In an effort to develop and spread more positivity at Cinnaminson High School, a student-created sign spelling out “KIND” was recently added to the Wellness Center. 

Students of the Art Club and art teacher Colleen DePietro helped make the sign and installed it in the Wellness Center where Janae Dockins’ office is located. As a school counselor, Dockins encourages students to visit the Wellness Center and take their picture with the sign, which she can then hang and display. 

“The plan for the sign was to have everyone in here and stand by it to take a picture and have their picture posted in the space,” Dockins said. 

DePietro and the Art Club students came up with the idea for this sign, which is made of paper and hand painted. Students worked on the sign for close to two weeks during lunch periods and any free time they had in the art room. While students in Art Club started the project, any CHS student was invited to contribute to the sign.

“Yeah as soon as I saw it, I thought it would be a good collaborative piece between Art Club and the Wellness Center, so when I talked to Ms. Dockins and Mr. Faltz they were on board and then I suggested it to the kids and they were on board and excited about it,” DePietro said about developing the sign.

Students had a great time working together to create this art piece that not only helps them recognize their actions towards others but could hopefully create more peace and spread kindness at CHS. 

“I think it is a great way for people to think more about how they are acting and how they are as people,” junior Kit Thach said. “It makes you think more about how you are and how you could change or be more positive and kind.” 

A goal for the CHS community this year has been to spread more positivity and eliminate negativity. Lots of students tend to think of the worst thing first instead of all the good that could come out of a situation – even if it isn’t the best.

“The world is already an evil place so spreading kindness is free and I encourage everyone to try being kind,” Dockins said.  

Like Dockins, DePietro also encourages students to spread kindness, emphasizing how it is often all about perspective. 

“I think, my mom used to have this sign in our house that just said ‘Be Kind’ and when I was a teenager it used to make me mad, cause I was always moody but as I got older I realized how essential but simple kindness is because it really doesn’t take much to spread kindness, all you have to do is step back and gain a broader perspective and not let your emotions take over but really just try to be objective and realize that even if someone is in a bad mood or maybe not being the nicest to you there is probably a reason why and they might be going through something,” DePietro said. “So I really try to just put myself in other people’s shoes and help people try and be more compassionate and understand we’re all in this together.”

Ava Gilardi, a junior and member of Art Club who worked on the project, emphasizes how taking time to think can help everyone’s situation.

“Definitely taking the time to think about what you are doing, like I know a lot of people are impulsive and definitely want to do things right off the bat but if you take a moment to see the thing around you and make your own decisions based on that, I think that is one of the key things to making a positive change in the world not just the school” Gilardi said.

Not only stopping to think before you speak, but also reflecting on past actions can also help you realize how you have treated people and work toward improving future interactions with others. 

“It [The sign] definitely helped me realize it is easier to spread kindness a lot more and that everyone is going through their own personal struggles,” senior Brandon Smith said. “The sign especially helped me realize over the last four years of high school, I’ve learned a lot, and one thing I will definitely take away is just spreading kindness every day.” 

Next time you visit the Wellness Center be sure to check out the sign and be the “I” in “Kind”. If everyone works together and does their part, Cinnaminson High School can be a better place!