“Do unto others as others would do unto you, no matter who’s watching.” Everyone knows this saying, but what happens when no one is around to watch, to begin with?
At Judson High School, there have been notes found around the school that have affirmations on them, making an effort to spread kindness and positivity to others. The individual who has spread them around hasn’t been identified, but to say that others haven’t felt some sort of gratitude toward them would be an understatement, to say the least.
“Whenever I see the notes, it makes me feel like, “You know what, my day is going to be okay.” says senior, Samary Puente.
For educators and students at the base of the school system, it can be very challenging to find motivation in difficult situations. Everyone wants to have success in whatever they do, but just can’t find it in themselves to just continue going. Having the correct support from co-workers, peers, and teachers (even when you don’t know the primary source of motivation) can be very beneficial to success and push them through their time and process of being at a place of learning.
“Being in education is a very difficult job. You have moments where, yes, we have to put a happy face on all the time, but we’re exhausted, we’re tired because we are juggling our families, personal lives, we’re juggling the lives of our students. It’s hard to keep that face on when there isn’t any encouragement. So it’s nice to see those little notes of encouragement that let me know, “Okay I can keep going.’” Ms. Walkes, the English academic trainer said.
The notes can generally be found anywhere around the school. They range from multiple different colors, styles, and characters. The most common drawings that have appeared on them would be kitten-like cartoon characters. Popular places that they have been found to be are downstairs science classrooms, the PAC, and classroom desks.
“I found my first note in the upstairs G-wing hallway, on the right-hand side. It was neon orange and said, ‘Everybody needs a friend’,” Walkes stated.
“The first one I found was in my fourth-period English class with Mr. Jackson,” Puente said.
Remember to be a light and be kind, even in the hard times, because your kindness may not be helpful to you at the moment, but you never know how helpful it’ll be to someone else.