Making people happy is an action that is not always seen in public, but one that people appreciate the most. Because of this, Great Kindness Week was created as a week each year that is dedicated to recognizing and demonstrating generous acts to make people smile.
This year, Great Kindness Week, celebrated worldwide, takes place from Jan. 27 to 31. Mrs. Jenofsky, the school district’s Director of Communications, is the district’s Great Kindness Week coordinator. Mrs. Jenofsky explained Great Kindness Week as a “bullying prevention program that improves school climate and increases student engagement. … [it] is one week devoted
to perform as many acts of kindness as possible on campus.”
Ashlee Shafer, a senior at Upper Perk High School, says, “Great Kindness Week is a week that I look forward to. I get to make so many people happy, and it shows the impact my words can have on other students.”
Around the world, schools celebrate in a variety of ways including dedicated acts of kindness for each day, events during the week, etc. UPHS is keeping it simple this year with a spirit week to promote kindness throughout the school as well as a special Great Kindness Video series from the Tribe Talk staff.
Great Kindness Week is a non-profit organization dedicated to spreading and creating a culture of kindness. Mrs. Jenofsky says it is important to promote this week because it “not only promotes a positive school culture but also empowers students to realize the impact of their actions.” Students need to understand the power of their actions and words and how they can positively impact the behavior and reactions of others.
Over 2 million students, 41 thousand schools, and 115 countries celebrate this week and promote over 1 billion acts of generosity to create a more amiable culture. Upper Perk School District is joining the movement.
Anyone can positively impact our environment, so students are encouraged to show kindness, not just during Great Kindness Week, with actions like complimenting someone’s outfit, saying hi to someone, and making someone smile.
