By Eliza Hallabeck

Middle Gate Elementary School fourth grade teacher Linda Baron offered a surprise for the Board of Education at its meeting on Tuesday, December 20. She had a vase filled with hand-created notes by her fourth grade students specifically for the school board.

"All of the fourth grade classes at Middle Gate School," Ms Baron said, "worked on kindness writings with the purpose of expressing gratitude to others this holiday season. My class decided they wanted to recognize you, the members of our Board of Education."

The class, she said, learned some of the responsibilities of a Board of Education before writing the notes. Some students wrote thank you statements while others shared "their pearls of wisdom," Ms Baron said.

"After you hear a few, you will agree there is something so pure and magical in the hearts of our children. They remind us to slow down and notice all the gifts around us," said Ms Baron. "Our gift to you this year is called, 'Out of the Mouths of Babes.'"

Some students present for the meeting took turns reading the notes, which were crafted to look like lollipops on a stick.

"If you don't have your favorite can of soup, be thankful that you have a can of soup at all," one note read.

Another note said, "If you work hard people will recognize you and try to do the same so always work your hardest to set an example."

"Thank you for everything you have done for our schools from pre-school to twelfth grade. You really make a difference," another read.

Another note said, "If you package your kindness you will spread happiness to the world."

"Thank you for taking time to figure out how to spend our parents' money for our education," another read.

Ms Baron said there were many more notes and all of them were left for the board members to read later.