District looking to spread love through #BeKindDCPS campaign

Karah Wilson, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.
·3 min read

Jan. 28—Daviess County Public Schools is continuing to spread kindness and love throughout the district with its #BeKindDCPS campaign beginning Feb. 1.

This is the second year DCPS has promoted this campaign, which was designed to celebrate the acts of kindness that happen in the district each day.

"The campaign is an extension of our district focus on social-emotional learning and mental health," said Amy Shutt, assistant superintendent for human services.

Shutt said the 2022 #BeKindDCPS campaign focused on teaching the actions of kindness, empathy and compassion.

This year's theme for the campaign is "Buckets of Kindness," which is a takeaway from the book, "Have You Filled a Bucket Today?" by Carol McCloud.

"Everyone has an invisible bucket, the children's story explains, and the bucket holds your feelings about yourself," Shutt said.

To coincide with the campaign, age-appropriate books about how to be a "bucket-filler" have been given to middle school and high school counselors during the last two weeks.

"Acts of kindness, showing someone empathy, smiling and demonstrating compassion helps fill a person's bucket with good feelings," Shutt said. "'Buckets of Kindness' is a way of explaining to students how important kindness can be to make others feel good."

Leslie Peveler, director of elementary schools, said the beauty of the movement is that each school is able to participate in ways that are unique to the student and building needs.

"Although the campaign runs for the month, the ultimate goal is teaching others and learning to practice qualities of kindness in our daily lives," she said. "From distributing signs to the homes of students demonstrating kindness to designing special shirts to wear, students and adults alike have the chance to practice being kind and filling the buckets of others."

The campaign includes the placement of yard signs on school campuses and throughout the county. Students and staff members who are observed engaging in acts of kindness will be celebrated throughout February in school and district communications.

Peveler said students are delivering special notes, completing bingo kindness cards at home and much more.

Shutt said the campaign is important for all within the district because there are times, especially in today's world, where it can feel that negativity and hurtful words are the overwhelming voice in communicating and through social media.

"Kindness is essential to our overall well-being and we want the voice of kindness to be the expectation for our interactions of taking care of each other in DCPS," she said. "Many of our schools have participated in Random Act of Kindness Week, which takes place during February, for many years."

This year's Random Act of Kindness Day is Feb. 17.

Matt Robbins, DCPS superintendent, said there is "nothing more powerful" than seeing the district mission brought to life.

"Our schools remain committed to teaching not only academic skills, but also characteristics such as kindness and empathy that are essential elements of a truly successful life," he said.