The Kindness Cottage
Mrs. Jean Mixon started teaching in Jacksonville in 1965, and she retired as principal of East Side School in 2001. After retirement, she was a supervisor for student teachers at SFA. She was also Jacksonville Education Foundation Influential Indian and was a member of Southside Church of Christ where she served as secretary for several years.
Through her many years at East Side Elementary, Mrs. Mixon set in place a culture of love for reading, as well as her mantra,, "Be Kind". So many who taught with her, were taught by her, and those who learned in any capacity from her, went away knowing that "Kindness Matters". She touched decades of people through simply being "Mama Jean" , and East Side Elementary will always be proud of Jean Mixon's legacy.
After she passed away in 2018, her family wished to establish a memorial in her name at East Side. The Mrs. Mixon's Kindness Cottage was generously donated by her two daughters, Sharon Arrington and Gay Lynn Hayes and their families. This sweet cottage is on the playground right outside of the library on the East Side Campus, and is used for outdoor classroom time and playtime.
