— Official News Release, Minot Air Force Base —
By Matt Balas, MAFB School Liason Officer
During the month of May, students at Dakota Elementary School learned about random acts of kindness from their school counselor Jade Feller. At the beginning of May, the students learned about what RAOKs are, how they can make a difference and servitude.
“I felt that the beginning of May was the perfect time to introduce RAOKs to the students because it coincided with Teacher Appreciation Week,” Feller said.
Students had an opportunity throughout the month to participate in school-led ROAKs including making cards for military members in honor of Armed Forces Day and handing out special treats to parents while they dropped off and picked up their children.
“For students to feel like and understand that they truly are special and can make a difference, I felt it was important for them to not only learn about ROAKs but to actually participate in some practical examples,” Feller said. “I couldn’t think of any better way for the students to understand the impact of ROAKs than to say thank you to our military members and parents for all they do.”
During the last week of May, Feller’s teaching focused on learning about and practicing ROAKs outside of school. She also provided the students with numerous examples and recommendations of ROAKs the students could do with their families and impact the lives of others around them.
“After a month of performing various ROAKs, the ultimate goal is for these students to feel good about what they have done and continue to make positive differences in their communities,” Feller said. “It doesn’t matter if the ROAK is big or small; it is the feeling of doing something good for someone else that will last a lifetime for these children.”
Image: Kathryn Lenertz, Dakota Elementary School principal, Col. Roy Collins, 5th Mission Support Group commander, and Jade Feller, Dakota Elementary School counselor, take a photo with participants of the random acts of kindness event, James Townsend, Taylor Link and Benito Isla at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., June 2, 2015. At the beginning of May, the students learned about what RAOKs are and how they can make a difference. (Courtesy photo)
