A Little Kindness Goes a Long Way

Ozark Junior High School is a very rural poverty level school. Last school year, the students exhibited more violence than what is normal for our area. This fall our staff and students moved into a brand new school building.

When Cherese Smith saw a web posting about the Kindness Challenge she thought it would be a perfect way to start a new school year off.

After a few weeks of making an effort to be kind, the Kindness Challenge became easier and easier to take part in. Teachers noticed less litter around the school. The Administration commented on fewer students being threatening and violent. One teacher commented, “This Kindness Challenge was a great idea.” Many of the staff members used the Kindness Challenge website to find lesson plans to continue the kindness in their classrooms.

A little kindness goes a long way. This challenge is proof of that. Having everyone on board and spreading kindness is wonderful. Our staff and students know that being kind is beneficial, but this challenge brought that to the forefront of everyone’s mind.

With a little effort, schools can see the power of kindness in their schools. The Kindness Challenge does not take extra time out of anyone’s day. It is easy to follow the guidelines and fun to do. Each school can make this challenge their own. We used our school mascot and student ideas and ran with them. We all would highly recommend the Kindness Challenge for any school!