Stone of heart: ‘Kindness Rocks’ project kicks off #MakeArtMonday
March 14, 2019 at 7:20 a.m.
After gushing in pride over his green and blue masterpiece, Rex Kanner shows off his rock marked with the words “kindness wins” on Monday, Mar. 11. The Ridge Street Elementary School third-grader is celebrating #MakeArtMonday in art teacher Betsy Murphy’s class with a school-wide “Kindness Rock” project where students decorate stones with compassionate words and phrases.
Annabelle Moore (left) and Ana Mattinson giggle together as they put colorful finishing touches on their stones.
While wearing gloves so the Sharpies don’t stain his hands, Isaac Held carefully decorates his rock with smooth, graceful lines of blue.
Daria Ivanova gently smiles at the kind messages she wrote on her rock. After all the stones are water treated, Ridge Street art teacher Betsy Murphy said they will use them to make a rock garden at the front entrance of the school.
As third-grader Julia Fagan works on her rock, Blind Brook High School junior Rachel Sosin sits nearby to help inspire her with artistic ideas and words of kindness. Sosin is one of seven high school art students who spent the day at the elementary school for #MakeArtMonday.
At the end of the class period, the third-graders in Daniel Sottile’s class, visiting Blind Brook High School students and the affiliated teachers pose for a photo around their table stacked with kindness rocks.
