Superintendent Rich Drolet and Principal Michelle Kreuzer are pleased to share the ways in which King Philip Regional Middle School is honoring the memory of student Malia Jusczyk.
On Thursday, April 25, King Philip Regional Middle School celebrated a “Day of Kindness” in tribute to Malia Jusczyk (MJ). Malia died in June 2023 at the age of 14 after a heroic battle against relapsed neuroblastoma. The goal of the MJ Day of Kindness was to honor Malia’s “absolute rule for a day,” which was for everyone to be kind for an entire day.
On MJ’s Day of Kindness, the KPMS community took part in lessons and activities that encouraged and spread kindness. During each class period, teachers facilitated various lessons, which included having students watch a welcome video remembering Malia and introducing the day, creating cards that recognized someone they appreciated, participating in a compassion meditation exercise, and thinking about how they could continue to be kind through the rest of the school year.
Students brainstormed an Act of Kindness that they could complete and wrote it on a paper heart. The hearts were later collected and added to a bulletin board in the school. Students also reflected on a time when someone was kind to them and wrote it on a paper chain link. The chain links from each class were put together and hung in and outside classrooms. A coloring page was also available for students to complete, which featured various cheerful shapes and figures, and the words “I’ve Got This!” in recognition of Malia’s extraordinary attitude.
The lessons and activities were facilitated by KPMS staff members wearing MJ Day of Kindness t-shirts donated by Malia’s parents.
“It was great to see Malia’s wish come to life through the Day of Kindness, and we are proud to honor her memory in this way,” Principal Kreuzer said. “We are beyond grateful to all of our staff members and student ambassadors who helped to plan lessons and activities, gather materials, communicate with families and facilitate everything on the day.”
In addition to MJ’s Day of Kindness, Facilities Director Joe Zahner worked with Malia’s father, Glen, to assemble and install a permanent concrete ping pong table behind the school. Malia enjoyed ping pong and the table was installed in her memory for use by the school and community.
The King Philip Regional School District would like to thank two local companies LDS Design Associates, of Bellingham, and Mix-Rite Metered Concrete, of Norfolk, which agreed to volunteer time, equipment and materials to dig out the base for the ping pong table, and prep and level the footing for assembly.
A mural is also being painted by art teacher Ari Barrett and KPMS staff. The mural will feature an MJ heart surrounded by flowers and the phrase “I’ve Got This!” The mural is located in a seventh-grade hallway near the classrooms of Malia’s former teachers. It is expected to be completed by the end of the school year.
“MJ’s Day of Kindness was such a thoughtful tribute and we hope to make it an annual event at KPMS as part of the legacy Malia left behind in our district,” Superintendent Drolet said. “I would like to acknowledge Malia’s guidance counselor, Leah Barry, for coordinating the day, as well as Principal Kreuzer, Facilities Director Zahner and all of our KPMS staff and students. I would also like to thank Malia’s parents, Glen and Meg, for their support of this initiative.”
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