FOUNTAIN LAKE -- A new group formed this year at Fountain Lake is leading the middle school's participation in the Great Kindness Challenge, a nationwide initiative aimed at promoting kindness, improving school climate and increasing student engagement.
Twenty students make up the first School Climate Committee this year at Fountain Lake Middle School Digital Prep Academy. Linda Webb, middle school counselor, asked teachers earlier in the school year to send her the names of students who demonstrated positive attitudes, leadership skills and caring for others.
The eighth-grade students on the committee are Chloe Chapman, Courtney Helton, Dawson Iglehart, Jordan Mungle and Mollie Parker. Seventh-grade members are Ian Lacy, Zoe Lockridge, Jordan Newton, Jill Norman, Andrew Overton and Madison Wood.
Sixth-graders on the committee are Rachael Keese, Angel James, Garrison Scully, Christian Stelz and Brooke Wyatt. The committee's fifth-graders are Trent Hughes, Bailey Knappier, Michael Moore and Cece Twiggs.
The committee meets at least once per month to discuss and brainstorm how to optimize the school "climate" in the middle school and to encourage respectful treatment of others. Webb oversees the committee.
"In November, I got an email about the Great Kindness Challenge and asked the committee members to visit the website to see what they thought about sponsoring and promoting the challenge," Webb said.
According to reports, 1,964,683 students in 3,639 schools registered to participate in the 2015 challenge. The challenge includes a checklist of 50 suggested acts of kindness that can be used to create a full week of activities to encourage acceptance, tolerance, unity and respect.
"They looked through the material and decided it would be really worthwhile, and fun too," Webb said. "They settled on daily activities, daily themes and a skit to kick the week off. They just kept coming up with ideas."
Checklists were provided for students on Monday. They will meet each day this week in advisory groups to discuss what acts they have performed.
The simple acts of kindness can be done at school or at home. They are encouraged to discuss it with their families and complete the checklists as a family unit.
Students received an agenda for the week with activities planned to promote kindness. Themes were announced for each day to encourage students to dress up. A quote about kindness will be read each morning over the intercom system.
Students dressed as they normally would for "Be Yourself" on Monday. Tuesday's theme, "Go Crazy for Kindness," is designated as the week's "crazy hair day." Students decorated their own links for a paper chain.
Today is "Team up for Kindness" with students wearing school colors.
A group photo will be taken on the football field by a GoPro camera mounted on a drone.
"Rock Out with Kindness" on Thursday encourages students to dress like their favorite rock stars. They will decorate cutouts for display. "Hippie" attire is Friday's theme for "Peace, Love and Kindness." Students will complete all of their kindness displays and review their checklists.
Local on 01/28/2015