Spreading kindness
On right in front, eighth grader Jonnie Vedder holds up a sign outside of Lakes Middle School in Coeur d'Alene on Thursday morning. The school Kind Club waved signs and handed out flowers to parents and other drivers as they dropped students off at the school. HANNAH NEFF/Press
Lakes Middle School Kind Club waved signs and handed out flowers to parents and other drivers as they dropped students off at the school on Thursday morning. From left, Harley Hult, Connor Svanby, Wyatt Crouse, adviser Marcus Ross, and Jonnie Vedder. HANNAH NEFF/Press
Lakes Middle School parent Rita Waldo receives a flower from student Sadie Daggett, a member of the school's Kind Club on Thursday morning. HANNAH NEFF/Press
Members of Lakes Middle School Kind Club handed out flowers and waved signs to parents and other drivers as they dropped students off at the school on Thursday morning. HANNAH NEFF/Press
On front right, Lakes Middle School student Aiden Owens holds up a sign outside of the school in Coeur d'Alene on Thursday morning. The school Kind Club waved signs and handed out flowers to parents and other drivers as they dropped students off at the school. HANNAH NEFF/Press
From left, Lakes Middle School students Boston Jones and Ashleigh Sherman Waldo pass out flowers and chocolates to parents and other drivers as they dropped students off at the school. The school kind club greeted drivers with music, pom-poms and signs, showing their appreciation for their parents and other getting them to school. HANNAH NEFF/Press
Holding the sign in center, Lakes Middle School student Syringa Kirsch stands outside of the school on Thursday morning. The school Kind Club waved signs and handed out flowers to parents and other drivers as they dropped students off at the school. HANNAH NEFF/Press
You’re amazing. You're awesome. Have a great day.
These messages and more adorned signs held by students and teachers outside Lakes Middle School early Thursday morning.
“I think it was inspirational,” said parent Amanda Stadler as she dropped her son off for school. “It’s definitely put a smile on my face and I’m probably going to have a good day now.”
What started out with about a dozen kids from Kind Club shouting, waving signs and pom-poms and dancing to music turned into a large crowd and arriving students caught the kindness bug.
“It feels good that I’m spreading kindness, and I think they feel good too because I’m giving it to them and they’re giving it back to me,” said seventh-grader Boston Jones. “I love to spread kindness.”
Boston handed out flowers to parents and other drivers dropping students off for school.
“They are super happy,” Boston said. “They have a big smile on their face and they always say ‘Thank you’ back.”
The kindness drive-by was just one of the events put on by the school’s Kind Club, run by advisers Jennifer Nelson and Marcus Ross.
“We have a lot of very kind individuals,” Ross said. “We have a lot of students and staff that have a big heart.”
Nelson said they have a whole calendar of events which included a random acts of kindness day in February and an Earth day they’re planning in the future.
Kind Club was paused for the pandemic, but started up again with about 30 seventh- and eighth-graders meeting after school twice a week.
Ross said he noticed there were many students doing awesome things, and they decided to bring the club back to let those students shine throughout the school and make the school an environment of kindness and love.
“I just think there are so many other things, obstacles and things that impact our everyday lives that we sometimes overshadow our kindness and our love for the community,” Ross said. “Jeni and I wanted to make sure that we had an opportunity for us to really implement kindness and start having it really shine and have it be the focal point of the school.”
Eighth-grader Jonnie Vedder said the club writes a lot of letters to thank students, teachers and staff in the school when they catch them doing an act of kindness.
Jonnie said they also carry kindness cards they slip to people around the school when they catch them in an act of kindness. Later the people can use the cards to enter a drawing.
“Nowadays I feel like kindness is kind of underrated and we all feel like kindness is rare, which it shouldn’t be that way. We can all be kind,” Jonnie said. “I feel like this club just helps out around the school, helps get out the idea of being kind to others.”
On Thursday, Jonnie helped hand out flowers to drivers and waved signs.
“Parents aren’t appreciated a ton these days, I feel like, so I think that this will help them realize how much they’re doing even if they don’t realize it,” Jonnie said.
Parent Rita Waldo smiled as she received a flower while she dropped her daughter off at the school.
“I think it’s amazing,” Waldo said. “People need more kindness in the world.”
