Kindness Club at Surprise school spreads cheer for Valentine's Day
A group of students at Sonoran Heights Middle School in Surprise was inspired by Valentine's Day to spread positivity.
The Kindness Club was started by eighth grader Emily Dodd. The club meets every other Monday at 7:15 a.m. before school starts and had its third meeting the Monday before Valentine's Day.
The club has already grown. During its first meeting, it had three or four members. But in a matter of weeks, the Kindness Club had about 15.
Dodd said she decided to start the club because students get bullied or get into trouble at school. Dodd wanted to help change the school permanently by spreading kindness, she said.
While the Kindness Club is the first school club that Dodd has started, she's no stranger to leadership. She is also the Student Council president and president of the National Junior Honor Society.
This week, students made kindness chains to recognize each other's compassion. The chains were placed around campus leading up to Valentine's Day. The club was also making heart-shaped slips with positive messages on them that students and staff members would receive.
When Dodd decided to start a club, she needed a staff sponsor. School Resource Officer Wendy Klarkowski, whom the students call Officer K, volunteered to help.
Klarkowski has been a school police officer for 13 years. Before that, she was a 911 operator for Surprise and then a patrol officer. She said she switched to working in schools because she felt she could have the biggest impact there.
When Klarkowski received an email stating a staff sponsor was needed for the Kindness Club, she and two other staff members decided to step up.
The Kindness Club was also working on welcome bags that will be given to new students who will receive a school tour from another student in the same grade level, too, Klarkowski said.
Charlie Rodriguez, a seventh grader, joined the club to spread kindness around the school and to spend time with his friends, including Dodd.
In addition to members coming up with project ideas for the club, Rodriguez said the students also get inspiration from sites like Pinterest on how to spread kindness.
Amber Luna, the principal of Sonoran Heights, which is part of the Dysart Unified School District and has students in fifth through eighth grades, said several other Valentine's Day-related activities were taking place at the school. The Student Council sold Valentine's grams — students could purchase and send treats, like a $1 lollipop, to one another — with the funds going back to the school. The social committee also organized a project that encouraged students to hang paper hearts on teachers' doors with compliments.
Luna said clubs are important because they help ensure students want to attend school, which is one of the school's primary focuses. They also help build a sense of community on campus, she said.
Outside of the clubs, students are also bringing one another roses or balloons to celebrate Valentine's Day.
"It's cute, but it's a distraction," Luna said. "They're finding their person, so it's a big deal this week."
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kindness Club at Surprise school spreads cheer for Valentine's Day
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