We are happy to report on another year of successful projects funded by the Meghan Voisine Kindness Matters Grants. Students, teachers and youth organizations applied for grants in the Fall of 2024. Criteria for the projects included the promotion of kindness, friendship, inclusion, respect, connection and service to others. These grants honor the life of our daughter Meghan and promote kindness in our Suffield Community. We were proud to fund several projects over the past school year.
For a second year Spaulding and McAlister Art teachers invited students in grades 2, 3 and 5 to participate in the Empty Bowls Project. The project included the making of clay bowls by the fifth graders which were dried and fired in the kiln and then painted by students in grades 2 and 3, all part of their art lesson. The bowls were then sold at the Soup and Sing Concert. Empty Bowls is a grass roots project by artists and craftspeople around the world to raise money for food related charities. Proceeds from this project were donated to the Suffield Community Aid Food Bank.
At McAlister, the Global Read Aloud Kindness Club, a small group of students, met for 6 weeks to participate in the global read aloud. This is a program where communities across the globe read the same book together and then connect. They worked with a school in Ontario, Canada to discuss the very powerful book, And Then, Boom. The book tells the story of a young boy who ends up homeless and starving. As they discussed the book, the students moved from literature as a window to literature as a sliding glass door, asking HOW they could help people like Joe, the main character. They came up with several activities to help young people in need. They packed Blessing Bags for the homeless, made fleece blankets for the cold, served a meal for the hungry at a local soup kitchen, conducted a drive to collect gently used suitcases and backpacks for those in foster care, helped organize the town’s food pantry and even created a pantry at McAlister. This was an impactful project for all involved.
The Fifth Grade Student Council at McAlister decorated flowerpots with quotes and inspiring messages about growth and kindness. After decorating the pots, students planted a houseplant in each one. The students then delivered the pots to different organizations around town, including the library, schools, Suffield Community Aid, where they were delivered to seniors, town hall and randomly given out to people in town. The plants were beautiful and the pots were very special with such a sweet kindness message.
A grant to Mr. Gianni funded the purchase of the game 9 Square in the Air to be used in the Physical Education curriculum, as well as a Field Day station. The game is loads of fun and is developmentally appropriate for students of all cognitive and motor abilities. The game includes students of all abilities, statures, sizes and skill levels and keeps the students engaged and moving the whole time. It also includes opportunities for students to work independently, in pairs or in trios. The laughter was fun and infectious. We witnessed tentative students at McAlister. This was an impactful project for all involved.
The Fifth Grade Student Council at McAlister decorated flowerpots with quotes and inspiring messages about growth and kindness. After decorating the pots, students planted a houseplant in each one. The students then delivered the pots to different organizations around town, including the library, schools, Suffield Community Aid, where they were delivered to seniors, town hall and randomly given out to people in town. The plants were beautiful and the pots were very special with such a sweet kindness message.
At McAlister, a grant to Mr. Gianni funded the purchase of the game 9 Square in the Air to be used in the Physical Education curriculum, as well as a Field Day station. The game is loads of fun and is developmentally appropriate for students of all cognitive and motor abilities. The game includes students of all abilities, statures, sizes and skill levels and keeps the students engaged and moving the whole time. It also includes opportunities for students to work independently, in pairs or in trios. The laughter was fun and infectious. We witnessed tentative students who weren’t sure if they wanted to participate, laughing and having a ball after just a few minutes of play.
At SMS, a project was submitted by Mrs. Pfaff to build community and connections centers around Lego building stations open to all sixth graders. This hands-on activity provides a space where students gather around a table and build together allowing new friendships and connections to form. Invitations to participate go to students who are struggling to make connections, students who need to mediate situations with other sixth graders, students with different needs and abilities or languages, as well as students who need a gathering place that is low-key. Model students are able to connect with kids who may not be in their everyday friend group. Mrs. Pfaff reported some amazingly heartwarming interactions and will continue this project with future students.
An eighth grade flex group’s Kindness Grows Project involved growing tulips in the back garden of the middle school. Students harvested and wrapped the flowers and made special handmade gift tags including kind and positive messages. Staff members purchased the bouquets and then gave them to another staff person. These bouquets provided joy and happiness to both the purchaser and the receiver of the flowers.
The Suffield High School Girl’s Lacrosse Team again held a Kindness Matters/Morgan’s Message dedication game which promoted inclusion while voicing support for those in our community who struggle with mental health, specifically student athletes. Spreading the importance of mental health in student athletes is a goal of the team, and they believe it begins by being supportive teammates who value friendship and relationships over wins and losses. This year the team played Rockville High School and provided both teams with special t-shirts displaying the kindness message. Also included in this project were clinics for youth lacrosse teams in Suffield where the message was imparted, and like last year, these youth teams were included in the dedication game.
Crafting our Way to Wellness was a project by The Gender and Sexuality Alliance Club at the High school. The project was a Craft and Relaxation Workshop hosted as an after-school activity and was designed to help with mindfulness and mental health and
involved hands-on activities like relaxation, guided meditation
stations, mindfulness pamphlets, and an eye mask making station. These activities were replicated from a summit for LGBTQ+ students which some of the club leaders attended. All students were welcomed to the workshop.
Lelia Risdon, presently a senior at SHS, sponsored an open-mic night in April where student musicians, artists and writers were welcomed to share their talent in a community space. This project was open to all grades K-12 and created an opportunity for kids to express themselves in a safe space and meet other kids who share artistic interests. The event provided fun and friendship to all that attended and participated. Katie Tini created The Pen Pal Project Club that builds connections between generations in a way that is inclusive and eye-opening. The club brings together students at the high school as well as senior citizens from the community to connect and share experiences through the art of letter writing. Having somebody to guide you through your time in high school and share wisdom of personal experiences is a beautiful way to learn to connect and grow as a human. Kate’s project will continue into the 25/26 school year.
Alexandra Eddy’s Developing Artists Project consisted of starting a club that teaches leadership to high school students as they mentor younger students in the After-School Program at Spaulding. Art activities and lessons provided connections and friendships
between older and younger students in a fun-filled way.
Our Grant Committee would also like to congratulate Erin Hespelt for winning the Meghan Voisine Kindness Matters Scholarship. This is a scholarship that is not applied for by the student but is awarded to a student who has been nominated by a teacher or staff. The criteria is a student who consistently embodies qualities like compassion, generosity, empathy and respect for others. They should be inclusive of all and an ally to everyone, especially those in need of a friend or support system. Erin was described by her teacher as kind, fun, and huge-hearted, but also willing to take a stand against wrongdoing, injustice, disrespect and in defense of those who don’t have a voice. Erin will be attending Salve Regina University to study nursing in the Fall. We wish Erin all the best as she continues her education and carries her kindness beyond the town of Suffield.
We are so grateful for all of the support and beautiful acts of kindness that Suffield students and teachers brought to our community. Their passion to do beautiful things for their peers, students and our community is something that we should all commend. We look forward to this Fall when applications for the Meghan Voisine Kindness Matters grants will be opened again and hope that our student and teachers keep this beautiful movement going.