JCPS students, teacher create rock garden as part of school-wide initiative to spread kindness

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- One teacher's goal to spread kindness is growing far beyond the walls of John F. Kennedy Montessori Elementary School.

Stefany Bibb has made the school her home for more than two decades. She's spent a majority of that time as a teacher assistant, but after getting certified herself, Bibb has now taught her own classroom the past two years.

Bibb also leads the school's "Kindness Crew." 

"Listening to (students) talk about it and seeing them interact with each other, it's beyond what I thought," she said. 

The Kindness Crews is made up of students in each grade level. By May, even the little ones in kindergarten will have the opportunity to join after watching the older kids set the example earlier on in the school year.

"It feels good," Bibb said. "It physically feels good to be kind."

Students in the Kindness Crew often hold door for others, greet students and teachers each morning with posters that have positive messages, focus on being helpful and respectful, and help others to remember to be kind. 

The acts of kindness they're practicing at school are also being modeled at home.

"You can also spread (kindness) to your teacher or your loved one when you're not even at school," said Aniyah Cox, a fourth-grade student who is part of the Kindness Crew.

"My favorite act of kindness is being able to hold the door for other people, because it shows that you care about them," said John Johnson, a fifth-grade student on the Kindness Crew. 

Aniyah said her favorite act of kindness is giving hugs.

"I like to make people smile and I like to make them smile because it lights up my world and I know it makes them feel warm inside, too," she said. 

Kim Le, a fifth-grader, said she plans to start a Kindness Crew at her middle school next year. 

"I'm not doing this alone," she said. "I believe that if the whole school could be kind, the whole world could be kind. And that's just one step for kindness to the whole world."

Several students recently painted rocks with messages of kindness as part of their work with the Kindness Crew. During spring break, Bibb made it a point to spend some time at school creating a garden for these rocks outside the building. 

The Kindness Rock Garden is arranged with rainbow-colored tires for sitting and pinwheels that blow in the wind. It's filled with painted rocks of all shapes and sizes, many of them with encouraging messages or creative designs. 

Aniyah picked a rock from the garden Monday that had a frog painted on it. 

"It's a little frog right here," she said. "He looks really cute, and I see a little fly up here. And it makes me feel happy because I really like frogs."

Students can keep the rocks for up to one week before returning them to the garden. If students choose to keep the rock longer, they can paint another one and replace the one they took. 

"You can also pass your rock down to your friends so you can make them feel happy," Aniyah said. 

The garden is just one more way the Kindness Crew can help put smiles on people's faces. 

"The best part about (being kind) is that it kind of comes back to you if they just say 'thank you' and the joy kind of returns," Kim said. 

Bibb hopes these students take the foundation of kindness they've started here at Kennedy Montessori and continue to build upon it in the future.

"Nothing you've heard from any of the students, nothing they do, is because of me," Bibb said. "I just gave them the outlet to do what they naturally do. They're naturally kind. There's nothing I can take credit for for how amazing they are and the kindness they spread. I'm just like, 'Here, do what you do.'"

Still, it's clear these kids think she's had an impact. 

"I just want to talk about Ms. Bibb," Aniyah said. "She's just a wonderful person. I've had her since I came here. She's made me feel like I belong in this school. She really cares about me, and that's why I love her so much."

Bibb is hopeful the garden will continue to grow. 

"I think as much as our kindness grows, our rock garden is going to grow, too," she said.

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