photos by Rebecca Degnan.
