JAY — Some fifth grade students at Spruce Mountain Elementary School are giving up lunch with their friends and recess once a week to help spread kindness, positivity and good vibes throughout the school.

The Good Vibes Club has been meeting about a month and a half, Jennifer Stone, the school’s social worker said Friday, May 6. Some 32 students, in two groups of 15-16 each meet in the library once each week during lunch and recess, she noted.

Students signed forms agreeing to give up lunch and recess to participate. Parents also signed the forms.

Those participating are Ava Beckler, Albert Belanger, Eli Gross, Lillian Lalemand, Riley Moseley, Ayla Tibbits, Ashlyn Toothaker, Audriaunna Williams, Chloe Wyly, Brenten Yahn, Elise Jipson, Jocelynn Melanson, Gabriel Spencer, Kennedy Tindal, Alexis Blais, Kaden Bryant, Rogue Hatch, Isabella Quintero, Alyana Raymond, Payton Tibbits, Kyrah Demillo, Jailinn Fortin, Sophie Morton, Rachel Small, Gracie Whelphey, Callie Cote, Lucas Foss, Isaac Grooms, Libby Nightingale, Piper Richard, Reese Robichaud, Carmine Royer, Lilliane Austin, and Kilee Lewis

Within each group the students have formed art, student engagement, environment and media committees. Good vibes posters adorn school hallways, sticky notes in bathrooms stress being kind and accepting, that everyone is beautiful.

“For student engagement students read stories to classrooms relating to honesty, handling name calling,” Stone said. “The environment group works to create a good vibes environment. The media group sends announcements, gets the word out through the media throughout the school.”

Those on the media committee send emails (such as two received by this reporter from Audriaunna Williams), write announcements to be posted on the school’s Facebook page, Stone said. The committees are all intertwined, she added.

“It is important to give the students certain tasks,” Stone stressed.

The school has had Civil Rights Teams and Friendship Club in the past. Good Vibes is student driven, Stone is there to guide and support their ideas. She thought good vibes would be a term the students would love.

This club has blossomed into community service, to give students a voice, Stone said.

“It has been amazing, the kids are loving it,” she noted. “It is nice to see them involved.

“Mrs. Wilkins (library education technician) has been a big help finding books for the students to read,” Stone noted. “I have heard a lot of comments, the club has increased the pizzazz or jazz of the school. Boys and girls work together in small groups, they are very motivated.”

Stone is trying to teach the students independence.

“Seeing the effect [students] get when they make someone else smile is the best,” she stressed.

On Friday some students were creating artwork that would later be made into pins for students to wear. Others were working on posters for the halls, while some planned to inflate several basketballs that had been donated to the school.

“I joined because I thought it would be fun making the good vibes posters, spreading good vibes,” Jocelynn Melanson said.

She doesn’t miss recess, “Because I get it every other day of the week,” she said.

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