Palermo Elementary Students Begin Kindness Project

PALERMO – Students at Palermo Elementary have begun to understand just how important their uniqueness is in establishing a sense of community in their school.

Thanks to the efforts of school counselor Dian Roberts, students have taken off with the “Palermo Puzzle” project which has involved writing positive, inspiring messages on each puzzle piece and then hiding them somewhere in the school in hopes of brightening a classmate’s or teacher’s day.

Roberts said students have started to realize that everyone at Palermo Elementary fits together just like a puzzle.

“We focus on the fact that everyone is important and has a gift,” she said. “If we don’t have one piece, it’s not a whole.”

Some of the messages have included: “Be nice,” “Be kind,” “Think positive thoughts” and “Have a good day.”

The concept, Roberts said, perfectly aligns with the Leader in Me initiative the school follows, including the “7 Habits of Highly Effective Kids.” That is something second grader Carson Sixberry said he has embraced.

“They’re just fun,” he said, as he created an American Flag puzzle piece specifically for music teacher Glen Gagnier who is a military veteran.

Palermo Elementary students or staff members interested in creating a puzzle piece may stop by Roberts’ office.

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