“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” Umatilla High School students are taking that saying to heart in the next several weeks.
The UHS Leadership Class has created a Kindness Campaign that the whole school can get involved in.
First, there is a “Give what you can, Take what you need” Kindness Board, where students have two choices – on a small, blank piece of paper, write a kind, motivational or inspirational message and leave it there for someone or take one of the messages others have written.
Second is the Motivational Tree, where students can leave heart-shaped messages with positive words and ideas for how to brighten someone else’s day. Some of the examples on the tree already are “Give a teacher a note of thanks” and “Tell someone to have a great day.”
Coming soon is a large cardboard mailbox where students can write a note praising someone for doing a great job, which Leadership Class students will deliver. Students are also making TikTok kindness videos which will be shared during advisory, making positive and funny signs to hang around the school and creating a painted rock garden to share kind words and artwork.
April Dirksen, vice principal at UHS, said the Kindness Campaign is the final project of the semester for the Leadership Class, but “the campaign is also a great way to make this time of year, with its cold weather and stress of the semester ending, a little happier for everyone.”
