Becton starts the fall season on a positive note, welcoming in the month of October with New Jersey’s Week of Respect. Respect week takes place every year in the first week of October, focusing on ways to make schools all over New Jersey more welcoming, more friendly and more kind. New Jersey’s Week of Respect also coincides with National Bullying Prevention Month which is annually observed in October. This allows school districts to observe the week of respect when there is a national spotlight on bullying prevention efforts, placing emphasis on promoting kindness and inclusion in schools.

This October, Becton has decided that kindness and respect deserves more than just one week, extending the efforts of respect week to the entire month of October with a Kindness Calendar. Everyday of the month, the calendar provides a small kindness prompt to help students and staff be mindful of the small things one can do to make a difference. For example, Tuesday October 17 says “Tell a friend something you like about them”. There are even days that spread kindness simply through self reflection such as October 9 “Take the time to listen” or October 10 “Share a happy memory”. The calendar will be posted throughout the school, shared online, and will be given out to students.

The kindness calendar is a great way to promote little acts of kindness, and highlight that: small gestures can make a big difference!