World Kindness Day is on Nov. 13 and BP is celebrating on Nov. 12 in many ways. 

World Kindness Day was created in 1998 and is celebrated annually on Nov. 13. It was first created to encourage kindness throughout the world. The international holiday highlights random acts of kindness and good deeds.

The Counseling Department at BPHS gave to staff members coupons with pictures of starfish on them to give to students that they have witnessed doing random acts of kindness.

“World Kindness Day is a chance to recognize and celebrate random acts of kindness throughout BPHS,” Mrs. Michaels, a counselor at BPHS, said.

The starfish represents a story about a man who notices a young boy throwing starfish back into the water at the beach. 

As the story goes, an old man walks along a beach and sees a young boy throwing something into the water. As he approaches, he sees hundreds of starfish lining the beach washed in from the tide. The young boy is rushing around throwing the starfish back into the water one by one. The old man asks why he bothers. It’s pointless. There are too many starfish to help them all. As he flings a starfish deep into the water, the young boy replies, “It mattered to that one.”

This was The BP Counseling Department’s way of getting students to care more about being kind, even if it can’t be to everyone, because it could matter to someone more than they think. Mrs. Michaels said, “No matter how big or small any gesture is, it makes a difference in the life of another person.”

Those who receive a starfish coupon will earn a free ice cream treat or cookie at lunch.

Students should wear green on Nov. 12 to acknowledge World Kindness Day and their peers who have done random acts of kindness. Students are also encouraged to wear a cardigan to honor Fred Rogers and all of his kindness towards others.

Mr. Bruce, another counselor at BPHS, said, “Students can elect to wear either.  Because BOTH [signify] being KIND which is what this week is about.”