Fairfield, CA - Monday, January 23, 2023, marked the start of the Great Kindness Challenge at Rolling Hills Elementary School. Rolling Hills Elementary School has participated in the Great Kindness Challenge for the past eleven years and was one of the first schools in Northern California to bring the challenge to their students.
Dr. Danny Gentry, Principal at Rolling Hills Elementary School, said, “We take great pride in the fact that we are one of the founding schools of the Great Kindness Challenge. Over the years, we have hosted VIPs from around the country and around the world who come to see our program and experience the Kindness that makes Rolling Hills such a special place for students and adults alike.”
The Great Kindness Challenge is a proactive and positive bullying prevention program that aims to improve school climate and increase student engagement. During the week-long Great Kindness Challenge, students are encouraged to perform as many acts of kindness as possible. Students are provided with a “kindness checklist”. This checklist contains kind acts for the students to complete such as “smile at 25 people”, “make a new friend”, “draw a picture and give it to someone”, and “slip a nice note in your friend’s backpack”.
"The Great Kindness Challenge is definitely the highlight of our school year. Kindness is something that we promote all year long with our 3B's of Be Safe, Be Kind, and Be Responsible,” said Dr. Gentry. “Our students have a lot of fun during this week, but the thing they enjoy the most is seeing the power of doing even small acts of kindness.”