Reading and kindness often go hand in hand. A good story can help readers see the world through someone else’s eyes and remind us of the power of empathy and connection.
This March, Read Across SMSD focuses on the theme Champion Kindness– fostering a culture of care and connection where kindness, empathy, and collaboration help everyone feel seen, valued, and included. Watch a video about the March Read Across SMSD theme.
The elementary book featured this month is We Are Definitely Human by X. Fang. In this story, three mysterious visitors crash-land in a family’s yard and insist they are definitely human — even though they look a little different. Lucky for them, the townspeople respond with kindness, helping the visitors feel safe, cared for, and eventually helping them find their way back home.
Recently, students at Trailwood Elementary School reflected on what kindness looks like in their own school community. Principal Greg Lawrence joined students Maci, Brandon, Annabelle, and Ellis to talk about how small acts of kindness can make a big difference.
Students shared that sometimes kindness can be as simple as inviting someone to sit with you at lunch or asking a classmate to join a game at recess.
“You can smile at someone and make them feel included,” Maci suggested.
Brandon agreed, adding that asking someone to join in can help them feel less alone. “If someone is standing by themselves, you can invite them to sit with you or come play.”
For Annabelle, kindness often means helping someone new feel welcome.
“I ask their name and help them get settled,” she said. “Sometimes I introduce them to friends I know who are really nice.”
Ellis shared a recent moment from PE class that stood out to him. One student had gone to the nurse for an ice pack after getting hurt. When he returned to the gym, another student had hurt his knee during a basketball game.
“So the first student gave him his ice pack,” Ellis explained. “Nobody told him to do it. He just did it to be nice.”
Maci also shared how Trailwood’s buddy program helps create connections between older and younger students. Older students often read with their buddies, help them practice spelling, or just spend time talking together.
Principal Lawrence said these everyday moments of kindness are something he sees often throughout the school.
“I see students being really thoughtful and inclusive of one another,” Lawrence shared. “Sometimes it’s something small, like helping a classmate clean up a tray in the cafeteria or welcoming someone new. Those little moments really show what kind of community we have here.”
When asked what they would teach a space alien who arrived in their classroom, like the visitors in the book, Ellis had a creative answer.
“I’d teach them our schedule and what we do during the day,” he said. “They probably already know math because they flew a spaceship to Earth. But they’d probably need help learning our PE games.”
These acts of kindness help make Trailwood Elementary, and schools across Shawnee Mission, welcoming places for every student.
About Read Across SMSD
Read Across SMSD is modeled after the National Read Across America program and is led in partnership with NEA-Shawnee Mission and the Shawnee Mission Education Foundation. Access to books for Shawnee Mission students is made possible through the Shawnee Mission Education Foundation.
Click here for the Read Across SMSD webpage, featuring resources from previous years, archive videos, and more information about the program.
NEA Book List
Elementary: We Are Definitely Human by X. Fang
Middle Grade: Vanya and the Wild Hunt by Sangu Mandanna
Young Adult: Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay
Shawnee Mission School District is the third largest school district in Kansas. The district serves students in Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade in 34 elementary schools, five middle schools, five high schools, and several educational centers. It has been consistently ranked among the finest school districts nationwide for its high student performance. The district’s objective is that each student will have a personalized learning plan that will prepare them for college and careers, with the interpersonal skills they need for life success. The district serves a diverse student population from 14 cities within northeast Johnson County, Kansas, which is 10 miles from downtown Kansas City, Missouri. For more information, visit www.smsd.org.
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