2018 Great Kindness Challenge
This year the entire Riverhead School District will be participating in the 2018 Great Kindness Challenge from January 22-26. The Riverhead Peacemakers in both Phillips Ave. and Roanoke Ave. elementary schools have been busy helping their schools get ready for the challenge. They have created KINDNESS MATTERS signs and kindness kits for every classroom. They hope that once again the community will join in the fun and complete as many kind deeds as they can during the week.
The Peacemakers are groups of fourth grade students in Phillips Ave. and Roanoke Ave. 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 invited all of the Riverhead schools to participate, which resulted in Riverhead being designated a Kindness Certified School District by Kids for Peace.
The Peacemakers will read Emily and the Kindness Bracelet by Lisa Krekeler to all of the K-4 classes and participate in activities based on the book. The local author will visit Roanoke, Phillips, and Riley Ave. schools. Students will also collect change to raise money for school playgrounds damaged by Hurricane Harvey. When they hand in the change they will make a quilt square and create a kindness quilt to represent the warmth of kindness in the school.
Last year, the Peacemakers 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). The video can be viewed here. You can download a Kindness Checklist here for ideas and inspiration. In addition to using the hashtag #GreatKindnessChallenge, students are also asking participants to tag @RiverheadCAP, so the photos can be shared on CAP’s social media pages as well.
“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.”
