Show the Love: Lower School Students Celebrate Everyday Kindness

Earlier this winter, the Lower School Student Council launched “Show the Love,” a program that invites students to recognize classmates who go out of their way to help others. When students witness an act of kindness—from holding the door after recess to helping clean up a mess they didn’t make—they can nominate that student for a paper heart. Each heart is then displayed on a bulletin board in the Lower School gathering area.

“One thing that surprised me as someone new to the school is that kindness is authentically happening here all the time,” said Ali Baran, Assistant Head of Lower School. “We could probably fill up bulletin board after bulletin board—it is woven into who we are as a community.”

Placing the display in the Lower School gathering area helped make it a natural focal point for students each day. For Baran, recognizing these moments is an important part of the Lower School experience. 

“During the Lower School years, we reinforce what it means to be a good human being and the ways we want to be in the world,” she said. “We emphasize community building at the beginning of the year across grade levels, and we want to make sure that continues throughout the year.”

Students also see the value in recognizing kindness. Sixth grader Georgia S., a member of Student Council, said the initiative was designed to highlight the positive actions already happening every day. “Not much has changed because we were using this to highlight acts of kindness, not to change people’s behaviors,” she said.

Younger students agree that the recognition matters. “It helps people to show kindness even when no one is watching,” said third grader Mae W. Fourth grader Gigi C. added, “Small acts of kindness always lead to bigger acts of kindness.” And for third grader Emily M., the message is simple: “Make sure you're always noticing so that people’s acts of kindness don’t go unrecognized.”

Together, the growing wall of hearts serves as a reminder that the strongest communities are built not only through big achievements, but also through everyday acts of care, generosity, and attention to others.