Kindergarten Students Bring Finals Week Stress Relief to Upper School Peers

St. Margaret’s kindergarten students took on a service-learning project designed to help their Upper School peers as they take on first-semester final exams this week.

The kindergarten students set up stress-relieving options for play in the Upper School courtyard during lunch on Monday, and also prepared salads for the older students to eat between exams.

Also awaiting the older students were numerous games and activities to partake in, from LEGOs to board games to Magna-Tiles.

“We wanted the Upper School students to be able to have some fun and play even though this may be a stressful time for them,” kindergarten teacher Colleen Beshk said.

The food was donated by the Vitakis family, who visited St. Margaret’s and shared information about their business, Vitco Foods, to the kindergarten students. The salads were then prepared by the kindergarten students and delivered to the Upper School courtyard during the lunch hour.

Also adorning the Upper School courtyards were motivational signs made by the kindergarten students, with messages like “Study Like Hermoine!” and “Unicorns are magical and so are you!”

The kindergarten students have established relationships with Upper School students throughout the school year. Two Upper School advisories chose kindergarten classes as their service-learning partner and have visited several times this year to help in the classrooms. The Upper School peer counseling leadership group at St. Margaret’s also establishes a steady connection between the students.

Monday was an opportunity for the younger students to return the favor and serve their older peers.