Students in BHPS Celebrate the Great Kindness Challenge
Berkeley Heights Public Schools
In January, Students at Thomas P. Hughes School joined schools from around the world in the Great Kindness Challenge. The challenge was created to help create positive school culture and share kindness throughout our communities. The week started off with a pep rally to get kids excited about all of the fun challenges that were planned and throughout the week students engaged in a variety of kindness themed activities.
At the beginning of the week, students were given a kindness checklist. Students who completed their 50 acts of kindness from the checklist were entered into a random drawing and several students were selected to receive Amazon gift cards.
Among the activities that students participated in were group projects where each class partnered up with a class of a different age level where students worked together on tasks and made new friends. Then there was the fun and hilarious “Kindness never gets old” spirit day where students and staff were invited to dress up. Students were also invited to morning mindfulness and journaling activities before school.
Throughout the week, students also worked on a ‘kindness chain’. Each time students performed or witnessed an act of kindness they wrote it on a link and turned it in so it could be hung up. Each grade level had a different color chain and the goal is to connect all three chains with the abundance of kind deeds that took place.
Finally, students were able to give SPARKLE tickets to staff members who show kindness. Third grade teacher Mrs. Guyton and Music Teacher Mr. Laurino were selected in a random drawing at the end of the week and won gift cards.
