Lincoln Leopards Continue to Learn to Pay It Forward
Staff continues to encourage students to be kind to others
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Collecting items for the local food pantry, writing thank you letters to the military, singing to the elderly, are just some of the very many things the students at Lincoln School have been taking part in as their way of continuously paying it forward.
Principal Lesa Brinker wants the children to understand that paying it forward with random acts of kindness is something that should be done every day not just once in awhile or once a year, such as during the recent 9/11 anniversary.
Back in September students met Keith Sabatino, a volunteer firefighter in Fort Lee who started the “9/11 Pay It Forward” initiative as away of reminding people to do something nice for others. Lincoln School took part in its own Pay It Forward project that month collecting items for the Hasbrouck Heights food pantry. They collected 1,600 items, Brinker said.
She has continued on with the Pay It Forward initiative with a different project each month to help remind the kids that efforts to be good to others is an ongoing thing. Especially during this time of year when many of their thoughts may be focused on the things they want for the holidays, it’s good to remind them of the needs of others.
This past Wednesday, the students were allowed to wear pajamas in support of the staff members’ fundraising efforts for a family in town who could use some extra help this holiday season.
Later this month third grade students will help spread some holiday cheer by visiting a nursing home in Hackensack to sing Christmas carols. This is something the school has never done before and it’s another way for the children to keeping paying it forward, Brinker said. Last month students wrote thank you notes to military. Each morning during this month Brinker has been reading a short message about generosity over the loud speaker as another way to remind them to think about others.
Brinker has even seen signs that the kids understand the message. Earlier this week she heard a story from a parent that one student shared lunch with another student who had forgotten it at home.
