Kindness an ever-present lesson at Mars Primary School
ADAMS TWP — Not only do teachers practice what they preach when it comes to being kind at Mars Primary Center, they wear it every Wednesday, too.
Every week has a “Wear ‘em Wednesday” in Mars Area School District, when teachers and students alike wear shirts reminding them to “#bethekindkid.”
Jessica Semler, principal of the kindergarten and first-grade school, said Mars Area School District took on the initiative from Avonworth Primary Center and the shirts help create a welcoming environment.
“It’s a reminder for staff and students to be kind, because it’s great to be inclusive,” she said. “It’s to create that warm and welcoming environment. We want our kids to be happy at school and happy to come to school every day.”
The shirts are provided by the school and Dr. Stephanie Rhoads, an orthodontist based in Cranberry Township, buys every student in kindergarten through sixth grade a shirt each year so every child in the school can be a part of the initiative.
Many of the school’s students and staff members sported the dark blue T-shirts on Wednesday, March 25.
Joel Levere, a first-grader at Mars Primary Center, said wearing the shirt every Wednesday and seeing the phrase echoed on other students around him reminds him to take the extra steps to be nice to his classmates. Because it feels as good to be kind to someone else as it does when he is on the receiving end, he said.
“It means if someone falls, you help them up,” Joel said. “It makes me feel good.
“We want to tell everyone who is maybe new to the school that you have to be kind,” Joel added.
Teachers at Mars Primary Center also wear the shirts on Wednesdays, so they can also have a visual reminder for students to be nice to one another. Most of them come in the school’s colors, dark blue and tie-dye yellow. They can be long- or short-sleeved.
The initiative began with a districtwide celebration on June 4, 2019.
All three staff members in the life skills classroom Wednesday were wearing their blue #bethekindkid shirts.
Jordyn Balega, life skills teacher at Mars Primary Center, said that while kindness is not something directly taught in the classroom, teachers speak about courtesy and manners every day. Because they are educating some of the youngest students, it’s especially important for the adults in the room to be examples of kindness, rather than just speaking about it.
“Kindness is something even the adults can be practicing as an example to our kids,” Balega said. “We talk about, ‘What’s something you can do to make someone happy?’”
Jane Nusser, a kindergarten teacher at Mars Primary Center, also said she uses simple questions to instill good behavior in her students, which helps them understand that being courteous and kind is a gift to themselves as well as their classmates.
“We always talk about how building character is just as important as learning math and reading,” Nusser said. “We ask about how we can be kind to our school, our teachers and our peers.”
Aside from small, sometimes unspoken moments in the classroom, the school also has a few rewards programs that encourage children to be nice to one another. Mason Sears, a first-grader at Mars Primary Center, explained students can earn Golden Tickets and Positive Planet Tickets through good behavior, which could net them a reward from the school.
Some of the physical rewards are small, but Mason said students get excited just to be recognized on the school’s daily announcements.
“You turn them in to get prizes and Mrs. Semler goes on the announcements and picks the names,” Mason said. “You get into the Principal’s Club.”
Students at Mars Primary Center Wednesday also shared what it means to them to be kind to one another. Mason said it means you’re helpful to other students and make sure they are doing OK throughout the day. He said preventing bullying is an important part of being kind.
“When people are being bullied, tell a teacher,” Mason said. “Making good choices, always be kind and stay safe.”
Elianna Lupp, a kindergartner at Mars Primary Center, also said being kind is about supporting other students. It’s also about respecting the people and space around her, she said.
“When someone is sad, I ask, ‘Are you OK?’” Eliana said. “It’s taking care of tools, raising our hands, being nice to our teacher.”
Eliana’s classmate, kindergartner Maevelyn Hillegas, said it feels good to be kind to other students.
The meaning of kindness continues past the halls of Mars Primary Center, because the shirts are available to students through Mars Area Elementary School, which has students in up to sixth grade.
Kristen Wasynczuk, a parent of two students at Mars Area School District, said her primary school daughter and her daughter at Mars Area Elementary School each wear their #bethekindkid shirts most Wednesdays. She said the students are happy to wear them and they are a subtle reminder to students to be the kind one first.
“Everyone wears the shirt, even up to fourth grade,” Wasynczuk said.
