âWhat is the story with those pink mustachioed socks?â
For those of us already in the Pinksocks tribe, itâs obvious: #pinksocks is about spreading kindness, one human interaction at a time. When you see someone sporting them , itâs a visual queue that the person is consciously making an effort to be a bright spot in the world.
Iâve been part of the tribe for a few years, but it was news to me that the Pinksocks vision has been adopted and infused into kindness curriculum in schools around the country.
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Back in April, when I connected with Nick Atkins, founder of Pinksocks, while he was visiting San Diego, I shared my #HITtheTrails idea with him to see if there were ways we could collaborate. He brought me up to speed on what he has been up to with schools to help âmake more good humans.â I knew right away, if there was an opportunity to do so, I wanted to be involved. I shared our itinerary with him and through a simple Tweet, I was connected to Mrs. Virginia Bueno, a guidance counselor at Bill Sybert School in El Paso, Texas, which was along our route. |
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She invited me to visit so that the students could show off the Kindness Dance they had been practicing since February.
| In a typical year, the K8 school has ~1200 students. Due to Covid and the hybrid learning model of in-person and virtual classes, enrollment is down to ~750, with only about 150 students coming into the classroom each day. |  |
Hallways that would normally be loud and vibrant with the sound of school kids have been muted and quiet this year.
To ensure the safety of the students, staff, and community, they have strict mask wearing, social distancing, and sanitizing policies and procedures in place, including assigning each bathroom with an attendant (i.e. reassigned bus drivers!) to ensure there is no crowding and that students wash their hands before going back to the classroom.
Mrs. Bueno shared with me that this year has been particularly hard for the students and staff alike, because itâs been so different and because Covid deaths hit their community pretty hard, especially at the beginning of the pandemic.
Regardless, Bill Sybert School is dedicated to being an example of good in the world.
First of all, I didnât know kindness curriculum was even a thing. Second, I had no idea how deeply woven it could be into a school culture.
They have a âKindness Clubâ that meets regularly to do good deeds and spread cheer around campus. This often looks like words of affirmation posted to the bathroom mirrors or regularly complimenting other students or a favorite teacher through hand written notes. I noticed they had several areas around the campus that serve as reminders to students to choose kindness over bullying.
I checked out their school website and quickly came across their âFriendly Februaryâ calendar. Check it out:
If you want to imagine a monkey, itâs better to say âthink of a monkeyâ than âdonât think of an elephant.â
Bill Sybert School has clearly made a conscious effort to focus on what they want to see in the world, versus focusing on what they donât want to see.
To that end, staff and students alike wear their Pinksocks one day each week as a symbol of their commitment to spreading kindness. The idea of being an example of goodness is a huge part of the school vernacular.
The Gift of Giving
The idea that a silly pair of bright socks could make such an impact in a community is something that I will never forget; that making an effort to make someone elseâs day offers just as much joy to the giver as it does to the receiver.
Thank you #pinksocks, for existing and welcoming me to your tribe.
Thank you Mrs. Bueno for inviting me to your school and welcoming me into your vibrant community.
Thank you to the students of Bill Sybert School for performing your Kindness Dance for me so I could share it.
Now, I think itâs time to go start my own Kindness Club. Who wants to be a member?