Cathy’s Corner: A Legacy of Kindness at the Baldwin Early Learning Center

If you’ve ever walked the halls of the Baldwin Early Learning Center, you’ve likely noticed the bees; those bright, cheerful reminders to “Bee Kind.”  They’re painted on classroom doors, crafted into student artwork, and woven into lessons that teach empathy, sharing, and care for others.

That spirit of kindness began with one extraordinary educator: Ms. Cathy Hollis.

For more than two decades, Ms. Hollis poured her heart into the Early Learning Center, helping shape its programs, its culture, and its compassion. She was known for her gentle leadership and her belief that even the smallest act of kindness could transform a child’s world.

When Baldwin County Schools first implemented Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), Ms. Hollis introduced a theme that captured her philosophy perfectly:“Bee Kind.”

The bee became the school’s symbol, representing community, cooperation, and care; values that Ms. Hollis modeled every day. When she passed away, she left behind one simple wish:

“In lieu of flowers, please share an anonymous act of kindness.”

Her colleagues and friends knew exactly how to honor that request.

Children learn the power of cooperative play in 'Cathy's Kindness Corner'

Together, they created 'Cathy’s Corner' a beautiful indoor space dedicated to her memory and the lessons she loved most. They followed up with further "Cathy's Initiatives' turning what began as a small outdoor rock garden into a vibrant reflection of her spirit, changing with the seasons and serving as a reminder to every child who visits that kindness blooms in many forms.

Inside the school, Ms. Hollis’s influence continues through the Kind Campus initiative and the Kindness Boxes now found in every classroom. Each box is filled with books, games, and activities that help students learn to care for one another through play and reflection.

As retired teacher Bunny Simons shared, “Cathy wanted children to learn kindness early, to make it part of who they are. This is how her legacy continues.”

Retired staff members Cheryl Johnson and Julie Parmley agree that her kindness still guides the school’s mission. Parmley recalls that “Cathy coined the term ‘Kind Campus’ and taught us all to model it. Those expectations: kind hands, kind feet, kind ears and kind words are still what we live by today.”

Now, Cathy’s Corner stands as both a memorial and a message, a place where the youngest learners begin to understand the lifelong value of kindness.

And so, the next time you visit the Baldwin Early Learning Center and see a bee buzzing across a hallway wall or perched in the garden take a moment to think of Miss Hollis, and remember her words:

In a world where you can be anything, be kind.