Kindness Tree helps LRHS “focus on the good”

“We become what we think about,” said late radio speaker and author Earl Nightingdale. In line with LRHS’s 2017 mission statement, why not think about the good?

This is the thought process that the LRHS Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) club had in mind when designing the Kindness Tree.

Posted in the hallway at LRHS for all to see, the Kindness Tree is a paper tree that students and staff contribute “leaves” to, where leaves are anonymous notes of nice things other people did for them.

Of the tree’s inspiration, FCCLA adviser Donna Koch said, “I saw a picture somewhere of the Kindness Tree and thought it would be a good project for FCCLA.”

“The students and Mrs. Liberty liked the idea,” Koch added. “Thus, a tree grew.”

Club president MicKayla Hall, said, “FCCLA’s purpose of the Kindness Tree is to showcase all the little things that make people feel cared about.”

“Most people don’t realize that small things make a big difference to others,” she reflected.

Associated Student Body (ASB) president Camden Smith believed drawing attention to kindness is a step towards increasing positivity within the school’s culture.

He explained the reality of high school, “I don’t think our school has enough positivity… When walking down the halls, I often hear people talking badly about others and being rude to one another.”

Koch also noticed that there is growth to be made in student optimism.

She said, “I am amazed at how challenging it has been for students to decide what to write on the hearts,” adding, “it is like they are embarrassed to acknowledge the good in their life.”

Rachel Schell, ASB vice-president, further elaborated on the issue, “We do need more positivity in LRHS because I believe anywhere, including school, teenagers are negative.”

This stereotype is not the inexorable truth for LRHS: “We can help each other be more positive. It’ll help the school experience completely,” Schell said.

To do so, the Kindness Tree embodies the “focus on the good” mentality from motivational speaker Jake Ballentine’s presentation last month.

Smith explained, “I think it is important to focus on the good because it is one of many ways to keep your overall morale up. No matter how hard it gets, there is always something positive that you can take away from it.”

“If you don’t focus on the good, you will only focus on the bad,” Hall said. “You’ll only see things you can’t do instead of the things you can do.”

Schell added, “Focusing on the good helps more good happen. It creates a healthy mentality.”

Specifically, Koch explained the benefits of positivity: “ can reduce stress, making people happier and kinder to each other.”

Already, the Kindness Tree is initiating changes within LRHS.

Schell provided evidence for its effects, “As I’m walking down the hallway, I sometimes glance at the tree and see what people wrote. It shows the small positive moments are what we need to focus on.”

Through students like Schell, FCCLA’s goal will be made possible.

“The increased positivity will start a ripple effect and cause other to want to be kind,” Hall hoped.

Overall, the Kindness Tree embodies the “why not? mentality for the year.

“Why not be nice and supportive to others and yourself?” asked Smith.

“Why not focus on the good and acknowledge kindness from others?” questioned Koch.

“Why waste time on the bad?” asked Schell, adding, “The Kindness Tree is what we need to focus on.”

“It will help LRHS be better,” she concluded.