At 7 a.m. sharp Valentine’s Day morning, a group of students were busy tracing, cutting and gluing together handmade paper flowers to celebrate the international day of love with a little kindness mixed in.
The 20-some students in Lincoln Lutheran’s Acts of Random Kindness club later passed out the red, pink and purple flowers to friends, classmates and teachers, but this good deed was just one piece to the greater puzzle they’re hoping to build.
Their goal is to create a culture of kindness — not just within the club, but across the entire school.
By doing little acts of kindness a few times a month, Erin Seitz, the club sponsor, hopes they can achieve just that. Whether it’s something as small as an encouraging note slipped into someone’s locker or as big as surprising students with gas money, she believes every random act can have a big impact.
“One kind act can really make a difference,†she said. “(Students) can make a change just by doing one small, kind thing.â€
The club started about five years ago when Seitz decided she wanted to help instill the importance of kindness in students by doing nice things for the members of the school community.
So far, they’ve done a variety of things to uplift students and staff, including buying flowers and making cards to thank the lunch ladies, handing out ice cream on the last day of school and delivering boxes of cookies to each staff member before winter break.
However, most of what the club does is kept under the radar, which is exactly how Seitz intends it to be. They meet before school starts and typically try to conduct their acts of kindness in secrecy. It isn’t meant to be flashy.
“It's not about publicity and attention and pats on the back because that's not why we do it,†she said.
Elizabeth DeFreece, a seventh-grade student, joined the club last year and has loved the opportunity it’s given her to uplift those around her.
“I just really like giving people stuff because it makes me feel nice,†she said. “It makes me smile when other people are smiling.â€
To be on the receiving end of their acts of kindness is even more inspiring, said Sheila Psencik, head of school. Once, the club surprised her with a flower pot with each of the members’ thumbprints painted on it.
“It's an intentional effort that we're bringing to make our school a place of love and caring and just trying to be the hands and feet of Jesus,†she said. “Training our kids to do that so when they go out into the world they can spread kindness everywhere.â€
Photos: Lincoln Public Schools' 36th annual spelling bee
(From left) Elizabeth DeFreece, 13, gives her friend Ryleigh Batenhorst, 13, a paper flower valentine at her locker before the start of school at Lincoln Lutheran on Wednesday. Students who are in the Acts of Random Kindness club made paper flowers to hand out to other students for Valentine’s Day.
Lincoln Lutheran students show off the paper flowers they made to hand out before the start of school on Wednesday. Students who are in the Acts of Random Kindness club made paper flowers to hand out to other students for Valentine’s Day.