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Second grader puts feelings into action with handmade signs

2 mins read
Almost-eight-year-old Dustin Townsend stands with his handmade sign in front of the Pierce House.

FARMINGTON – After the first few days of being home from school, second grader Dustin Townsend had already finished his entire packet of work and began itching for more to do.

“He finished the whole thing. Independently. And then of course he started saying he didn’t have anything to do, and that he was really bored,” Dustin’s mother Emily Townsend said.

Dustin didn’t waste much time being bored, however, and pitched an idea to his mom.

“He asked if Mrs. Leso could drop off some poster board for him,” Emily said.

Mrs. Leso is the Mallett School guidance counselor. As is the case with most public school staff members right now, guidance counselors are seeing a huge shift in their job roles with the new stay at home guidelines set by the state. From virtual conferencing, to numerous phone calls and sometimes even knocking on doors to drop off poster board, guidance counselors are stepping up to meet the needs of their students.

With poster board in hand, Dustin got to work.

His class frequently visits the elderly residents at the Pierce House on Main Street for arts and crafts, stories and general relationship building. In lieu of regular visits, Dustin told his mom he was sure the residents were missing them.

“So he had the idea to make signs that they could see from the road,” Emily said.

Dustin and his mom hung the poster at the Pierce House, which told the residents how much Mallett School students miss them, and wished them good health. Dustin made signs to hang at Orchard Park as well, where he and his siblings go Trick or Treating every year, and then Dustin made a sign to hang outside of his school.

“He thought that was pretty cool because his teachers had made signs too and hung them up for students to see,” Emily said. “He was pretty proud of himself. I was too.”

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18 Comments

  1. Dear Dustin,
    We are so proud of you for showing kindness and being a role model. And – we all miss you! Keep up the good work –
    Mrs. Williams

  2. Dustin, keep up the great work!! What a kind idea to hang up that sign for the residents! I’m sure they have appreciated it.

  3. Dustin, you have such a big, warm heart! What a great idea to uplift our friends and family at the Pierce House. Keep spreading your love! We miss you too! Mrs. Jacques

  4. Thank you Dustin for being so thoughtful! This story made me so happy, so proud of you!!

  5. Did all of his work, independently, in a few days. Kind of goes to show you that as an education system, perhaps our children can handle more than we give them, and we don’t need to be 38th in math and 24th in science.

    I’m hoping after all of this, there’s a much bigger push to fund education and push kids in math and science more.

  6. Dustin,
    I am so proud of you, and just know that we are missing you just the same. Keep up the hard work and kindness you continue to show! You’re a rockstar kiddo ❤️

  7. Way to go Dustin. So nice to see this creative and colorful expression of love. You are an exceptional young man and I hope you will always be guided by your heart and to practice kindness and compassion as you have with these signs.
    I’m sure there are many more out there like Dustin – and my thanks to you as well for all you do to make this world a kinder place to live, filled with respect for others.
    Thank you Bulldog for printing these positive pieces that highlight the good that we are capable of…and to remind people what they are capable of when they stop a moment and shift their focus from self to others.

  8. Dustin, this is truly amazing! You’re a special kiddo! We miss you, bud! What a great way to express your feelings and share kindness! Proud of you!

  9. Joseph, grade level is by age, not ability. Teachers are asked to teach the same curriculum to a wide range of abilities and learning styles. Molding that curriculum to fit all the kids in class is an undertaking we, as parents, will never fully understand unless we actually take part in classroom activities.

    My daughter is a bit younger than Dustin but her teacher said she wasn’t asking us to be teachers, she’s asking us to keep them engaged in learning. I’m sure, at that time, she was hopeful that society would generally be considerate of the science surrounding this pandemic and make choices in the best interest of the community as a whole rather than just themselves, but that ship has sailed.

    This is certainly a learning experience for everyone and will hopefully shed some much needed light on the demands we place on teachers, among other things.

    Dustin, this is just the positive story I needed to start my week. I’m sure your teacher appreciated the beautiful sign and kind words, but the impact of your sign reaches far beyond her. Thank you for brightening my day!

  10. This warms my heart in so many ways!!! I often work between the school and the nursing home as an occupational therapist. I know first hand how much this will mean to the residents who are there. It is also just inspiring to see how much this connection has made in the hearts of our students as well. This was a perfect activity to set a shining example of how the whole community can still connect in creative ways to support one another. Go Dustin, keep being the frontier of change~

  11. Thank you, Dustin! Reading about your special acts of kindness made my day! Keep on being awesome!

  12. What a good kid! And obviously being raised right. This is an anxious time for our elderly, I’m sure this was huge for them.
    Joseph, this is not the forum to bash education. Try to grow up and be more like Dustin!!

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