Photo by Amy Byrnes
By Amy Byrnes
Attention Rumson and Fair Haven residents: Be on the lookout next week for an onslaught of kindness ninjas who will be spreading random acts of goodness throughout the community. It’s all a part of R+FH Kindness Week, which officially begins Oct. 7 and runs through Oct. 14. Organizers hope it’s the start of a movement that continues throughout the year.
Kindness Week kicks off with presentations at all five schools in the two towns, including the high school, by inspirational speaker Brian Williams, who will talk to students about how one small act of kindness can help spark a change in the world. Williams, who has received national media coverage and been invited to work with the New York Yankees, will also issue a kindness challenge to the whole community; many businesses are jumping on the kindness bandwagon as well.
The community is invited to attend a Kindness Night at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 7 at Rumson-Fair Haven High School to hear Williams speak and join the 3,500 students in all three school districts in stepping up to the challenge.
The Two River Times asked a few parents, school administrators, a mayor and even a couple of students – who had gathered last week at Bingham Hall in Rumson to meet Williams and ask questions – why they thought it was important to talk about kindness. Here’s an edited version of what some of them had to say:
Being kind helps us, all of us, get along, which is a very difficult thing today. Kindness starts with your heart.
– Joseph Hemphill, Rumson Mayor
It reminds us that our world’s really not that bad of a place. Despite all the negativity, there’s still billions more good people on our planet than bad. When we see that one simple act of kindness it reminds us that there are good people out there and sometimes it’s the small things that give us our faith in humanity.
– Brian Williams, founder, Think Kindness
We hope that it spreads among the three communities and hopefully, when they all get to high school together, we really want them to understand a sense of community. It’s great for them to be reminded that it’s not just about academics or social status, but it’s important to be kind to others who might not share the same experiences.
–Amy Romano, Knollwood School principal
It’s important to talk about kindness now in light of mental health initiatives a lot of school districts are undertaking, as it’s at the forefront of our children’s lives. It’s something we need to focus on as parents and as school leaders.
–Michael Ballone, Rumson, director of curriculum and instruction for Marlboro Township School District
It’s important so nobody bullies each other. Sometimes I play with my little brother so he doesn’t feel lonely.
–Reede Ballone, 9, Forrestdale fourth grader
It’s important to talk about kindness because then people won’t bully you. It makes me feel happy when my brother plays with me.
–Blake Ballone, 7, Dean Porter second grader
I think with all the mass shootings and how isolated children are today, especially with social media, it’s so important to be inclusive of all people. To battle that isolation people feel with social media.
–Dominique Pennell, Rumson, mom of two, including a student in pre-K at Dean Porter
Kindness demonstrates the amount of empathy students and individuals hold and that’s our initiative in Rumson this year. This is the perfect program to help build empathy in our students, to better relate to others, reduce conflict, be more accepting and make a better school community.
–John Bonner, Rumson School District superintendent
I believe kindness starts when you’re young and sometimes, as you get older, you might need a little reminder. We’re excited for this initiative because it can touch everyone and hopefully (the students) can take it home with them.
–Krystie Larsen, Fair Haven PTA president, parent of a second grader and a fourth grader
For years, this community has given my son Jack, who is a little person, support and opportunities and it’s been tremendous. When this came up I said, ‘This is huge and we need to get on board with it.’ Not to sound corny, but we constantly hear the word ‘bully.’ But instead of focusing on the bully, why not focus on the anti-bully, and try to support kids of all abilities and disabilities?
–Marianne Velcamp, Rumson, mom to four kids who have gone through the Rumson School District and graduated from RFH
It’s important for us to talk about kindness, particularly at the high school level, because students are so busy – between academics, athletics and extracurricular activities – that sometimes they become wrapped up in their own lives, as typical teenagers do. Every once in a while it’s important that we take a minute out and make sure our students are kind to each other. I’m excited about this because I think it’s going to be a reminder that we need to be kind to even the people that we don’t know.
–Debra Gulick, Rumson Fair Haven High School superintendent
