Kindergarten caped crusaders spread good deeds

They might not be faster than speeding bullets, but students at Little Graces Preschool and Kindergarten in The Plains are gaining momentum as “superheroes of kindness.”

Sporting a rainbow of hand-made capes, the 110 students, who range from 2 and a half to 6 years old, participate in monthly service learning projects designed to encourage virtues such as love, compassion, kindness and generosity.

“I think the biggest thing is for them to have an awareness that simple acts of kindness spread,” Little Graces Director Michelle Adzima said. “It’s getting them to connect at an early age to giving to others.”

A suggestion from a parent on a year-end questionnaire last May sparked the idea.

“The school has so many learning opportunities like field trips and fun fairs, and I just said there are other ways [the kids can learn],” said parent Erica Herrera. “I told them I would love to see the kids be able to do work in the community and start helping the people who help them every day.”

Together, Adzima and Herrera spent the summer planning simple activities for the 2011-12 school year.

“We decided to do two service projects a month, one in the classroom as part of the curriculum, and another, bigger project that families could help with,” Herrera said.

The school kicked off the year last September with a “pajama party” float in a local parade, collecting new pajamas and used books for The Pajama Program, a non-profit organization that serves foster children around the world.

“I think it’s important to start them [serving] at a young age, because the earlier you start kids being aware of their community and the ways they can help it...hopefully as they get older, that little seed will grow as they continue through life,” Herrera said.

Whether they’re helping serve a community lunch, or saving money to buy Christmas presents for needy families, Adzima said students have begun to identify areas where they can help.

In December, she was pleased to see the kindergarten class go an extra step to personalize gifts they purchased.

“They decided to do chores to earn money to buy something for the person they chose off the Giving Tree,” she said. “The whole school participated , but the kindergarteners really got into what they could do at home to help their families earn money to purchase gifts.”

Whenever students serve, they wear their capes.

Adzima feels the superhero persona helps students connect to the service concept in a tangible way.

“Kids think of superheroes as being strong, powerful and spreading good everywhere,” she said. “I think they feel that way when they have their capes on.”

This spring, students and capes will be out in full force, serving cocoa to firefighters, singing at nursing homes, and baking bread for the food bank at Grace Episcopal Church.

“My cape helps me with thinking of ideas and trying to tell others what we can do for people,” said Gracie Sheldon, 6.

The props were sewn by a host of mothers, grandmothers and nannies, who spent two weeks sewing the fabric each child chose.

Students say it’s important to be kind because “it makes people happy.”

“You should do unto others as you want them to do to you,” Sheldon said.

“When you serve other people it makes you happy and they’re nice back,” said Casey Murray, 6.

Adzima is encouraged when students seek her out to tell her about an act of kindness they performed.

“They’ll walk up and say, ‘Mrs. A., I was a superhero of kindness today,’” she said. “I think putting it down at their level and making them feel like they can make a difference [is important].”

Both Adzima and Herrera believe the program’s inaugural year has fostered a culture of service not just among students, but also their families.

“I’m amazed at what we’ve accomplished so far this year, and I hope that throughout the years it gets bigger,” Herrera said. “As more people pitch in...I really think it will [grow].”