PROVIDENCE – Like all schools in Rhode Island, the private Croft School closed weeks ago. But parents of children enrolled in the K-1 school have found a way for the children to continue making personal connections with each other.
Outside the now-closed Gladys Potter Park on Humboldt Street, where the children used to hold recess, a tiny rock garden started to grow last week.
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The little garden of hand-painted stones, each decorated by a child or teacher, was installed to cheer people up, said Tracy Chevalier, a parent whose daughter, Frances, 7, helped her carry out the idea.
Each week, as a school volunteer, Chevalier drops a small box off at the students’ homes with notices from the school and teachers. Once she and Frances started the rock garden project, the completed stones became part of their daily pickup.
On a recent trip to the beach, Frances and her mother collected some of the initial material.
“We walked to the playground every day,” Chevalier said. “We wanted to bring them there. It’s a way for the kids to be connected.”
A small sign posted above the garden explains: “We have created this rock garden to bring some happiness and color to the neighborhood. Please join us by leaving a kindness rock here. Let’s see how much happiness we can spread.”
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Mary MacDonald is a staff writer for the PBN. Contact her at macdonald@pbn.com.
