On Thursday, February 3, Rosedell Elementary School students gathered on their field to celebrate two weeks of kind acts. The students had been busy creating paper chains in their classrooms where each link represented a kind act that they performed. These acts represented kind acts at home, at school, and in the community. Students were encouraged by their teachers to try hard to show kindness in all that they do. Students were also encouraged to stand up and make a difference if they saw any act of injustice. The two-week activity culminated on the field as the classrooms linked their chains together to represent one huge chain of kindness. Mr. Pettipas, Rosedell’s principal, rallied the students in appreciation for all that the chain represented. Student Council members ran around the field, leading all of the 850 students in a school-wide wave, as the students held the chain proudly above their heads each time the wave passed by.
Rosedell began this tradition in 2001 when they accepted the challenge from an organization developed to celebrate the principles that Martin Luther King, Jr. stood for. Around the nation, students have participated in the Do Something Kindness & Justice Challenge throughout the past years, which took place around the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. Rosedell chose to use the paper chain to represent each act of kindness or act of justice. Today, the organization continues to promote and inspire youth to stand up and make a difference. They can be accessed by going online to www.dosomething.org. Rosedell is proud of continuing this tradition and encourages acts of kindness throughout the whole school year!