KP Middle School Honors Memory of Student Malia Jusczyk
King Philip Regional Middle School staff members wore MJ Day of Kindness t-shirts donated by Malia Jusczyk’s parents on April 25. Photos courtesy of King Philip Regional School District.
A Legacy of Kindness Lives On
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.
A mural, which will feature an MJ heart surrounded by flowers and the phrase “I’ve Got This!,” is being painted by KPMS staff to pay homage to Malia Jusczyk’s extraordinary attitude.
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,” KPMS Principal Michelle Kreuzer said in a statement. “We are beyond grateful to all of our staff
