VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A simple act of kindness inside a Volusia County classroom is now reaching people far beyond the school walls.
A video from DeBary Elementary School showing students rallying around a classmate who was having a tough day has racked up millions of views and hundreds of thousands of comments online.
The moment started with sticky notes.
Fourth grader Sophia Campbell said she was feeling down at school.
“I feel like I’m not that smart sometimes,” Campbell said.
In Ms. Joanne Miller’s class, students are part of what they call the “Kindness Squad,” a group focused on spreading positivity. When Sophia’s classmates noticed she was struggling, one student suggested they write encouraging messages on sticky notes and cover her desk and chair.
The notes included messages like “You are brave,” “You are kind,” and “You can do special things.”
“When I started walking up to it and I saw so many kind words, I just got so happy,” Campbell said. “It wasn’t even a second — it was just a millisecond before I started crying and laughing. It was just so amazing that I was appreciated. I know I’m smart, I’m amazing… so many feelings.”
Miller captured the moment on video and later shared it online. She said she never expected it to go viral.
“The comments go on and on about how this is restoring people’s humanity,” Miller said.
She said while people may not use sticky notes in the same way, the bigger lesson is simple.
“It gives them the feeling that they want to spread joy,” Miller said. “Kindness spreads kindness. The world needs kind people. And we can do anything.”
While the attention has brought cameras and visitors into the classroom, students say the mission of the Kindness Squad isn’t changing.
They plan to keep spreading kindness, even after the internet moves on.