Kindness grows with new garden in Lakewood Ranch

Before Awa Behm, a first grader at Braden River Elementary School, left to move out of the area last week, she went to the school’s new kindness garden and picked up a small rock with an owl painted on it.

The rock was Behm’s way of being able to take a piece of Braden River Elementary with her. 

“It made her feel special because she was sad about leaving,” said Tammy Peters, Behm’s teacher.

Peters’ class worked with their reading buddies in Joadie Durfee’s fifth grade class Jan. 26 to create kindness rocks. After the students were done painting positive messages, such as “I’m proud of you,” “You’re amazing,” and “You’re my sunshine,” on the rocks, they needed the perfect place to put them.

That place became apparent because 30 pre-K students had been working on a kindness garden.

In January, the school focused on kindness as part of its social-emotional curriculum. Pre-K teacher Cynthia Flores had her students talk about ways they could be kind. Focusing on kindness happened to coincide with the grade’s nature unit.

While doing activities in the garden, the students and their teachers came up with the idea to turn the garden into a kindness garden using positive messages and pictures on rocks.

“We’re hoping the entire school gets involved with a simple kind word on a rock that might help make someone’s day,” Flores said. “I would love to see and hear students around campus complimenting each other, saying nice things and just lifting spirits up.”

Flores said painting the kindness rocks was also an opportunity for the pre-K students to work on their reading and handwriting.

Flores said that she has enjoyed seeing students go to the garden to take a rock or leave a rock they’ve painted.

The garden also has blank rocks in case a student or staff member wants to decorate one. 

“My biggest wonder is, are they sharing them?” Flores said. “Do they take them for themselves? Do they take them for their friends? I wish there was a way we could follow the rocks and see where they end up to see if they circle back into our garden or to see if someone takes one home to a family member.”

Being a part of the kindness garden has been a joy for students.

First grader Abby Stephens said the garden makes her happy because she’s spreading kindness to people that might need it.

The impact of the kindness garden has spread beyond Braden River Elementary School. Peters’ Girl Scout troop created kindness rocks for the garden as a campout activity.

Flores said the project has potential to expand into a rock river that will go throughout the whole garden.