An act of kindness can go a long way.
At Black Diamond Elementary Principal Gerri Garton hopes to have acts of kindness go two miles by March 6 — in the form of a paper chain.
The Enumclaw School District is participating in Rachel’s Challenge Initiative, a program inspired by Rachel Scott, the first victim of the 1999 Columbine shooting.
In six journals, Scott wrote various entries expressing her desire to have people engage in more kindness than she was seeing.
“The focus is not on the tragic death, but it’s based on her belief that kindness and compassion can change the world,” Garton said. “Rachel believed in dreaming big, having big dreams.”
The idea was first thought of by the Mike Nelson, Enumclaw School District’s superintendent, according to Garton, when he was at a forum in Seattle last spring.
“It was a wonderful thing to bring back to the students,” Garton said.
As a part of the initiative every classroom will have paper chains. Every time a person performs an act of kindness, it is written down and the link is added to the school’s chain length. Teachers, as well as students, participate.
The chain length started in the school hallway in August.
They hope for it to be two miles long when they hold Rachel’s Rally at the Enumclaw Field House, also known as Pete’s Pool.
“It’s intentionally going out and using kind behavior and kind words,” Garton said.
Currently, the school is displaying a banner that reads “I accept Rachael’s Challenge,” which everyone is able to sign.
The chain links will be pink which is Black Diamond Elementary’s school color.
The school also has a kindness and compassion club, which is comprised of third, fourth and fifth grade students.
“It’s somewhat like your student body…or leadership club,” Garton said.
In addition to kindness, the club also promotes journaling as Scott did.
Garton explained, however, the intent is not merely for the students to perform kind acts at school, but everywhere they go.
“Not only (are they) doing something in the building, but (they’re) taking it out into the community,” Garton said.
An example of this, she explained, was the students putting together food packages and sending them to troops.
Proof that the program is working, Garton said, is the fact that the entire initiative has been funded privately by individuals and local businesses.
“It’s pretty exciting,” she said. “(We’re) incredibly blessed. Everybody has embraced Rachel’s Challenge.”