MONTE VISTA — The Monte Vista Bill Metz Elementary Kindness Club gave a presentation to the Monte Vista City Council during a council meeting on Dec. 14. The club shared their inspiration and hopes.

The Kindness Club is a school organized group that promotes kindness and compassion. The club hosts extracurricular activities to help members of the community.

At the meeting, council members heard about the Kindness Club and its goals, including using language that only lifts others up and never puts anyone down. The club explained how they have upstanders, not bystanders.

The club also explained how it is dedicated to developing a positive atmosphere at the school, by being involved with school-wide activities and many different community events.

The Kindness Club strives to support healthy self-esteem and helps to elevate school morals and ethics, by allowing everyone at their school to see that anyone can make a difference, simply by being kind.

The club also strives to bring everyone in their school together. The club is constantly reminding students that they should always look for the good in others, instead of looking for the negative.

Some community activities that the club has been involved in include planting a new tree at City Hall. They helped City of Monte Vista Public Works Director Rob Vance and his crew plant a new tree in front of city Hall by shoveling dirt and working as a team to help plant the new tree. The Kindness Club talked about bullying prevention during domestic violence awareness month at a prior city council meeting.  

The club’s facilitators are Francisca Archuleta, and Laura Lynn Buss. Some of the students in the Kindness Club spoke at the council meeting and explained what being kind meant to them.

Fifth grade student Aniyah Duran said, “The Kindness Club is fun, and it means that we are kind, and we are here to help people.”

Fourth grade student Mallori Garcia said, “Everyone should always be kind and always be helpful.”

Third grade student Gaia Miranda said, “To me the Kindness Club means to be nice and kind to others. I like being in it because I get to do kind stuff.”

Some city staffers also spoke about what kindness means to them.

Vance said, “Doing something nice for someone, without being asked.”

IT Technician Brandon Doss said, “Being a good person, and not being rude.”

Receptionist Michelle Ingham said, “Being gentle and understanding.”

HR Director Judy Phillips said, “Thoughtfulness, supportive, and giving.”