In celebration of World Kindness Day on November 13, Miss Pennsylvania, Page Weinstein, visited Downingtown Area School District (DASD) to discuss the importance of being kind to ourselves and others with elementary school students.
Weinstein visited Pickering Valley, Springton Manor, and Brandywine Wallace Elementary Schools, engaging students in discussions on perseverance, hard work, and kindness. She led them through an impactful exercise: students drew themselves as stick figures, wrote the word ‘mean’ on the paper, crumpled it, and then tried to smooth it out as before. Page explained that, just as the paper remains wrinkled, people remember the lasting impact of unkind words, highlighting the importance of treating others with respect and kindness.
Weinstein shared her thoughts on kindness, saying, “I think Clare Pooley said it best: ‘In a world where you can be anything, be kind.’ I always encourage everyone to accept others for who they are. Our differences are what set us apart and make each one of us special. We can turn the narrative by learning to celebrate our differences because every person deserves to be treated with kindness and love.”
World Kindness Day is an international observance celebrated annually on November 13. It was introduced in 1998 by the World Kindness Movement, a coalition of nations’ kindness organizations. It is observed in many countries, including Canada, Australia, Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates.
Justin Brown, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) stated, “We were honored to welcome Miss Pennsylvania, Page Weinstein, to DASD in celebration of World Kindness Day. Her message about the power of kindness, both towards ourselves and others, resonates deeply with our community and aligns with our commitment to creating inclusive, supportive environments for our students. Miss Weinstein’s stories of perseverance and the importance of hard work inspire students to embrace empathy and resilience in their daily lives, reminding us that kindness truly starts with each of us.”
To learn more about Miss Pennsylvania, Page Weinstein, visit www.pageweinstein.com. To learn more about DASD’s DEI program, please visit www.dasd.org/diversity.