Kindness is a slam dunk at Plymouth Elementary

Plymouth Elementary School kindergarteners and first-graders recently enjoyed the antics of Parker “Basketball” Jones, who balanced spinning basketballs on students’ fingers and heads while also spreading a message of kindness. 

Mr. Jones visited Plymouth during the school’s celebration of the Great Kindness Challenge. The Great Kindness Challenge is a national initiative meant to inspire young people to spread good will and consider the ways in which they can help others. All Colonial School District elementary schools mark this week with different activities.

During Mr. Jones’ assembly, he demonstrated a number of impressive tricks, such as spinning multiple basketballs at the same time and juggling a number of them using only one hand as students cheered. He also played music and invited students to repeat phrases emphasizing that it’s cool to be kind. He selected a number of students to participate in basketball tricks such as balancing a ball on top of their nose or head, or dribbling the ball under their legs. He also gave out pencils and other prizes to students as part of the interactive show.

Other activities at Plymouth Elementary during the Great Kindness Challenge included a morning “kindness tunnel,” where students and members of the Plymouth Township Police Department lined the entrance to the school and greeted children as they entered the building at the start of the day. Students were also encouraged to wear different articles of clothing each day of the week. For example, they wore neon/bright colors to “shine bright with kindness” and wore Plymouth gear to show that they are all a part of “Team Kind.”