During the district-wide Kindness Week staff and students are encouraged to participate and help recognize and encourage kindness in their school buildings and set a powerful example for all of our students and staff to follow. The Department of Student Services coordinates this effort and is excited to build upon and support the work that Stevenson Elementary (and possibly other buildings) started years ago and to make this a district-wide focus for all students and staff. Staff members have been equipped with Kindness Matters bags, pencils, and prompts and quotes for classroom discussion.
As part of Kindness Week, the district is encouraging a No Homework Night on Thursday, January 30, as a way to encourage families to spend some additional time together. In addition, Director of 21st Century Learning Marc Alter is collecting pictures and/or videos to help capture "Kindness Moments" across our district that will be displayed and hopefully enjoyed and celebrated across our community this week and in the weeks to come.
What's happening?
Watch the attached video to see what what our youngest students have to say about kindness!
Stevenson Elementary, as an act of kindness and compassion, is collecting money to donate to the World WildLife Fund to help support injured animals and restoring their habitat in Australia. There will be a jar on a table outside the gym starting on Monday, January 27. Third grade students will count the amount each day and share out the total amount. The goal is $500 by Friday, January 31, and a school-wide reward is available for making the goal.
At Edison Intermediate & Larson Middle Schools, students and staff are:
Wearing “Choose Kind” shirts or similar this week.
Inviting High School Mentors to visit each classroom to pass out “Kindness Matters” pencils and speak briefly about why kindness is important to them.
January 27th - February 28th Accepting Acts of Kindness Nominations - Catch a student being kind and please let us know! During Kindness Week and the month of February we want to document the acts of kindness caught in our building. During March those students nominated will have a special lunch with Principal Stewart to thank them for their leadership! Here is the form Kindness Week Nomination Form
At Grandview Heights High School, students and staff are:
-
- Receiving challenge sheets and pencils
- Wearing Kindness (related) shirts
- Posting kindness quotes in their classrooms
- Sharing cookies to celebrate Student Appreciation Day
- Taking photographs at the "Be the "i" in Kind" selfie stations
- Delivering of Kindness Matters pencils to the middle school students during their study halls by the Youth Led Programming (aka Youth to Youth) students
In the press:
Read The Dispatch article here (GHHS College and Career Counselor Janie O'Shaughnessy is quoted): https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200124/kind-of-big-deal-challenge-event-teaches-students-to-be-nice-to-others
For more information about events and activities at Stevenson Elementary, please see the attached flyer. For more general information and resources, visit www.thegreatkindnesschallenge.org