Wednesday is Kindness Day at University Park Elementary School in Monroeville

If cinematic bully Scut Farkus had attended University Park Elementary School, he may not have been so inclined to pick on Ralphie and his classmates in “A Christmas Story.”

The midpoint of each week is Kindness Wednesday at the Gateway School District building, serving as a reminder for students — staff members, too — of the long-standing University Park pledge: be responsible, respectful, safe and, of course, kind.

“Whether they are here in school or they’re outside in the community, we try to model and teach those expectations, so that they represent the district well,” Principal Jennifer Hoffner said. “It’s just really important for us that kids continue to be kind, that they know how to treat each other with respect, and also to have empathy. You never know what kind of situation someone is going through, and a kind word can go a long way.”

So can a kind gesture, such as the one extended to the school population by the University Park Parent Teacher Organization.

“Kindness Wednesdays, the staff and I have been doing for years,” Hoffner said. “But then the PTO approached us and said, hey, how would you feel about us getting the kids shirts?”

The resulting purchase provides everyone with a colorful “Kindness Squad” T-shirt, complete with a supportive nod to the Gateway Gators sports teams. Hoffner regularly joins the majority of youngsters and adults in wearing hers to school on Wednesdays.

“We work very closely with the PTO, and we appreciate their generosity,” she said. “We’re a family here at University Park, with the students, the staff, as well as the students’ families. We all work together collaboratively to help our kiddos be the best versions of themselves that they can be. That’s really the goal.”