Several staff members were credited in the success of Kindness Week, including Dean of Students Benjamin Ruiz (left), Librarian Monica Fisher (center) and School Counselor Allison Hietbrink (right).

DIXON, CA (MPG) – Dixon Montessori Charter School marked Kindness Week from Jan. 26 to 31 with student-led activities emphasizing safety, respect and responsibility, according to Executive Director Ben Ernest.

The weeklong observance, held at the school’s campus at 355 N. Almond St., is part of the national Great Kindness Challenge, which Dixon Montessori has participated in for nine years. According to Ernest, the core premise remained the same this year, but students were given greater responsibility in planning and carrying out activities.

“We have the same premise this year, but let the kids take it over,” said Ernest. “It’s been really fun. We’ve been a kindness-certified school for eight or nine years.”

Throughout the week, students nominated classmates for kindness awards, recognizing peers for sharing, being helpful and showing consideration toward others. Students wrote down what they were feeling and what they were grateful for, and they exchanged tickets tied to nominations as a way to acknowledge positive behavior.

Dixon Montessori Charter School marked Kindness Week from Jan. 26 to 31 with student-led activities emphasizing safety, respect and responsibility. Throughout the week, students nominated classmates for kindness awards, recognizing peers for sharing, being helpful and showing consideration toward others.

Students also extended recognition beyond their peers, nominating crossing guards for keeping them safe and teachers for gestures such as offering hugs. In classrooms, students made cards to honor individuals who had shown kindness, and several classes incorporated creative projects into the observance. One class composed a kindness-themed song that was played during morning announcements, and students used activity books focused on social-emotional skills.

“Inside the classes, we do a social-emotional element that helps the kids increase their social abilities,” said Ernest. “They practice grace and kindness and just learn how to be. This week was about honoring people and doing it as publicly as possible, basically shout-outs.”

According to Ernest, the school defines kindness through everyday actions connected to safety, respect and responsibility. Lessons included practical examples, such as wearing helmets while biking or helping someone who has fallen.

“We look at ways for kids to be safe and kind, respectful and kind, and responsible and kind,” said Ernest.

Teachers and staff modeled kindness throughout the week by participating in activities, accepting nominations and reinforcing expectations during the school day. Ernest said the approach aligns with the Montessori philosophy, which emphasizes independence, community and learning social skills alongside academics.

“It’s a skill, just like math or English,” said Ernest. “It is so important in every area of your life.”

Families and the broader Dixon community were also encouraged to participate. The school continues to host a wellness center stocked with donated items that families can access anonymously. The school’s Parent Project workshops, led by the Dean of Students Benjamin Ruiz and school counselor Allison Hietbrink, guide topics such as communication and discipline, and have helped parents connect and support one another.

Students also extended recognition beyond their peers, nominating crossing guards for keeping them safe and teachers for gestures such as offering hugs. The morning of Jan. 30, students made postcards and thank-you letters for people they were grateful for.

The week concluded with a campus beautification day Jan. 31, when volunteers brought tools and work clothes to help maintain school grounds.

Ernest credited several staff members for their work on Kindness Week, including librarian Monica Fisher, who created the kindness challenge books, Dean of Students Ruiz and school counselor Hietbrink. Ruiz said the school also welcomes community businesses interested in donating prizes for student recognitions.

Kindness Week comes during a year of broader milestones for the school. Dixon Montessori opened its first library this school year and, in 2025, earned a green or higher rating in every category on the California School Dashboard, making it one of four schools in Solano County to achieve that distinction.

For more information, visit dixonmontessori.org or call 707-678-8953.