SALISBURY — Overton Elementary School students were greeted Monday morning with high-fives, fist bumps and words of encouragement from Salisbury law officers, firefighters, government leaders and educators.

The students walked through a tunnel of balloons in what kicked off a week of kindness-themed activity. Each day, students will be challenged to go out of their way to show someone kindness.

The students will collect canned goods for Rowan Helping Ministries, play a game of Kindness Kickball, and paint kindness rocks, some of which they’ll leave in areas in town for others to find. The rocks will have encouraging messages on them.

Students will participate in other activities this week including writing kindness notes to others during the Recess Kindness Station.

School counselor Rosemary Wood said the goal is to spread kindness not only within the school but within the community.

The activities are ideas that stem from a national Kindness Challenge movement. This is the second year the school has participated in the project. It’s also a way to promote anti-bullying and acceptance of one another, Wood said.

“It’s been a very positive thing for our school,” she said.

Rowan-Salisbury Schools Superintendent Lynn Moody also took part in greeting students at the kindness tunnel.