By Stephanie Irvine
With an enrollment of 334 students, Peotone Elementary School managed to document 5,453 acts of kindness by students over a mere four weeks.
How did the small school manage to create such a culture of positivity? A little ingenuity and a cute little frog, thanks to Peotone Elementary School Principal Krystina Lewis.
“Our theme this year is building success at PES,” Lewis said, explaining that the first part of building success was the “Leap on Over and Construct Kindness with Our Orange Frog” challenge.
The idea is that the frog started out green but gained orange spots by being kind. Over time, he became so kind he was entirely orange, a rare and unique frog. In order to keep the frog orange, he would need to be “fed” by way of bug stickers, a reward when students were observed being kind.
“If he doesn’t do positive things, he turns back to a green frog. He’s watching everyone in the building,” Lewis noted.
One of the best things about the frog and the new program, Lewis explained, is it’s inclusive and everyone can participate. She said staff even gets in on the positivity with “sparks of appreciation” they can give out to their colleagues.
“It’s so funny because it’s just a stuffed animal, but really, he’s the power of magic,” Lewis continued.
Lewis, who is in her first year as principal at PES, took a cue from the District’s Institute Day presentation based on the book The Happiness Advantage.
The premise was to instill happiness, kindness, and positivity. Lewis also attended a second The Happiness Advantage training with the District’s Assistant Superintendent Carole Zurales and Peotone High School Principal Angela Patrick.
Although #BeTheSpark is a district-wide initiative, the elementary school application is undoubtedly a huge success. Lewis explained they have plans to partner with the high school for a shared experience, noting the #betheSpark campaign looks different in different buildings.
“For us, it’s about sparking joy. It’s about building the foundation of kindness for kids. That was really the goal this year,” Lewis explained.
It isn’t just a single activity or challenge – the ABCs of kindness are embedded in all aspects of the school day, including activities and special visits, providing further reinforcement.
Beyond the thrill of “feeding” the frog, students earn award certificates, and some even earn enough to receive their own small Spark buddy to take home as a reward for their acts of kindness.
Lewis noted when Manhattan Fire Protection District’s Fire and Life Safety Educator Jackie O’Hara visited the school for Fire Safety Week, they included Spark the Frog in the activities.
And when she said included, she wasn’t exaggerating. Lewis even got a fire safety costume for Spark to wear and took several pictures with the fire apparatus.
“Every day, I intentionally taught through the announcements, and teachers taught this in the classroom. The students were rewarded when they exhibited acts of kindness,” Lewis said.
She made it clear that the hard work and participation of her team – the staff at PES – has been instrumental in creating the environment for the program to be so well received. She explained how she wants students to exude kindness like a confetti canon, and they do.
The result of all that kindness and positivity?
“It’s good for the soul,” Lewis says.
Even the district’s bus drivers are included and given extra special rewards for children who exhibit an act of kindness on the bus, which is especially important in a unique and sometimes challenging environment.
The kindness initiative doesn’t end at the bus stop. It continues at home.
“For me, the school-home partnership is everything. It’s all rooted in that. We can’t have success without it. I took this challenge and challenged our families at home,” Lewis said of the at-home challenge that involved families engaging with their children about acts of kindness.
“Over four weeks, we had 112 kids complete the at-home challenge, which is one-third of our building! I think it’s absolutely amazing,” Lewis exclaimed. Her passion for the program and for educating her students about positivity was palpable.
She told stories of how she observed students who were more reserved at the beginning of the school year come alive with excitement over the program. It was evident Lewis couldn’t have been more proud of the program, her staff, and her students, or “scholars,” as she calls them.
Before coming to PES, Lewis was awarded West Cook Assistant Principal of the Year in 2023 for her region. There’s no questioning how she achieved that award.
“If you make school a great place to be, one that’s filled with positivity, joy, and love, the kids show up. That’s really my why for what we are doing. When kids can come in and authentically be themselves, the academic success and everything else follows,” Lewis said.
It appears the spark program won’t just be a flash in the pan, either. Lewis already is working on more ways to continue to spark joy with the program.
Stephanie Irvine is a freelance reporter.