The week started off with a bang as students welcomed the Great Kindness Challenge. The challenge was to perform as many acts of kindness as possible during the week.

Counselor Elizabeth Hamblin started the challenge six years ago when she joined the high school staff.

“It wasn’t as big as it is now. A student wanted to do her senior project over kindness. After she graduated, I said ‘I want to keep going with this,’” Hamblin said.

Last year, over 20,000 schools signed up for the challenge. Hamblin plans multiple activities with the AHS Kindness Crew for the week.

“They’re mostly during the lunchtime. We have the new one, which is the photo booth, and then the Great Wall Of Kindness,” Hamblin said.

Each year, the counselors take some freshmen to the elementary schools to teach about kindness week.

“The elementary kids love to have the high schoolers come over. That’s a really big deal,” Hamblin said.

Children in elementary schools participate in kindness week making kindness hands, writing letters to friends and family and drawing posters with flowers and hearts.

“I play with the kindergarteners at recess,” Lincoln Elementary student Haileigh Marides (5) said.

Lincoln Elementary student Omarie Wilson (4) likes to be a gentleman

for everyone at his school.

“[I’m] always holding the door and giving people compliments,” Wilson said.

Back at the high school, students wrote kind notes to friends on the Great Wall of Kindness and showed kind gestures to others.

“I try to be nice wherever I can. People should be nicer to each other,” Donald Murillo (10) said.

Some students like to show kindness in the comfort of their own home.

“[I was kind] to my dog who got injured. I helped bandage him up,” Ethan Fuller (11) said.

Most students like to participate in kindness week for the positive atmosphere.

“We get to put aside being mean to each other for a week. It let’s [students] know that there are people in this building that are actually really nice.” Josh Manahan (10) said.