From opening doors for students, to writing nice emails to your teachers, and taking time to show gratitude, this week is all about being kind.

From Monday, April 22 to Friday, April 26, Liberty will be hosting its first ever “Be Kind Week” in hopes of spreading random acts of kindness and finding answers to the question: What can I do to help others?

The event will be led like a spirit week, with each day containing a new theme, challenge, and different dress up day. Teachers will also be handing out orange student designed Be Kind T-shirts to students who they feel exemplify kindness.

The whole idea is to try to infiltrate kindness and amp up the new tradition so it will continue to flourish in the upcoming years. Mr. Weis’ photography class directed a video and photo shoot focusing on the Be Kind week.  

Monday:

• Theme: Integrity
• Spirit day: Dream of Kindness (pajama day)
• Morning announcement
• 1st-hour Task: 5 Day Happiness Challenge

Tuesday:

• Theme: Inclusiveness
• Spirit day: Team Kindness (represent your extracurricular: club/sport/outside of school organization)
• Morning announcement
• 2nd-hour Task

Wednesday:

• Theme: Caring & Compassion
• Spirit day: Kindness is Timeless: Dress like someone you admire
• Morning announcement
• A.I. Task

Thursday:

• Theme: Gratitude
• Spirit day: BEEEEE Kind: Wear Yellow
• Morning announcement
• 7th-hour Task

Friday:

• Theme: Mindfulness
• Spirit day: Cheer on Kindness: LHS Spirit Day
• Morning announcement
• 8th-hour Task

5 days of Happiness Challenge:

1. Three Gratitudes: Pause to take note of three new things each day that you are grateful for. Doing so will help your brain start to retrain its pattern of scanning the world, looking not just for the negative inputs but for the positive ones.
2. Journaling: Similar to the gratitude practice, but in this case, detail — in writing — one positive experience each day. This will help you find meaning in the activities of the day, rather than just noticing the task itself.
3. Exercise: Exercising for 15 minutes a day not only brings physical benefits, but it also teaches your brain to believe your behavior matters, which then carries (positively) into other activities throughout the day.
4. Meditation: Take just 5 minutes per day to simply breathe and focus on your breath going in and out. Doing so will train your mind to focus, reduce stress, and help you be more present in this moment.
5. Random Acts of Kindness: This can be something simple, such as writing one positive email to praise or thank someone each day. Not only does it benefit the recipient, but it also increases your feeling of social support.  

Assistant principal Dr. Kiely and social studies teacher Mr. Bender came up with the idea. Kiely vowed to take the idea under her wing and make it a priority.

“I’m just tired of people being mean. It’s a lot easier to be nice and walk away then be angry,” Kiely said. “For me personally, I like doing nice things for others, it doesn’t come with a reward, but being kind makes you feel good as a person.”

Kiely hopes that the event will begin to incorporate more community service projects and get sports involved after this year.

A group of students were also chosen to participate in the Be Kind project. The students each nominated a handful of students that they believed best represented kindness. These students received be kind shirts and had their pictures taken and printed on posters to be displayed around the building. Junior Emily Beauto was one of the few students chosen for the project.

Beauto nominated five other students.

“I chose these students because they are not very known but very good kids,” Beauto said.  “This is a good way to show others that they are amazing kids.”