The Chain of Kindness* may never reach Jupiter after all, but its essence just might. Recording observations of thoughtful actions on flame-retardant construction paper is now a thing of the past, simply because the paper is no longer commercially available.Recorded observations were torn to bits, blended with water and glue and hand-formed into new containers – trays that hold paper for future observations, and peace pots designed to gift small plants or sold to raise money for a child’s own foundation that supports pets without homes.
At the start of this school year, our class encountered the problem of having no paper that would both sustain the tradition of our chain and conform to the town’s fire laws. The limits, imposed by necessity, afforded the opportunity to reflect on how to make observed acts of kindness visible while at the same time considering our responsibility to the environment.
Students brainstormed solutions, and from them, the Jar of Kindness (Jar) made its debut:
- Reuse: Rather than purchase a new container, we found a glass cylinder, formerly a vase, to hold our rolled up strips of paper.
- Reduce: We cut smaller strips to conserve paper. We no longer use tape to form links on the chain.
- Recycle: The paper crafts we make are now biodegradable. We can make our own glue with simple ingredients like skim milk, vinegar, baking soda and water, rather than resorting to a readily available commercial product that is not compostable.
*See previous blog post for description
