On Tuesday, December 6, 2016, a group of Hershey High School students met in the library Think Tank at Hershey High School to discuss an important initiative at HHS: spreading kindness.

Joined by teachers Michelle O’Brien, Barb Clouser and Erin Ives, as well as assistant principals Laurie Wade and Peter Ebert, the group worked to form a plan of action to build a culture of kindness within our school. One of the goals, according to Wade, is to create an environment at HHS where, “even if we don’t know someone, we feel connected to them.”

The teachers and administrators asked students for input about the best ways to cultivate kindness among students and led an open discussion about different techniques and ideas to accomplish this goal.

Students suggested that one of the best ways to encourage kindness is to lead by example of encouraging positivity and kindness in others by exemplifying it themselves. They suggested that simple acts such as saying hello in the hallway and offering help before it is asked of you can make a huge difference in a person’s attitude.

The group that met on Tuesday hopes to work with the new Hershey High School Random Acts of Kindness Club. According to HHS sophomore Patrick Gavazzi, the club aims to “spread as much cheer as we can” and “teach people how to be nice to each other.”

Looking ahead, the student-teacher coalition plans to spread kindness in a multitude of ways throughout Hershey High School, and they encourage all students to join. They will meet this Friday, December 9 in Mrs. O’Brien’s room to create posters to be hung around the school. All students are invited, and you can see Mrs. O’Brien, Mrs. Ives, or Mrs. Clouser if you have any questions.

The group thrives on inclusivity and positivity, because according to Ives, “What’s really going to sustain you in your life is kindness.”