SEPTEMBER 16, 2022

On a beautiful morning just before the start of school, the Upper School faculty gathered on the terrace for a hands-on community building activity with The Kindness Rocks Project. Introduced by Head of Upper School Nichole Foster-Hinds, every faculty member was given a selection of small smooth rocks to engage their artistic and motivational skills.

Faculty members painted the rocks with a variety of beautiful colors and patterns and then wrote a motivational or encouraging phrase on the top. From there, a rock was placed inside every Upper School student’s locker to discover on the first day of school. As this was a Nightingale first, the students were not expecting to find this little gift with a big impact.

Hannah I. ’24 shared, “As I opened my locker, I found myself taking out a pink and blue, brightly colored, smooth rock that said the words 'Inspire Us.’ I felt surprise, happiness, and joy. The 'Inspire Us' that was written on the rock made me believe that, yes, not only will I inspire the Nightingale community, but I will continue to inspire the people around me and contribute to the community as I get older.” For Hannah, these rocks brought the Nightingale community closer, right at the start of the year. The messages initiated conversations and reconnections with classmates after the summer break. “In many years to come, this act of kindness from the ProCom team will never be forgotten by the Nightingale students who will always be grateful for the time and care our teachers put into teaching us,” she said.

Chloe C. '24's quote particularly resonated with her. She said, "The first day of school is always nerve wracking, but even the simple gesture of the personalized painted rocks immediately calmed those first day jitters and reminded me of how much the Nightingale community is like a family. My rock said 'C'est la vie,' which I thought was a great quote as it is a reminder to not let the small things ruin your day, and to keep a persistent and optimistic mindset."