Beman Middle School proudly announces the successful completion of their highly anticipated Kindness Week, held during the week of May 15, 2023. The week-long event aimed to promote empathy, compassion, and positive interactions among students, staff, and the broader school community.
The highlight of the week was the "Be Kind Day” on Wednesday, May 17, 2023 where both students and staff adorned themselves in shirts bearing the slogan "Be Kind" or similar heartfelt messages. The overwhelming participation saw 100% of the staff and an impressive 90% of the students proudly wearing these shirts, fostering a sense of unity and kindness throughout the school.
The success of the shirts was made possible through a collaborative effort between the MPS Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), the Beman Innovation Center, and Beman students: Using a heat press machine, the students actively participated in the creation process, printing their unique designs on special paper with sublimation ink. The innovative sublimation technique ensured the design became part of the fabric itself, ensuring durability and vibrant colors. An enormous thank you to the MPS Office of DEI for the generous donation of the shirts and the Innovation Center for the guidance and support in designing and printing of the shirts.
Beman Middle School embraced a variety of engaging activities throughout the week to encourage kindness and inclusivity. Individual teams and pods organized diverse initiatives, including Kindness bingo, contemporary literary articles on the power of kindness, and kind word searches. Notably, the 6th graders crafted a magnificent Kindness Tree within their pod. Students affixed their names on leaves and wrote acts of kindness on apples, symbolizing their commitment to spreading kindness.
Each morning, the school broadcasted a different student reading a random act of kindness over the announcements, inspiring others with heartfelt gestures. Moreover, each pod featured a "compliment box" where students could express appreciation and offer compliments anonymously or openly to fellow students, security personnel, principals, office staff, and teachers.
As a delightful surprise for the students, the cafeteria staff prepared freshly baked cookies on Friday, bearing the sticker "Beman is Kind." This small gesture of appreciation was met with warm applause from the students, expressing their gratitude for the dedicated kitchen staff.
Additionally, one 6th-grade team creatively constructed a Chain of Kindness, visually representing the interconnectedness and impact of kind acts throughout their pod. Furthermore, the Kindness Wall, adorned with colorful sticky notes, provided a platform for students to write and share positive messages or take a note if they needed a dose of kindness themselves.
Beman Middle School's Kindness Week has not only inspired students but also fostered a sense of community, empathy, and compassion among the entire school population. By encouraging random acts of kindness, fostering inclusivity, and promoting positive interactions, Beman Middle School is nurturing a culture of kindness that has and will continue to thrive beyond the week-long event.
To view photos of the week, visit: https://bit.ly/BMSKind23