Heading towards Spring Break,  HR student senate planned some challenges to get the staff and student body to participate in Kindness Week. This year Continental League schools are partnering together to have a week dedicated to spreading kindness. 

Riley Cullinan, a member of senate, sophomore, said, “This year, we spent the two weeks prior to kindness week setting up activities, calling restaurants, and making posters. It was more difficult than usual not having everyone together at the same time, but we made it work by incorporating outside of school activities such as restaurant nights.”

On Monday and Tuesday, March 1 and 2, the dress up theme was Beach Day. Alec Martinez, junior, dressed up in spirit and said, “I think Kindness week is a great idea because especially now we all need a little extra positivity in our lives.”

The event the Student Senate planned for the day was allowing students to sign up online to send candy and a compliment to somebody at school. “We wanted to give people a reason to smile, even when they might not have much to smile for right now,” said Cullinan.

And so they did. Bradley Odice, Senate Advisor, said, “We had over 450 candy gram submissions from both staff and the student body, myself included.”

Mason Goto, junior, sent a candy gram to her friend Kailea Coghill, junior. Goto said, ” I knew it would put a smile on her face. I see my friends everyday but reminding them how much they mean to me is important, even if it’s just shown through a piece of candy. Kindness week was a great reminder to always spread positivity.” As for the receiving end of candy grams, Coghill said, “Getting an unexpected candy gram from my friend completely made my day. Getting that little bit of extra love was very appreciated.”

Cullinan said, “The activities we arranged were centered around doing good deeds, like the hearts that we passed out with positivity tasks to complete. I don’t know about you, but it makes my day when somebody gives me a little compliment, and that’s the real point of kindness week. We don’t know what others are going through, and oftentimes, you can help and not even realize it by simply being kind.”

Wednesday, March 3, and Thursday, March 4, the theme was color.  Students were told to wear colorful clothes and sprinkle kindness like confetti.  

On these days, students were able to fill out hearts with a compliment to be put on a tree. Odice even handed out smiley face stickers to students walking by after class. 

“Now more than ever, students and staff need to feel love and kindness as an everyday part of their lives. Saying thank you and offering someone a compliment can go a long way. Taking a moment to check in on your friends, family, and teachers is another way to show kindness. The mantra ‘Dude, be nice’ is a good phrase to remember as we go about our days,” said Odice. 

Odice is hopeful that kindness week will continue and only get better throughout the years. He even hopes it catches fire district wide. 

Cullinan said, “If you missed out on kindness week, that’s okay! You don’t need a designated week to be kind to the people around you. Small things can go a long way. Hold the door for somebody on their way out of class, thank your teachers for the work they do for you everyday. There are so many ways you can spread kindness and positivity on a daily basis. Tell someone you like their hair, or their outfit. Talk to someone you’ve never talked to before; make a new friend. All of these little things add up to create a more positive environment for everyone at HR.”

Camryn Montgomery, Social Media Editor