
Jessica Collins is February Employee of the Month
March 16, 2018
TCMH Youth Ambassadors Receive Donation
March 30, 2018Kindergarteners at Plato Elementary School are learning very early what it means to be kind to others, and they are spreading kindness all over the community, including the patients at Texas County Memorial Hospital.
The two Plato kindergarten classes taught by Amy Hathaway and Heather Copley, participate in a project called “Kindness Konnection” that Hathaway began in the 2016-17 school year for the first time.
This year the second kindergarten class joined in on the project so the kindness spilling out of Plato Elementary School has doubled and is spreading kindness to others even faster.
Each morning the students have time set aside for coloring pictures and writing cards for individual area citizens, nursing homes, and patients at TCMH.
“The students send out about 120 cards each month, and that number does not include the pictures that they color that we mail out into the community,” Hathaway said. “Our list of card and picture recipients continues to grow.”
The students take walks outside and hand deliver many of their cards to area citizens who live near the school. The students are usually able to take their walks about three times per week.
In 2016, Hathaway received a grant that provided funds to pay for postage to mail the cards and pictures each month to area citizens that were not within walking distance of the school. The school did not receive grant funds this year.
“The grant dollars were instrumental in helping us keep our costs down, but we were not allowed to apply two-years in a row,” Hathaway said. “We do plan on reapplying again next year.”
“TCMH appreciates the good work that these young citizens are doing everyday by spreading kindness throughout our community,” Wes Murray, TCMH chief executive officer, said.
Murray told the students that what they are learning now at such a young age is a stepping stone that they can grow from for the rest of their lives.
Murray and Rachel Davis, TCMH director of public relations, marketing and physician recruiting, had the opportunity to recognize all of the work the Plato kindergarten students do in the community. In addition to speaking with the students about the important job they are doing, Murray and Davis shared milk and freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies with the students.
“Visiting the class and taking a snack is just a little way to show our gratitude to them,” Murray said.
“We are so grateful for the pictures that you color for our patients,” Davis told the students. “When our patients are staying in the hospital, they don’t feel well and your pictures bring a smile to their face.”
There were 42 students present for milk and cookies with TCMH. Every little Kindness Konnection kindergartener had a smile on their face that afternoon after experiencing some kindness in return from TCMH.
The Plato kindergarten classes will host their Second Annual Kindness Konnection Tea in April. The tea is an invitation to the community’s citizens that they make cards and pictures for to come and meet them if they have not met already.
The event will be held on Friday, April 20th from 1:30 to 3:00 in the old gym at Plato School. If you would like to attend or want to know more about the Kindness Konnection program, please call the school at (417) 458-3333.

Plato Elementary School kindergarteners enjoying their milk & cookies