Meeting a challenge has its rewards

Students at Clear Creek Elementary cheered and celebrated Friday as they all took part in duct taping Principal Mike Barkley to the cafeteria wall.  The students successfully reached their goal of completing 2,000 acts of kindness between mid-October and World Kindness Day on Nov. 13.   As their reward, Barkley agreed to be affixed to the wall by his students.  Sara VanHorn, a former elementary school teacher who works at the Half Moon Inn in Clear Lake, said she and others didn’t think kids were getting enough credit for the good things they do everyday.  That’s why she asked her employer to partner with Clear Lake Schools to promote kindness. The students were issued a challenge to be “caught” doing 2,000 acts of kindness.  “This has been a great project and has definitely started a ripple,” said VanHorn. “Teachers tell us that their students are talking about their kind deeds and are pretty confident they will keep up the good work even without the added bonus of a gift certificate. After all, kindness is about doing for others because it feels good and that’s the best reward there is.”-Reporter photo by Chris Barragy.