Bankof America – At Coral Springs School, Students Took Part In Week of Kindness As Tribute To Marjory Stoneman Douglas Tragedy

CORAL SPRINGS, FL – As the third anniversary of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School tragedy approached this Sunday, the staff at a Coral Springs elementary school was determined to send students a clear message on how to prevent more acts of unspeakable violence.

The educators at Forest Hills Elementary School boiled it down to one word: kindness.

Every day this week, students were asked to show kindness to themselves, to their parents, to their teachers, to their friends, and finally to their classmates.

On top of that, the students took part in a service project – watching videos to unlock “coins” used to purchase nutrition kits distributed by UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund), which provides humanitarian aid to children around the world.

“With everything that happened at MSD, we wanted to remind each other that we are here for one another and respect one another,” said Sarah Clark, the school’s media clerk and aftercare supervisor. “We have to be kind to one another.”

Similar activities have been going on at other Broward County schools this week in preparation for the anniversary of the Feb. 14, 2018 shooting that left 17 students and staff dead and many others injured and mentally damaged.

Schools were encouraged to get students involved in volunteer projects, such as landscaping gardens, beautifying schools, supporting first responders, and feeding families in need, school officials said.

On Friday, the school district will observe a moment of reflection to honor and remember the victims.

“During the week-long commemoration, BCPS (Broward County Public Schools) students on campuses and those learning at home will positively impact the lives of others through community service activities,” Superintendent Robert Runcie said in a statement. “We’re proud of the contributions our students are making within their communities and we hope to engage them and their families in shaping the lives of others as, together, we work to continue to heal from the tragedy.”

At Forest Hills Elementary School on NW 85th Ave, the students’ efforts to be kind were done in partnership with Bank of America employees, who, too, did their part to be kind to the people around them, Clark said.

Together, they watched videos intended to make them move, shake off stress, and appreciate kindness.

By watching the videos, the students and bankers were planning to collect enough “coins” for UNICEF to purchase more than 40 nutrition kits for children across the world, Clark said.

And, as a reward, the children and adults will take part in a virtual dance-a-thon on Friday where they’ll find out exactly how many kits will be purchased.

“We wanted our kids to reflect on the tragedy, but also know that this wasn’t going to tear us apart. Instead, it was going bring us together,” Clark said.

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