OKEECHOBEE — Okeechobee Christian Academy celebrates Kindness  Week twice each school year. Principal Melissa King said she wants the school to focus more on the positive than on the negative. Rather than holding an anti-bullying campaign, they teach the children new and different ways to show kindness to others.

The main theme running throughout the weeks is kindness, but each day has its own underlying theme, and on each day, they find some way to support a local ministry such as the Pregnancy Center, Big Lake Mission or One Blood.

This year, the themes are: Keeping Kindness in Your Heart, Casting for Kindness, YeeHaw for Kindness, Let Kindness be Bright and Proud to be a Kind American.

On Monday, the children were encouraged to wear red, pink or hearts and to bring in monetary donations to help local heart hero Gabe Sherrer who is in the hospital now waiting for a heart transplant.

Tuesday, the kids were casting for kindness as they wore fishing attire and brought in jars of peanut butter to donate to Big Lake Mission.

On  Wednesday, the students wore their favorite cowboy garb and brought in money to donate to Gethsemane Ranch.

On Thursday, they are encouraged to wear bright or neon colors and to bring in diapers or baby wipes to donate to the Pregnancy Center.

Friday's theme calls for red, white and blue clothing and monetary donations to Wreaths Across America.

If you would like to donate to any of these causes, please see your favorite student, and they will take it in for you.