Student leaders to encourage 'random acts of kindness' at ORR

Jan 7, 2014

The ball has dropped, but there’s still time to make a New Year’s resolution.

At Old Rochester Regional High School, student leaders want to encourage good deeds and random acts of kindness  this year with a school-wide morale boost.

Principal Mike Devoll said New Bedford High School had a campaign a few years ago in which students got their name in a raffle for doing nice things and improving their grades over a month. The winner received Patriots tickets.

“It became this thing where [students said] I gotta get into the raffle. What are things I can do that are worthy?” said Devoll.

He is brainstorming with the school’s class and Student Council presidents and vice-presidents on the best way to launch such a program.

What they need is a big incentive, said Devoll who offered up a “prize package” worth $500 that includes a two-year parking pass, waiving the $250 athletic user fee and $100 club fee and a ticket to prom.

Finding something that would excite the whole student body is tough, but if a freshman wins, Lizzie MacLellan said she’d be OK with that.

“If this is a randomly kind person, I don’t mind if they go to prom,” said MacLellan.

Everyone from peers to teachers will be able to submit the name of a student for the raffle, writing the name of the do-gooder, their kind act and the observer’s name.

MacLellan also suggested getting kids excited about doing charitable acts around campus by reading out some of the submissions over the intercom.

“I’m just hoping once this is over, people still do it,” said Sophomore Class President Holly Frink. “Afterwards, I want it to be a habit.”

Devoll agreed. “Stuff like this gets contagious,” he said.

The students will launch the campaign at their pep rally at the end of the month. In the meantime, they will also look for donations from the community to contribute to the prize.