Local school district taking part in kindness challenge

LANCASTER – Westside Union School District is preparing to bring compassion and caring to the forefront next week through “The Great Kindness Challenge.”

The Great Kindness Challenge is a grassroots program started in Carlsbad, Calif. that has spread to over two million students in more than 4,000 schools in 47 countries. The program challenges students and staff to commit to 50 acts of kindness during one week.(View the video above courtesy of The Great Kindness Challenge.)

Westside is continuing its history of empowering students to end bullying.

“Rancho Vista Elementary School is very excited about participating in The Great Kindness Challenge,” said Rancho Vista Principal Tom Morreale. “We will start the week off with a motivational assembly where students can see the importance of their acts of kindness. Each day, students will perform acts of kindness towards the staff, parents, school or other classmates.”

The Great Kindness Challenge places its focus on acts of kindness and positive behavior, teaching students to “pay it forward.” Westside has also developed a “Building Positive Character Committee,” which has orchestrated all 12 schools and 10,000 additional participants in the District who will be taking part in The Great Kindness Challenge.

Schools will have door decorating contests, special school cheers, classroom-to-classroom acts of kindness and dedicated kindness walls. Plus, every student will be given a specialized tag to wear.

“We are sure that this will make our world a better and a brighter place,” added Morreale. “We will also be conducting a Jean Drive during next week in an attempt to help local teens in need in our area.”

Students will be asked to write a brief reflection of their experience of giving and receiving kindness during the challenge week, which will be shared throughout the campuses for the remainder of the school year, further maintaining the focus of positive behavior.

The West Antelope Valley Education Foundation and the South Antelope Valley Education Foundation each donated $1,000 to fund the activities during the week of The Great Kindness Challenge.

For more information on The Great Kindness Challenge, visit http://greatkindnesschallenge.org/.