Latest news with #KindnessClub
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
A message on kindness from middle school students
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Students at Edison Middle School are on a mission to make it easier, and more fun, for one another to connect. The school's Kindness Club had a special message and a few treats lined up for their peers all of last week. SDSU fans predict their team's victory 'It's fun to find friends in different grades,' Kindness Club member Alexis Wright said. The school club hosts activities for students to get to know one another year round. Last week, the student-led group dedicated each of the five school days to a different 'kindness focused' activity. 'When we were brainstorming for our Kindness Week, a lot of the kids came up with their own ideas about what to do,' EMS Kindness Club advisor Christine Hupke said. 'We just kind of said that this is when it's going to happen, and they're like, oh, let's do this, or oh, let's do this.' It's hard not to smile at the sight of donuts, and that's exactly what club members had in mind for Thursday's breakfast event. Students could enjoy their treat with a new friend. 'I feel like it was cool that our school did this. It's not something I think other schools do,' said student Anna Bauer, who was taking part in the club's events that week. 'It's something interesting that they came up with to do.' 'Even though I've gone here all three years, I don't know some of the sixth and seventh graders. So, I like talking to them,' student Saniya Shoultz said. 'I got to meet new people,' student Nyla Rueckert said about Thursday's event. 'There was a girl sitting alone, so we sat with her, and we got to have a conversation with her.' The impact Kindness Club members receive is just as rewarding. 'It was just nice to see people getting to know other people and them becoming friends and them being happy and me knowing I was a part of that,' Kindness Club member Whitney Christie said. 'Helping people is a big thing at Edison,' Kindness Club member Isla Parvin said. The idea for the club took shape a few years ago. As quarantine measures were ending, teachers felt that everyone could benefit from more kindness. 'COVID really killed school clubs. I mean, they just completely ceased to exist. One of our principals approached me right after quarantine was like, hey, what do you think about maybe starting up a kindness club?' EMS Kindness Club advisor Mollie Weflen said. Unlike clubs focused on a specific interest, kindness was a universal appeal. 'It wasn't just if you're interested in board games or if you're interested in Legos or interested in music. Kindness is something anybody can do,' Weflen said. 'It just allowed a place for every student to belong if they wanted to.' 'I saw people at the Kindness Club last year,' Kindness Club member Penelope Kustak said. 'They were making new activities to do throughout the year, and I thought that was really fun and cool to be a part of.' Kindness is in the words we say, the things we do and the impacts we leave. 'I feel like being kind can make you feel better about yourself,' Kindness Club member Aurora Harming said. It can go a long way and make someone smile. Oftentimes, you'll find that's just enough to fill your day, too. 'If there's a choice to be kind, you should probably choose kind,' Kindness Club member Lilian Anderson said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
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
