May 28, 2025- Walnut Street Elementary School's efforts toward kindness— this year more than ever— have been well documented. But kindness begets kindness, and a chance encounter between a school and community leader has helped advance that good work.

"It was kismet meeting her," said Walnut Street counselor Sarah Gurczeski about connecting with Amy Carreno, Toms River Communities That Care (CTC) manager. CTC is a grant initiative from RWJBarnabas Health Institute for Prevention and Recovery focused on working with the community and the district to implement programs that decrease risk factors and increase protective factors to improve youth outcomes and reduce problem behaviors.

Gurczeski and Carreno helped forge such a program at the home of the Wildcats. 

"We have a total of about 15 or so fifth graders who meet in two groups every other week on Thursdays," said Gurczeski.

During these sessions, one group works on kindness-centered crafts, such as making cards and friendship bracelets for kids at Children's Specialized Hospital, while the other group teaches kindness lessons to the school's kindergartners.

The kindergarten reading sessions took place today at the school, a day earlier than usual due to the shortened week, because you squeeze in the kindness wherever and whenever you can. A cohort of eight willing readers split into two groups of four to read books focused on self identity and self worth. Following each reading, the fifth graders posed questions about kindness to students. One such inquiry— What are some ways we can show kindness?— elicited a fantastic answer from an engaged kindergartner:

"By sharing cookies with each other."

Absolutely.

The sessions are capped with kindness-focused activities, allowing students to channel that inspiration into coloring.

"When we started this it was just for fun, but now we are looking to bring it to fourth graders as well next year," said Gurczeski about the burgeoning partnership with Carreno and CTC.

Carreno was there today, of course, but typically visits the school every Thursday during fifth-grade lunch, bringing her CTC perspective and expertise to provide guidance and feedback. Although it's the students themselves who drive the initiative.

"All of these ideas are from our groups of kids," said Gurczeski referring to her fifth-grade kindness cohorts. "Sure, they have some big ideas, and we tell them what we are and what we aren't able to do, but we allow them to lead the discussions about what kindness means to them, and how they can put it into practice."

On one rainy May day, it was practice makes perfect in the effort of kindness, and the day was brightened for classes of kindergartners who will carry on those lessons, one cookie at a time.