What’s Happening

The Peacemakers of Phillips Avenue and Roanoke Avenue Elementary Schools in Riverhead are inviting members of the Riverhead community to participate in the Great Kindness Challenge from January 23-27, 2017. These fourth grade students created a video inviting everyone including businesses, organizations and government employees to perform acts of kindness and post photos of them on social media (Facebook, Twitter or Instagram) using the hashtag #RiverheadKindness. The video can be viewed here.  You can download a Kindness Checklist here for ideas and inspiration. In addition to using the hashtag #RiverheadKindness, students are also asking participants to tag @RiverheadCAP, so the photos can be shared on CAP’s social media pages as well.

The Peacemakers are groups of fourth grade students in Phillips Avenue and Roanoke Avenue Elementary Schools whose mission is to prevent bullying through peer-led initiatives. Under the direction of Riverhead CAP Social Worker Shannon Kutner, the Peacemakers have been participating in The Great Kindness Challenge since 2013. In 2015, they created a video inviting all of the Riverhead schools to participate, which resulted in Riverhead being designated a Kindness Certified School District by Kids for Peace.

“The students are looking forward to community participation and can’t wait to see the kind acts,” said Shannon Kutner. “They have learned that when we are kind it creates a ripple effect and a culture of kindness.”