Girl, 8, radiates cheer
Second-grader wins kudos for her kindness toward all

By C. Ron Allen
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

When Danelle Smith's teacher was out sick for three weeks, she rallied some of her classmates and made get-well cards.

"I like my teacher very much," said Danelle, 8, a second-grader at Harbordale Elementary School in Fort Lauderdale. "She is a very kind person, and I just wanted her to get well soon."

On one card they drew two hearts with muscles and wrote, "We love you with all our might. Get Well Soon!"

In another, Danelle wrote, "Love is in the air, from the class" and scribbled the names of all the students.

Teacher Wanda Goodis was moved by their compassion.

"It stirred a lot of emotion," said Goodis, as she fought back tears. "I missed the whole class. They made me feel like I couldn't wait to get back to my job and to my school."

Danelle's thoughtfulness was not unusual since her peers and teachers can count on her to cheer them up.

"She really goes out of her way on a daily basis to brighten up the lives of all the students as well as anybody she comes across," Goodis said.

She will open and close doors without being told to do so, Goodis said.

"She is willing to go the extra mile to make sure her work is perfect and to help others," she said.

Danelle also is eager to help struggling classmates with their work and make them feel good, her peers said.

"Some may not understand the work so I help them to [understand it]," said Danelle, who recently was honored as a South Florida Sun-Sentinel Kid of Character for kindness in the program that recognizes students who best exemplify the Broward County School District's character education traits.

The aspiring veterinarian, who has two Labradors and a cat, enjoys drawing pictures of animals in her spare time.

She admires the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. "because of his kindness towards every people," she said.

Her daughter's kindness is innate, Vicki Smith said.

"I know that the teachers and administrators have a great impact on students and try to help with their character, but I think it's Danelle," she said. "I just think she is a great child and I am thankful for that."

This is one in a series of stories on students who best exemplify the Broward County School District's eight character education traits -- cooperation, responsibility, citizenship, kindness, respect, honesty, self-control and tolerance -- and patriotism as part of all eight.

C. Ron Allen can be reached at crallen@sun-sentinel.com or 954-385-7917.