Painted Rocks, Flower Beds, and a Path of Encouragement at Carpenter Elementary

This article was written by Claire Demoff, a first grade teacher and Positivity Project (P2) Student Leadership Teacher at Carpenter Elementary within Lake Orion Community Schools, located in Michigan. Claire has been teaching for five years and works with the school’s P2 student leadership team, which meets monthly and planned the school’s first Day of Service in April 2025.

In April 2025, Carpenter Elementary in Lake Orion, Michigan, kicked off an annual event built around teamwork, creativity, and appreciation of beauty and excellence. Carpenter students and staff took part in our first Day of Service, with every grade from kindergarten through fifth working on its own project.

Where the Idea Came From

We were inspired by The Positivity Project (P2) character strengths. P2 is built on 24 strengths and the Other People Mindset, and a Day of Service is about other people. After collaborating with our P2 student leadership team, our administrator, and other Lake Orion schools, we decided to take this on.

The P2 student leadership team brainstormed ideas during one of our monthly meetings. The team meets once a month throughout the year, so this was a regular meeting with a bigger project on the agenda than usual. We shared those ideas with staff to ensure every grade level had a project that meant something. After finalizing the projects, we guided students through a planning process in which they considered the materials needed and the location of each project.

What Each Grade Did

Kindergarteners and first graders used creativity to paint rocks that now sit around the school grounds.

Second graders used creativity and gratitude to decorate banners and write notes for the Carpenter staff.

Third and fourth graders used teamwork to plant flowers and pull weeds around the whole school.

Fifth grade used creativity and worked with our art teacher to paint a path of encouragement along the sidewalk.

Every project stayed on campus. The painted rocks, the flower beds, and the path of encouragement are now part of the school grounds. Additionally, each project was completed as a class or grade level, emphasizing teamwork to reach the shared goals of expressing gratitude and appreciating beauty and excellence in our school community.

What Students Took From It

The students gained a better understanding of how their actions affect their peers and the school community as a whole. A rock painted by a kindergartner and a flower bed weeded by a fourth grader both stay on the grounds where every other student walks past them.

What We Heard Afterward

Overall, the feedback was positive. Teachers reported that they loved seeing their students work together, and in some cases, teachers worked alongside their students. The students took real pride in their work. The second graders’ notes went to staff members who see those students every day, and the fifth graders’ path is one the whole school walks along.

Carpenter staff and students helped make their school a beautiful place where learning can thrive.

Taking It Into Lake Orion

Our first Day of Service focused on strengthening our own school community. As we prepare for the second, we are eager to expand our projects to the Lake Orion community. Students saw the direct results of their projects within our school, and they can have the same effect in the wider community.

Advice for Other Schools

Teamwork is the most important piece of running a Day of Service. Students and staff need to understand the effect they will have through their projects. Ours started with the P2 student leadership team rather than with a staff committee, so students had a stake in the projects before the day arrived. Providing teachers with the materials and making our P2 staff leadership available let teachers feel supported. Nobody had to figure out supplies or logistics on their own.