BEL AIR, Md. — In Michelle Carlson's third grade class at Ring Factory Elementary School, the students learn the usual subjects like math, reading and science, with acts of kindness mixed in.
"These acts of kindness I think are important for the kids to just instill giving back to the community and it helps everyone, not just within our school," she said.
Carlson plans service projects for her students throughout the school year. The most recent one happened around the holidays last year, when her students put together 30 care packages for cancer patients.
The students filled them with things like hand sanitizer, fuzzy socks, lotion, lip balm and ginger mints.
A few of the students then joined Carlson to drop off the packages to the MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute in Bel Air.
"It made me really happy because we’re helping the ones in need," said Emma Kratzen, a third grader.
"It was really sweet that the kids were able to deliver the packages themselves. I really loved seeing their faces," said Carlson.
The nurses at MedStar Health told WMAR-2 News that the faces of the patients lit up when they received the care packages.
"[They were] very well put together. You know they’re going to use the cozy pair of socks, you know they’re going to use the moisturizer, you know they’re going to use that lip balm. So all these little things add up," said Sheena Siason, an oncology nursing supervisor with MedStar.
"Just the thought of those little hands, little fingers with big hearts putting these things together, its priceless."
Carlson said its always the right time to teach kids about how to be kind to others and what they can do to show kindness.
"We talk about it, we discuss the reason why and its important, so I do think they understand and they get excited about it, which is nice."
