East Hills hosted an e-Pledge closing ceremony in February. It was the culmination of a project that was initiated by Gary and Lynne Falkowitz on World Kindness Day in honor of their son Ethan. World Kindness Day is an international holiday observed annually on Nov. 13 as a day devoted to the positive potential of large and small acts of kindness.

Ahead of the closing ceremony, school social worker Stephanie Liebowitz visited classrooms to distribute oversized tennis balls and hearts, on which the students wrote different ways to show kindness at home, school, or anywhere else. Students shared their hearts during the closing ceremony. The tennis balls will remain on display in classrooms to serve as a reminder to be kind. Students also painted kindness rocks, which they were free to give to someone, keep as a reminder, or place somewhere in the community.