On any other day, the stroke of 3:05 typically leads to a mass exodus of students to flood the sidewalks and waiting areas from the school building at Jamestown’s southernmost gateway waiting to go home.

But on this day: the hallways are alive with activity.

The next morning, hundreds of Jefferson students will arrive at their locker greeted by a purple heart with different positive affirmations — “Have a great day!,” “Be You!,” “Think Positive, Be Positive” — that have been taped to it. And on this particular afternoon, “Kindness Klub” members are in full force to make sure the school is flooded with kindness, love, and positivity in time for P.S. I Love You Day.

Jefferson students and staff started “Kindness Klub” this school year, a community service club that aims to spread kindness within the school’s walls and out into the community. Katie Andalora, a reading teacher and 2015 Jamestown High School graduate, serves as the “klub’s” advisor.

Students in Kindness Klub at Jefferson Middle School gather in front of a window display they created for P.S. I Love You Day in February.

“As a former JHS student, I found a love for volunteering early on my freshman year,” Andalora said. “Volunteering led me to some incredible opportunities, allowed me to meet many new people, and helped provide scholarships as I entered college. This club has been a dream of mine to teach middle school students to spread love and to be kind. Instilling this at a young age is so powerful as these students are our future.”

The response from students has been strong, she noted.

“This club has grown so much in the past year,” Andalora said. “At the beginning of the school year, 17 students signed up at our club fair and through word of mouth and the kindness shown by our student body, we are up to 26 members.”

Andalora said that the club has picked up litter around the school, sent positive affirmations to faculty and staff in the building during Thanksgiving time, rang the bell for the Salvation Army at the Foote Avenue Tops Friendly Markets, and created birthday boxes for children in foster care.

The club also spearheaded P.S. I Love You Day at Jefferson, held every second Friday of February, which asks students and staff to wear purple to stand up against bullying, help end depression, and ultimately prevent suicide. Each building across Jamestown Public Schools participated in wearing purple and spreading positivity.

“I’ve always been interested in P. S. I Love You Day, so when the entire JPS district was participating, I thought Kindness Klub would be the perfect group to spread the love to all students and staff at Jefferson,” Andalora said. “We encouraged people to wear purple and placed a Purple Heart on every student’s locker and teacher’s door with words of encouragement and affirmations. The cafeteria was also decorated with hearts and positive words since the cafeteria is a central location for most students.”

The gestures shown on that day — Feb. 10 — made a noticeable impression on students, Andlora said.

“Students in the club loved spamming the hallway with Purple Hearts the day prior to P.S. I love you day,” she said. “Months later, some students still have their paper heart taped on their locker.”

The club’s efforts will continue into the spring trimester — with New York State testing season on the horizon, students are planning to place encouraging notes on all student lockers, similar to P.S. I Love You Day. They also will look to participate in Hands-On Jamestown with a focus on the school’s surrounding southside neighborhoods in mid-May.

The ultimate goal, Andalora said, is to inspire students to fall in love with helping out with and taking ownership of their community.

“This club helps instill a love for helping others inside our school, as well as outside in the world,” Andalora said. “Among many other things, students who participate in Kindness Klub learn the value of teamwork, communication, problem solving, planning, and organization in 21st century learning experiences.

“This club provides students with a humbling sense that you can be a kind person and do nice things without receiving anything in return,” she concluded.