Jacobs third-grade students Reese Irby, Ellagrace Souza and Jocelyn Tyrell take sticky notes from the ‘Mitzvah’ board, which was used to collect much-needed items for the Wellspring Multi-Service Center in Hull. (Photo courtesy Hull Public Schools) 
Jocelyn Tyrell takes sticky notes from the ‘Mitzvah’ board. (Photo courtesy Hull Public Schools) 
Some of the many items collected through the ‘Mitzvah’ board at the Jacobs School. (Photo courtesy Hull Public Schools)
HULL – Superintendent Judith Kuehn and Principal Christine Cappadona are pleased to share that students at the Lillian M. Jacobs Elementary School recently completed a lesson on sharing and giving back to the community that doubled as a way to donate much-needed items to those in need.
As part of the school’s recent lesson and book discussion through Raising Multicultural Kids (RMK), students at the school read the book “Mitzvah Pizza” last month. The book, which was read by the RMK Diverse Leaders, tells the story of how people pay forward slices of pizza and put a Post-it note on a board in a pizza shop. If someone else wants a slice of pizza but doesn’t have the money, they can take a Post-it note from the board and hand it to the cashier (the term mitzvah means “good deed” in Hebrew).
Jacobs students in grades 3-5 assisted in creating a similar bulletin board for the school lobby. Rather than pizza, students made sticky notes of items that are needed by the Wellspring Multi-Service Center in town. The bulletin board was placed in the front entrance, and students had the opportunity to take a sticky note home and talk with their families about donating the needed item. Donations were returned to school and placed next to the board in the box.
Raising Multicultural Kids is an educational-based non-profit organization that focuses on cultivating racial and cultural competence in schools by providing students with a multicultural mindset and celebrating differences while fostering the skills and tools necessary to take action on issues of equity. The school has been partnering with the program for the 2021-22 school year, and as part of the partnership, RMK Diverse Leaders have been leading a series of book discussions with students on a variety of topics.
“This book discussion not only taught valuable lessons about selflessness and giving back, but allowed students to actually see those values in action and give back to their own community in a meaningful way,” Principal Cappadona said. “Being able to take lessons learned from a book and apply them to the real world is what education is all about, and we’re grateful our students had the chance to take part. We thank everyone who took part in the drive and gave to such a worthwhile cause.”
The following items were included on the sticky notes to be collected for Wellspring: Canned and boxed meals, stews, soups, chili, tuna, canned chicken, ham and Spam, vegetables, mac and cheeses, tomato sauces, pasta, rice, cereal, peanut butter, jelly, granola bars, juice, cooking oil, maple syrup, condiments, coffee, shampoo and conditioner, toothpaste and toothbrushes, soap, toilet paper, laundry detergent, dish detergent, disposable razors and shaving cream.
The exercise was part of the school’s focus on culture, language, family structure and socioeconomic status. The essential question asked to students was, “How can sharing with others improve the community and the lives of others?” It went along with the theme of “What are some ways you can give to help others?”
The book “Mitzvah Pizza” was chosen by one of the RMK Diversity Leaders, Apryl Danwah, who is currently studying to be a teacher at Bridgewater State University. She created the lessons/activities as well as the tutorial for other Diversity Leaders to study and follow.
“Our students and the entire Hull Public Schools community really got behind this lesson and made it such a terrific school-wide event,” Superintendent Kuehn said. “We thank Raising Multicultural Kids for continuing to teach our students valuable lessons that they can carry with them long after they leave the halls of the Jacobs school.”
For more information on Raising Multicultural Kids, visit raisingmulticulturalkids.com.
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