5 questions for Suffern Middle School teacher

Nicole Tarife, an English teacher at Suffern Middle School, knew her students were kind. She wanted to help them find a way to show it.

Tarife decided to help the students put into practice the anti-bullying tactics they were learning through the school's bullying intervention program, Olweus, a curriculum founded by Swedish professor and anti-bullying expert Dan Olweus.

She founded the student-led club Kindness Crusaders.

The crusaders meet each week during lunchtime to brainstorm fun, innovative ways to spread kindness through the entire school. The club decorates lockers, writes inspirational Tweets, and hangs up paper chains made out of links with acts of kindness written on each one. At the end of the year, all the chains will be joined to make a single "chain of kindness."

They're also working on a Relay for Kindness event, at which students pass batons around and place their names inside. At the end of the event, the names of three will be picked out of the batons and those students will be invited to be principal for the day.

Tarife answered a few questions about the club.

Q. Why did you start the Kindness Crusaders?

A. Our current anti-bullying program, Olweus, hosts monthly classroom meetings and discussions focused on empathy and how not to be a bystander. I knew that students would relish the chance to put their ideas from Olweus meetings into action so I decided to begin the Kindness Crusaders. The students brainstormed and voted on the club's name. They created and voted upon the club's emblem, the motto, the meeting days, the club's short-term and long-term projects. Everything was decided upon by the students and that's still the way it is.

Q. Who is in the club?

A. In the first few weeks, the meetings were only attended by my students during our bi-weekly lunchtime meetings. After a few months, many eighth graders from other teams started attending.

Q. What are some of the activities that the Kindness Crusaders have done?

A. The Crusaders surreptitiously slip little complimentary notes into all 1,100 lockers around the school with "Kindness Matters! Pass It On!" written on the back. Students keep these notes until they see someone who might benefit from a smile; and then pass them on. We also hang long banners in high-traffic hallways where students are encouraged to say something nice. The Kindness Crusaders also write anonymous notes to various staff members and deliver them to their mailboxes. Adults need kindness, too.

Q. How did you go about starting the Kindness Crusaders?

A. Last fall, I asked my principal, Brian Fox, for permission to start a club that encourages kindness in Suffern Middle School. Mr. Fox graciously and quickly said yes. So, it officially began in November of 2013.

Q. What do you hope the Kindness Crusaders accomplish in the future?

A. By focusing on spreading kindness and happiness throughout the school, I hope that Suffern Middle School becomes a community where all students are embraced by others, not judged. Also, I hope that kind words and sincerity resonate through the hallways. It may sound overly utopian, but it's possible.

Follow the Kindness Crusaders on Twitter: @KindCrusaders