Kindness matters.

For the students at Oakview Middle School, taking up the challenge to spread acts of kindness to their classmates resulted in a truly impressive display of warm-heartedness.

“Oakview Middle School took on a Kindness Challenge this week and did an amazing job,” said Principal Sarah Manzo. “In total, Oakview students tallied over 6,000 acts of kindness!”

The students spent the last week in November doing random acts of kindness for their classmates, teachers and school staff.

The Oakview Kindness Challenge was inspired by The Great Kindness Challenge, a proactive and positive initiative that improves school climate and increases student engagement, Manzo said.

The Great Kindness Challenge is one week devoted to performing as many acts of kindness as possible on campus. Using a checklist of 25 kind acts, students accepted the challenge and showed each other and the world that kindness matters.

“While researching about ways to enhance building culture and climate, Oakview Assistant Principal Jason Larsen learned about kindness challenges being impactful on students, staff, and learning communities, as a whole.

“Initiatives like challenges are a powerful way to learn lessons and good habits in a fun way.

“Oakview Support Specialist Monica Robinson took the lead on the challenge and organized students and staff in carrying out the Challenge.

“Mrs. Robinson organized sending kind messages, recruiting 58 “Secret Agents of Kindness (students who did anonymous kind acts for others), and making the materials like a Bingo card with 25 acts of kindness on them that students used throughout the week,” Manzo said.

The Lake Orion Education Association and LOEA President Jeff Faber donated the funds to purchase really cool #kindness: pass it on bracelets for students “caught being kind.”

The Great Kindness Challenges has reached over 10 million students, been in 15,000 schools in 90 countries, and over 500 million acts of kindness have been performed.

On the web: www.thegreatkindnesschallenge.com. — J.N.