Hall District Elementary Is Making A Difference
Hall District Elementary students are about to become kinder, more inclusive, and more aware of one another over the next three weeks. Hall District Elementary will launch the 21-Day Kindness Challenge™ on January 30. The school challenges each of its students, teachers, staff and even parents to perform 5 acts of kindness every day for 21 days.
Claudia Monasterio Principal at Hall District Elementary is the Kindness Coach for Hall District Elementary 21 Day Kindness Challenge. Together with student leaders, Claudia Monasterio has planned a kindness kick-off, kindness projects, and celebration activities to make a difference on their campus.
The purpose of the 21-Day Kindness ChallengeTM is to empower students to change their world through kindness. During the Kindness Challenge students, teachers, principals, and staff are asked to do five acts of kindness every day for 21 days. When promising to do five acts of kindness every day for 21 days the students, teachers and staff unite together and develop a stronger school community.
The 21-Day Kindness ChallengeTM is a school-wide culture change for students, teachers and staff members as they work together to achieve the common goal of spreading kindness. It is a proactive approach to bullying as it focuses on the positive interactions that take place around campus. As a result, attention is taken away from bullying behaviors and negative interactions.
The Kindness Challenge emphasizes respect for others, promotes responsible decisions, creates a positive atmosphere, develops empathy, strengthens the school community and increases positive behaviors.
The benefits of developing kindness on school campuses are improved academic results, less stress in the overall school environment, increased self-esteem, less bullying, fewer classroom disruptions, and improved concentration.
The 21-Day Kindness ChallengeTM has been sought out by teachers and parents across the country and around the world. The organization is focusing on developing its program and expanding ways to bring kindness to as many schools and students as possible. The company’s website is www.21daykindnesschallenge.org.
Studies have shown that students and teachers reap the benefits of teaching kindness in the classroom. Teaching kindness has the following results:
- Happy, Caring Children
- Greater Sense of Belonging and Improved Self-Esteem
- Increased Peer Acceptance
- Improved Health and Less Stress
- Increased Feelings of Gratitude
- Better Concentration and Improved Results
- Reduced Depression
- Less Bullying
“I know our children can change the world, we just need to show them how to be kind, effective and proactive leaders,” said 21 Day Kindness Challenge Founder, Justina Bryant.
“Kindness changes the brain by the experience of kindness. Children and adolescents do not learn kindness by only thinking about it and talking about it. Kindness is best learned by feeling it so that they can reproduce it,” states Patty O’Grady, PhD., an expert in neuroscience, emotional learning and positive psychology.
In the words of Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”