November 18, 2024
By MEALAND RAGLAND-HUDGINS
Rutherford County Schools
Simon Springs Community School in LaVergne is the first in Tennessee to become a Certified Kindness School by the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation.
Created in the 1990s, the foundation’s mission is to make kindness a part of the daily routine at school, at work and at home.
“At Simon Springs, kindness is more than just a lesson, it is part of who we are,” Principal Samantha Wagner said. “Every day, we teach and empower our students to show compassion, empathy, and respect. This certification is a reflection of the entire school community and our culture around kindness.”
Simon Springs Community School opened in August 2024 and serves a small population of elementary and middle school students needing behavior intervention. Located in La Vergne, the building originally opened as LaVergne Primary School and most recently served as the Roy Waldron Elementary annex.
Those who share random kind acts are known as RAKtivists, according to the foundation’s website. In rolling out the program, school social worker Brittany Potts had students write a positive note to another student or staff member at the school.
“We talked to our students about kindness – and specifically about how easy a few kind words can make someone else’s day better and create a more positive environment,” Potts said.
Some notes were posted on a Taylor Swift-themed bulletin board for all to see. Similar activities will take place on a regular basis, Potts said.