Back to School Tips for August Kindness Day!

Hello friends, it's Kindness Day again! This month since everyone is beginning to go back to school, here are some back to school inspired kind acts!

Give advice to younger students!  

1. Donate some school supplies to your school or a school in need
2. Give some advice to your previous grade level students 
3. Help out your previous teacher with setting up their room 
4. Bring in a box of tissues for the classroom on your first day of school 
5. Bring in some pencils for your class
6. Donate some books to your class 
7. Make a “get to know me” card for your new teacher explaining all of the reasons you are so excited that they’re your teacher 
8. Write little letters for your new classmates about something you are looking forward to doing this year 
9. Pick a new classmate and get to know them 
10. If you have a student new to your school in your class make them feel welcome! 

I hope you enjoyed my kindness suggestions this month! As always, I’d love to hear your kindness suggestions too!  Email me at CKGElena@kidgovernor.org. Talk to you next month!

- Elena

Kind people to look up to on July Kindness Day!

Hi friends, it's that time of the month again! Happy July 13th Kindness Day!

Once again, I'm changing things up just a little! This month, I am telling you about ten famous people who I feel we should look up to and live in the path they are living or lived!

   

1. Michelle Obama: This women makes everyone feel welcome in the USA. 
2. Ellen DeGeneres: She is constantly promoting kindness on her show and rewarding random acts of kindness. 
3. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: He wanted to make everyone equal in a kind and nonviolent way. 
4. Ed Sheeren: He is always contributing to charities. 
5. Taylor Swift: She also is vigorously contributing to charities. 
6. Brooklyn and Bailey McKnight: These very famous YouTubers are constantly doing random acts of kindness for their town, state and country. 
7. Ariana Grande: She, too, is constantly contributing to charity 
8. Tom Hanks: He is a kindhearted person who is always willing to do kind acts for anyone in need. 
9. Oprah Winfrey: Much like Ellen, she is always promoting random acts of kindness and also helps people herself. 
10. Adele: She is a very caring person who is caring towards others in the industry and all of her fans. 

   

While these celebrities may have made mistakes, as we all do, they are very kindhearted people! I hope you will look them up and learn about what they are doing or did to be kind!

Do you know of other celebrities who are doing kind things? Email me at CKGElena@kidgovernor.org to tell me!

I hope you all have an amazing Kindness Day and the rest of the month. Talk to you in August!

- Elena

Inspirational quotes for June Kindness Day!

Hello friends, it's Kindness Day again!

I feel like I have given a lot of suggestions for acts of kindness in the past year and a half, so this month I wanted to give ten quotes about kindness that I feel you should read on a day to day basis!

1. "If you're not kind, kindness will not come your way." 
2. "Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there's footprints on the moon."
3. "Kind words do not cost much. Yet they accomplish much."
4. "No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted."
5. "Kindness, like a boomerang, always returns."
6. "You don't get harmony when everyone sings the same note."
7. "It's not whether you get knocked down, it's if you get up."
8. "Be yourself, everyone else is already taken."
9. "Wherever there is a human being there is an opportunity for kindness."
10. "What this world needs is a new kind of army- the army of the kind." 

If you need suggestions for acts of kindness this month, feel free to look at at previous month's blog post!

I hope you enjoyed reading and really soaking in this quotes! Talk to you next month and Happy Kindness Day!

- Elena

It's Time for May Kindness Day!!

Hello friends! It's another Kindness Day!! That means it's time to celebrate the good in people! If you know somebody who is awesome at being kind, email me at CKGElena@kidgovernor.org so we can recognize them for their kindness!!

Here are my 10 suggestions for acts of kindness on May 13!
1. Let someone go in front of you at the store!
2. Help someone with their homework!!
3. See if your teachers need help during lunch!!
4. Offer to carry someone's books to class!!
5. Ask "How are you doing?" to someone in the hallway!
6. At school, say "hi" to five students you don't know!
7. Help a family member clean their room!!
8. See if your neighbors need any help with outdoor work!!
9. Offer to help your parents garden!!
10. See if your parents need help with any yard work!

Writing a card for someone is another great way to show some kindness!

I have one shout out this month -- thank you to my grandmas for ALL of their acts of kindness!!

Happy Kindness Day!!

- Elena

Announcing the 2017-18 Connecticut's Kid Governor Kickoff Workshop!

A message from your friends at the Connecticut Public Affairs Network...

Join us for our first ever Kickoff Workshop as we officially launch Connecticut's Kid GovernorSM 2017-18! 

Wednesday, May 17, 2017 

5:00pm-7:15pm

Central Connecticut State University

Social Sciences Hall, Rooms #123 and #126

1615 Stanley Street, New Britain, CT 06050

REGISTER HERE by Friday, May 12, 2017.

Come join 5th grade teachers and administrators from across the state, State Social Studies Consultant Steve Armstrong, and the staff from Connecticut's Kid Governor (CKG) to learn more about the program!


The Kickoff Workshop will feature two tracks:

• Teachers and Administrators who are NEW to the CKG program: Get an introduction to the program; learn how your class can participate; and learn more about the program Toolkits and lesson plans. You'll also hear from Donna Stuart (CKG Jessica's teacher) about the Kid Governor program, and learn about other tools and resources to enhance your students' CKG experience! 
• Teachers and Administrators who are RETURNING to the CKG program: Participate in a recap and discussion of the 2016-2017 program; hear from teachers who created unique, collaborative, school-wide, and even district-wide CKG experiences this past year; and develop new ideas for expanding and enriching student participation in the 2017-18 program. Bring a local high school social studies teacher along if you'd like to learn about elementary/high school collaborations!

BENEFITS OF ATTENDING:

• Full overview and scope of CKG from the program's creators! (including tips and tricks for success) 
• Free printed copy of the "Toolkit for Classes Nominating a Candidate and Voting" (lesson plans) 
• Free autographed copy of "E is for Election Day" book by author Gloria Davis for the first 25 registrants 
• Insight into the Red, White & Blue Schools initiative (brought to you by the State Dept. of Education and Secretary of the State's Office 
• Pizza and refreshments provided 

If you are interested in participating in Connecticut's Kid Governor 2017-18, taking your class' participation to the next level, or simply learning more about the program, this workshop is for you!

REGISTER HERE!

Questions? Email Brian.Cofrancesco@kidgovernor.org or visit CT.KidGovernor.org. 

Connecticut’s Kid Governor is a national award-winning statewide civics program created by the Connecticut Public Affairs Network and made possible in part through support from the Connecticut Council for the Social Studies and Connecticut State Department of Education.

It's Not a Prank, it's April Kindness Day!!

Hi friends!!! Can you believe it's already April?!!!!! I want to know what you all are doing to be kind so email me at CKGElena@kidgovernor.org!! 

This month two Buddy Benches were installed at Pleasant Valley School in South Windsor! Yay!! To read more about how Pleasant Valley supported my Campaign for Kindness by bringing Buddy Benches to their school, click HERE!

Here are my ten kindness suggestions for this month!!!

1. Give ten compliments in one day! 
2. Offer a free tutor session to a younger student!! 
3. Make a card for your teachers!! 
4. Write little letters and hide them around the house for someone to find!! 
5. Hold the door open for people!! 
6. Help someone carry their backpack! 
7. Create a list of ten compliments and see how many times you can repeat the list! 
8. Help your mom or dad do chores around the house!! 
9. Write a list of all the amazing things about someone and give it to them!! 
10. Make a special treat for your family and friends. 

Helping younger students during my Summer Library Circuit visit to the New Haven Free Public Library!

Those are my ten suggestions for April! I'll talk to you again next month!! 

Happy Kindness Day!!

- Elena 

What did you do for March Kindness Day??

Hi friends!!! Can you believe it's already March??!!! What did you do to be kind on Kindness Day, March 13??

Here are my ten suggestions for ways you can be kind the rest of this month!

1. Help your teacher after school 
2. Help someone who is shy come out of their bubble
3. Take a few minutes to send postcards to children who are sick in the hospital
4. See if your library needs any help 
5. Donate some of your old books to those in need
6. Let someone know they mean a lot to you and that they are amazing!
7. Try saying twenty compliments in one day 
8. Create cards for your teachers 
9. Create a holiday for someone you love 
10. Help a friend with their homework!!                                 

Selfie with United States Teacher of the Year Ms. Hayes (from Waterbury) and CT Council for the Social Studies President Mr. Bosso (from Berlin) in October. Teachers rock, be kind to your teachers this month!


I have one shout-out this month and it's for Aniya!! Great job being kind by helping your middle school teacher after school and helping with the girls basketball team!!

How are you being kind to others? Do you have a suggestion for my April list of suggestions? Email me at CKGElena@kidgovernor.org to tell me!

Be kind this March! Talk to you next month!!

- Elena