Throughout this school year, the hallways of Chilton House have been buzzing with a special kind of energy. From sorting colorful crayons and stacking towers of canned goods for donation to sharing the joy of reading with older mentors, our youngest learners have been proving that you are never too small to make a big difference. By translating stories into friendships and empathy into action, students are bringing the 4 C’s — Courtesy, Consideration, Cooperation, and Compassion — to life, strengthening community bonds both on campus and beyond.
The Crayon Initiative: Showing Our True Colors
Our kindergarten classrooms found new ways to look at “purposeful design” through their work with The Crayon Initiative. Before sorting hundreds of donated crayons by color, the children explored how this organization transforms old, broken crayons into brand-new ones for children in hospitals.
The project was an interactive lesson in both science and kindness. By rolling cylinders and prisms down ramps, students discovered the logic behind the initiative’s triangular-shaped crayons: unlike traditional round crayons, these three-sided tools won’t roll away. They imagined the frustration of a crayon rolling away while in a hospital bed and the joy of having art supplies that stay right where they’re needed.
To deepen their understanding, students read the book “Harold and the Purple Crayon” and reflected on how a simple drawing can spark imagination. They discussed what it might feel like to be a patient in a hospital whose daily routine looks quite different from their own. They realized that by sorting crayons, they weren’t just saving wax from a landfill; they were creating a way for other children to make “magic” with their drawings and stories, no matter where they are.
The impact was best captured by the students themselves. “Collecting crayons made the children in the hospital happy because the new shapes make it easy to draw!” Amelia L. shared. North S. added, “It makes people feel loved and happy if you help them.”
“Through this experience, our students saw that kindness really matters,” says kindergarten teacher Lori Lowell, who spearheaded the project. “They learned that when you help someone else, it makes your own heart feel happy, too.”
Thanksgiving Food Drive: Measuring Our Impact
Our student-led food drive for the Center for Food Action was another powerful application of the 4 C’s. While the Morrow House Student Council Community Service Committee and Fourth-Grade Leadership Symposium handled logistics and rallied the community through public speaking, Chilton House kindergarten students led sorting for their division.
Watching the older students in action offered a glimpse into the future. In the Fourth-Grade Leadership Symposium, led by Head of School Marek Beck, Ph.D., students dive into a wide range of leadership principles, starting with core qualities such as empathy and self-awareness. These specific seeds are being planted as our Chilton House students practice real-world mathematics by counting donations, sorting by container type, and using a hallway measuring stick to watch the “can tower” grow — often comparing their own heights to the stack of generosity.
While they worked, the students also used their early reading skills to decode labels and explore new vocabulary. This led to deeper conversations about the “why” behind our giving. By reading stories like “Saturday at the Food Pantry,” the children began to talk about how all families are different and how we can all play a part in taking care of one another.
“It is meaningful for our students to build an awareness of communities outside their own,” says Head of Early Learning Lauren Mactas. “Seeing them make the connection — that more donated food meant more families would have a Thanksgiving dinner — was a deeply powerful experience. It demonstrated to our students that caring for our neighbors is a core value that we live out at EMS.”
Seeing students from each division work together was a moving testament to the character education at the heart of EMS, perfectly captured by one inspired kindergartner who, after hearing the fourth graders’ call to action, simply remarked, “That’s beautiful!”
The Pajama Project: Wrapping Neighbors in Warmth
Our early childhood students finished 2025 by coming together for the Pajama Project. Our classrooms turned into busy workshops as parents and students packed warm pajamas for the Center for Hope and Safety NJ. It was a collaborative way to see how a simple gift can help another child in our community. To make the connection more personal, students were asked to bring in pajamas in their current size, allowing them to directly correlate their experience of comfort with the gift they were preparing for a peer in need.
The rooms were filled with energy as families carefully folded and wrapped new pajamas and decorated and signed handmade cards, adding a personal touch of care to every donation. After dropping their packages into the collection bins, families visited a dedicated “photo op” wall to pose with their gifts, celebrating the importance of helping our neighbors.
A highlight of the project was a visit from Ellen McGuire, a development specialist from the Center for Hope and Safety, who witnessed our community’s service in action. “What stood out most was the children’s enthusiasm for this activity,” says McGuire. “The teachers’ and parents’ patience and energy were evident. Watching them guide the children reminded me how much dedication goes into early childhood education.”
The abundance of donations amassed in the same hallway where the Thanksgiving food drive had previously stood created an impactful visual of the community’s ongoing generosity. Through this project, our Chilton House students saw how a simple gesture, such as a pair of soft pajamas, can help keep a neighbor warm and make the season much brighter. “My time there was a reminder of the magic of the holidays — not the decorations or the gifts, but the joy of creativity, and shared moments,” says McGuire. “I left feeling grateful for the chance to be part of such a special event, even for a short time. Those young children have no idea how their ’gift’ made a child in our Safe House so delighted this holiday season.”
Connecting Across Campus: Building Bridges Through Books
Chilton House was proud to be part of Read for the Record, joining millions of people around the world reading the same book, “See Marcus Grow” by Marcus Bridgewater, on the same day. It was an excellent way for our students to see that they are part of a vast world of readers. The initiative is the world’s largest shared reading experience, helping to raise awareness of early literacy.
One of the most cherished examples of our schoolwide connection is Bookies and Cookies. This tradition pairs our fourth- and fifth-grade students with our 2-year-olds through kindergartners for a day of shared storytelling.
The event provides a beautiful display of mentorship as older students visit Chilton House classrooms, demonstrating their reading skills with confidence and expression. For the Morrow House students, it is an opportunity to step into a leadership role, while our youngest learners look up to their “big kid” mentors.
“Our focus on literacy does more than build vocabulary; it builds bridges,” says Mactas. “This tradition allows our Morrow House students to exercise leadership through literacy, showing our younger children what it looks like to read with meaning and heart. As our Chilton House students look up to their mentors, they aren’t just seeing role models — they are catching a glimpse of their own futures, imagining the day when they will be the ones returning to these classrooms to pass on that same love of reading. It reinforces the sense of family that defines the entire EMS experience.”
A Culture of Care: Growing Together at EMS
From the collaborative efforts of the food drive to the quiet moments of a fifth grader reading to a Chilton House student, these school events are a testament to the purposeful character education at the heart of EMS. Our students are proving that you don’t have to be “big” to be a leader. Whether supporting a neighbor in need or guiding a younger peer, our students are proving that when we grow together, we truly make a difference.
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