Our Lady of Lourdes fourth-graders embrace with kindness the end of the Year of Mercy

Friday, Oct. 28, 2016

SALT LAKE CITY — Since the beginning of the school year, students in the fourth grade at Our Lady of Lourdes School have been responding to Pope Francis’ invitation during the Jubilee Year of Mercy to show “the loving kindness of the heart of our God.” (Luke 1:78)

It started with creating a “Kindness Jar” that sits prominently in Amy Ferre’s fourth-grade classroom. 

“I wanted my students to know that even the smallest acts of kindness can make a big difference in another’s life,” she said.  

For every awesome act of kindness, the students get to put a colored pebble in the jar. They like to hear the sound of the pebble hit the glass bottom. More importantly, the jar has fostered a spirit of cooperation and helpfulness among the students. Once the jar is filled, the class will be rewarded with a kindness party.

Every day the students also read a quote from “365 Days of Wonder” – a collection of “words to live by.” They discuss and reflect upon the quotes to help them think more deeply about how they can share mercy with others in their daily lives.  

Ferre has also incorporated other resources and activities to help reinforce the importance of the students thinking outside of themselves. The students have watched a few videos about charity, compassion, unity and making the right choices. They also made posters encouraging acts of kindness, love and respect, which grace the hallways of the school. Most recently, Holy Cross Sister Ribilin Thongnibah spoke with the class about social justice and a change of heart to “do justly, love mercy, walk humbly, with the Lord.” (Micah 6:8)

The Year of Mercy will end on Nov. 29, but these fourth-graders will forever think more deeply about how their words and actions affect others, and be more merciful. 

“It has been a wonderful reminder to me that I need to model kind words and encourage them within my students. I need to teach and train their hearts as well as their minds,” Ferre said.