Every year at Pacifica High School, our ASB annually hosts a Kindness week! Traditionally, this takes place from February 15th to February 21st. However, this year it is being celebrated from February 9th to February 12th. During this time, everyone from adults to students are encouraged to do positive and especially intentional good deeds. The origins of this week traces its roots back to the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation in 1995, which was the first to hold this celebration in Denver, Colorado. Moreover, it was later promoted by other groups as well, such as the World Kindness Movement in 1997, who later made a pledge to motivate everyone to practice compassion daily, through small acts from giving compliments to volunteering. Through this, it can be clear to see how a large part of this week comes into play in aiding to combat the negativity we have in our world, today as well as reducing bullying and encouraging positive social connection. So, let’s see what Pacifica is doing this week!
When interviewing junior ASB member Kai Moses on what ASB has planned this year to celebrate Kindness Week, he explained how it will be through various lunch time activities, alongside Dance. Through doing this, ASB aims to promote inclusivity and especially make every student feel seen at Pacifica. Where they can get a chance to participate, while also bonding with their friends. Students themselves can also find out how to be involved, this week by checking out the graphics on the ASB instagram and daily announcements. Additionally, when asking Moses on why he believes this week is important, he responded that because of how divided the United States currently is as a nation. It is important for us, not just as students, but individuals to do our part in keeping up the much-needed morale to uplift ourselves and everyone else. In doing so, Moses believes this small action of practicing kindness and giving back will help make the world a better place, step-by-step.
Kindness Week LTAs!!!
Monday, 2/9/26 — “Searching for Kindness”
Find the heart with your name on it, deliver it to the table in the quad, and get some candy!
Tuesday, 2/20/26 — “Pirouettes and Smiles”
Come on out to the quad and watch the Dance Team perform!
Wednesday, 2/11/26 — “Chalk it up to Kindness”
Write a nice message in the quad, with chalk!
Thursday, 2/12/26 — “Words of Inspiration”
Come Participate in our quote competition in the quad for a chance to win a needoh!
Now, this begs the question: what are the thoughts of our mariners surrounding this week and their plan to approach it? When asking Maryann Tran on her outlook, behind the intention of this week, she placed emphasis on how it is a great way to remind everyone on how much of a difference an act of kindness can create and the “ripple effect” it creates when impacting another individual’s life. By saying this, Tran reveals how contagious kindness can be when initiated because of how it encourages recipients affected by it, to instinctively want to pass on the same empathy they experienced. Furthermore, when Tran was questioned on what she believes will help make Pacifica become a kinder place for all students, she points out how tolerance is a key factor in moving forward. That is due to how even though everyone may not agree or get along with each other. It is still important for us to always keep an open mind and open heart, in order to look past the differences to gain a better understanding of each side rather than turn to immediate judgement. Following this, Tran mentioned how she plans to participate in Kindness Week more by “putting herself in someone else’s shoes” more. From doing this, she wants to practice taking the time to sympathize more with other people in her surroundings and to be more accepting, overall as a person.
Nevertheless, it should also be brought to attention that to participate in Kindness Week you should not feel forced as well as any sort of pressure to be “over-the-top” to do it “correctly.” After all, some may feel hesitant to practice kindness because of the many misconceptions revolving around what it means to be a kind person, which can often be illustrated as a weakness or idea of how kindness simply means being a “big donor.” When in reality, true kindness is from a place of courage and is an active choice that requires an individual’s strength and honesty rather than allowing one’s boundaries to be crossed and saying “yes,” in order to avoid conflict. Instead, it focuses on delivering hard truths, while maintaining self-respect and supporting others, without neglecting one’s own needs. After all, kindness is done out of intention, not being a “doormat” or a price tag.
Ultimately, the goal of this week is to motivate kindness to become a norm in one’s life, which can be expressed in both small, everyday gestures as well as larger, more impactful actions. By taking the time to participate in this kindness, an individual can bring more enrichment to their life from the fulfillment that can be brought through helping others from family and friends to strangers, alike. After all, kindness makes the world go round because of how the initiation of it is enough to create a connection between people every day. The sense of validation that is experienced by the recipient is what allows them the opportunity to realize how they are seen, an acknowledgement some may not even believe they are worthy of. Notably, this is another reason as to why it is such a fundamental factor to improving society for the greater-good. If everyone was willing to consider the perspective of those they view different from themselves background-wise, culturally, etc. It can develop into a driving force to overcome the hatred that is still prevalent, today from discrimination that stems from prejudice to the division that seems to continue pulling apart humanity every passing day. Through kindness, it teaches us how the assumptions that we may have been taught and developed in our lifetime are not the truth, while creating a sense of understanding amongst ourselves as people of the same nation. In the end, even with our differences, we are all not as different as we perceive ourselves to be.
