Sticky note wall that leadership organized with notes of kindness from TJHS students. photo by Eileen Adair
Kindness month was brought to life by the leadership team to bring the TJHS community closer together.
November is national kindness month, and for the first time, it has been recognized by the Thomas Jefferson community as an opportunity to promote kindness and generosity. This challenging task was taken on by the leadership class. According to leadership students, the purpose of kindness month was simple, to ensure that everyone got exposed to kindness this month. Student Macy Ostrom stated that the goal of the project was to “show that there’s always kindness in the world, even if you don’t see it every day.” That message became the backbone of every activity planned throughout the month.
The students and staff involved wanted all of the TJ community to be a part of this. In English classrooms students created and exchanged sticky notes filled with positive affirmations. These notes were then put on a wall in the lobby for everyone to read and share. The kindness wall grew larger every day because of the students who helped to spread this positivity. It was covered with great words of love, support, and affirmation. But just as much as the wall grew, the sticky notes also disappeared day by day. This was the goal from the beginning. Leadership wanted students to take the notes of affirmation and hopefully make someone’s day better. The simple act of writing or grabbing a note became a way for students to uplift each other without needing to know names or faces. “Students really came together in the English classes because everyone did the sticky notes,” Ostrom reported when the activity was still in progress, “The wall keeps filling up and people keep taking the sticky notes down.”
While kindness month was a huge success, there were some challenges that came with this inspiring project. Some students struggled to participate because they felt that many comments on the notes were repetitive and therefore didn’t mean as much. Leadership saw this as an opportunity to emphasize authenticity, encouraging students to write from the heart rather than repeating the same positive comments. Despite a few repeated notes, students made an effort to create unique and uplifting messages. As the month went on, leadership students noticed a genuine shift on campus. “It brought people together,” Ostrom stated, “People started interacting with each other more and it showed you can always be kind to everyone.” Students who typically kept to themselves began sharing smiles, taking notes for themselves, or giving them to classmates. Teachers also participated, supporting the movement and encouraging students to embrace positivity by engaging in the sticky note activity or just sharing words of encouragement and kindness.
Some of the most powerful moments came from the anonymous nomination activity. Students had the chance to nominate friends or fellow students who make a difference in their lives, big or small, for recognition. These nominations highlighted the people on campus who often go unnoticed despite doing so much for others. The leadership students then took it upon themselves to go class to class reading the anonymous nominations so that this gratitude could be spread. Each student who was awarded also received a hand-made ribbon. It reminded the whole school that kindness doesn’t have to be a grand gesture. Sometimes it is the quiet, consistent support that matters most.
Even though kindness month has ended, leadership has no plans to let the energy fade, Ostrom explained. They plan to continue uplifting others, strengthening the community, and ensuring that the energy of kindness remains at Thomas Jefferson. Kindness month may have lit a spark, but Ostrom hopes it becomes a lasting part of the Spartan culture.
