Students in the sixth-grade class at Albion Middle School are trying hard to fill the community with peace and not violence.
Taking on a mission, members of Team 600 — a group of 85 students — will try a do 1,000 acts of kindness in the month of January. In order to complete this goal, students are calling upon their fellow Albion Central School District students and the community.
“We’ve done it before with 100 acts of kindness in the school,” said sixth-grade teacher Leslie Gates. “1,000 is quit a big endeavor but I think we’ll be able to do it.”
Deciding on 1,000 acts and involving the community came together after students read several newspapers. Searching for articles on kind behavior, it became clear to them that finding articles on hurtful behavior was a lot easier. Gates said that students were not sure why this was, whether because there is more hurtful behavior out there or people think it is more fun to read about hurtful behavior.
“We thought, wouldn’t it be great if the schools can perform acts of kindness,” said Sue Starkweather of the Albion Central School District.
Beginning this week, the students will start filling out the act of kindness form and as they come in, a mural will be created in the middle school, displaying the different acts. They will also keep track of their progress to 1,000.
To help with this, students are looking for support from community members. They would like people to fill out the form, that asks for a brief explanation of the act and how it made you feel and mail it to the school.
Students said that some of their acts of kindness will include baby-sitting for free, just to help out; sweeping the cafeteria floor; shoveling snow for a neighbor; volunteering at the local animal shelter; picking up garbage on the side of the road; helping the elderly and doing free activities for people that they normally would be paid for.
“Acts of kindness is done for no money,” Gates said. “We’re doing this to help out.”
This project is part of the Peace Rocks! program at the middle school. Starkweather said that this projects began several years ago and each year it takes on a different shape and form.
At the beginning of the school year, students created a contract that stated that they will not exhibit hurtful behavior towards others. They then signed the contract with hand prints in paint. They also designed T-shirts with a peace symbol on the front that they all wear once a month.
Other activities for Peace Rocks! included reading and discussing Aesop fables, where the students then created their own peace fables book. The created stories teach lessons that promote peace.
Students also learned of the camel bookmobile, a library in Kenya that visits people via camel. The students, after reading about the culture in Kenya, decided to create their own book about their lives and send it to the camel bookmobile.
Local News
ALBION: Students commit to 1,000 acts of kindness
- Local News
-
-
Market on Main will offer fresh produce, baked goods
Medina’s Main Street has more than its fair share of spots to pick up prepared food, but starting this summer there will be a place to buy artisanal bread and locally-grown produce.Dave and Bonnie Reigle have operated a produce stand on their Ridge Road farm for 17 years. They plan to open Reigle’s Market on Main in the former Whole Nine Yards and be open year-round as a bakery and produce store.
-
Lyndonville BoE approves budget propositions
The Lyndonville Board of Education approved the four propositions district residents will vote on May 15, including the school’s $12,964,687 budget.The 2012-13 budget decreases spending by 1.28 percent, but the property tax levy will rise by 1.95 percent to $4,620,374. The estimated property tax rate is $18.40, an increase of 1.38 percent and a bump of a quarter for every $1,000 of assessed property value.
-
Medina BoE OK's budgets for May 15 vote
Medina Central School District residents will have the option this May to vote for a budget that does not raise the property tax levy next year, but does increase the district’s budget by 1.74 percent.
-
Ridgeway sets public hearings
The Ridgeway Town Board will hold two public hearings at its next meeting on May 21.
-
Hoag will host STEM summer camp
The Hoag Library in Albion isn’t set to open until the weekend after Independence Day, but preparations are well underway for a two-week summer camp for a select group of Albion students.
-
Growing like a weed
The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce’s Home and Garden Show had a new home this year, and a record crowd came out to Knowlesville for helpful advice, information about local businesses and organizations, and a wide range of activities, promotions and giveaways.
-
Village budget talks continue
Medina’s 2012-13 budget is coming together at a series of meetings between department heads and village board members that largely focus on projected spending plans and areas where cuts can be made and additional revenue can be found.The board met Monday with Police Chief Jose Avila, who said his department budget will be less than the current year despite increasing salaries and associated benefits.
-
Hoag Library era nears in Albion
The transition of Albion's long-time library to a modern South Main Street facility is quickly approaching, which had the Swan Library Board of Trustees discussing the closing of the current library in early June, a month of movement and plans to resume service at the new Hoag Library on the day after the facility's July 7 grand opening at their Wednesday meeting.
-
Pillars hosting Titanic evening
The extravagant experience that the high-class passengers enjoyed on the first and final voyage of the RMS Titanic will be replicated in a dinner at The Pillars Estate’s new ballroom this weekend.The Pillars echoes the luxury liner’s grand staircase and chandelier, with historic touches throughout the restored County House Road mansion’s ballroom.
-
Shelby formalizes reserve funds
The Town of Shelby has had a highway equipment reserve fund for as long as Supervisor Skip Draper can remember, but to be safe the town board formally created the fund and other others Tuesday.Draper said the origins of the town’s long-standing funds, used to prepare for large expenses and avoid a yo-yo-ing budget, were questioned in an audit of the town’s finances.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Market on Main will offer fresh produce, baked goods



