Students from two Rockville schools took part in a monthlong challenge in October to encourage kindness and compassion toward each other in an effort to combat bullying.
The kindness challenge, sponsored by Rockville’s Community Services Division, asked students from Beall and Meadow Hall elementaries to tick off kind acts, such as doing a household chore without being asked, thanking a bus driver or teacher and saying something nice to five people.
Compassion and empathy toward others have been shown to effectively combat bullying behaviors. On Oct. 2, Rockville’s Mayor and Council proclaimed October Bullying Prevention Month, joining a national campaign to directly address bullying behavior and approaches that communities can take to address bullying.
The initiative is intended to raise awareness, educate and support schools, families and the community, in addressing the pervasive issue of bullying behavior and its impact on the entire community.
As a reward, the winning class and school will get their own ice cream party to celebrate their achievement and the winning school will receive a $600 mini grant, partly funded by the Rockville Recreation and Parks Foundation, to use to support their students.
For more information on bullying and bullying prevention, visit http://www.rockvillemd.gov/bullyingprevention.