Our Hope Squad is going with "Kindness" as the theme for the month. Students will be creating a kindness chain by writing kind things that other students have done on a strip of construction paper. These pieces will be chained together to show our students how far a little kindness can go.

The worst thing about a small town can also be the best thing about a small town. Everyone knows your business, which can be annoying. But everyone also knows when you are going through a rough patch. And they usually try to do whatever they can in order to help out.

Help can be big things, but sometimes, we overlook how powerful a little thing can be. Think about the last time you were having a bad day and someone complimented you. I bet it made your day. A little post-it note with a word of encouragement can go a long way.

A famous comedian said, "The only time you should look in your neighbor's bowl is to make sure that they have enough. You don't look in your neighbor's bowl to see if you have as much as them"

We have a habit of looking at other people to compare ourselves to them. But that's not what we should be doing. The only thing we should be checking on with other people is how they're doing. Is there something my friend or neighbor needs right now?

We have two local families that need our love and support right now. They are dealing with health problems. And Gregory has always been very good about showing up for our people! When one of us is struggling or grieving, we all struggle and grieve together!

We have a few opportunities to help our friends and neighbors this week. First, we have a hat/pajama day on Wednesday. For $1, our students can wear a hat or pajamas, and for $20, our staff can wear jeans all week.

The cheerleaders are conducting a Chuck-a-Duck at the competitive cheer and dance showcase tonight. This starts at 6:30 at the auditorium tonight.

The fire department is hosting an event with a silent auction on November 14th. There will be a meal and some entertainment.

All of the proceeds from these events will go to the Hannahs family to help with medical costs. You could support one, or all of these events. But please don't underestimate the power of a kind word, encouragement, a compliment, or making someone feel loved and welcome. These things are all free, and they make more of a difference than you think.

As we go out this week, let's work really hard to exude kindness, however we can. Say the kind thing. Encourage a friend. Support a classmate. Give a compliment. And watch the kindness around you increase!

Challenge for the week:

Show kindness however you can!

Every day is a great day to be a Gorilla!

Have a kind week!