Kindness week took place Jan. 28 through Feb. 1, meaning students strived to perform as many kind acts as possible.

The school provided multiple ways to participate in the Great Kindness Challenge. Activities such as the Great Wall of Oriole Kindness, the Oriole Kindness Photo Booth, and mailboxes for notes of kindness were organized throughout the school.

Advocating for kindness is a very important and positive thing. It is great to have the school provide so many ways to be kind; however, kind acts have more meaning when others are not watching.

When Kindness Week is not in session, people have to go out of their way to be nice. When so many outlets can be used and so many people participate, it is much easier to be kind than it is on a normal school day.

During school, students are busy. With other things on our minds, being kind is not always prioritized. The tests we have to take and the homework we need to do take up the majority of our thoughts.

It is easy to be irritable when you woke up late, received a poor grade or have a big test coming up. Even during stressful times, it is important to be kind.

Kindness Week is a way to help alleviate some of the stress students feel through being kind. It is hard to be in a bad mood when you are writing your friend a thoughtful note or taking pictures with kindness related props.

It is also a good way to show that being kind is fun and can help encourage students to perform acts of kindness daily.

Kindness Week is a wonderful way to help reduce stress, make people smile, and build better relationships.

It is my hope to see Kindness Week continue to inspire students and make them smile.