Every year Kearsley teachers decorate their doors/hallways with the help of students, to spread the Christmas spirit. And this year is no different.

One exception to the normal spirited theme is Mr. Andy Nester’s Christmas-themed door designed around giving and receiving a compliment.

Nester’s Christmas door focuses on the act of kindness. The door is filling with compliments that students have written and posted on the door for other student, teachers, and administrators.

Nester, government teacher, explained negativity tends to bring down others.

“I like to give sincere compliments,” he said. ” I write them to my own children all the time. I leave them in their room. I stick them in my wife’s lunch box. I also like to receive them, something that is unique to the person.”

Inspiration for the door came from a YouTube video Nester saw about kindness. He said he shares these videos with his own children.

Nester encourages students to write as many compliments as they want, to whomever they want.

“Just taking the time to honor people who inspire you or that make you want to be a better student,” Nester said.

Senior Camille Clarambeau was one of many who left a note posted on Nester’s door.

“I loved his idea. He found a way to let the students take part and he brought such a positive energy into the school,” Clarambeau said. “Reading all the notes brought a smile to my face.”

The idea behind the door is to stop the negativity throughout the school, create the positive to wear off the negative.

“I hear students walking down the hallways saying the ‘F bomb’ and not even caring that I am a teacher that can hear them,” Nester said.

Nester explained how school has changed and how behaviors are just “normal” now.

“I want lots of kids to leave a compliment, so it just keeps growing,” Nester said. “And then you have all these students pointing it out and stopping to read, so that you are affecting the culture and then it gets harder to spread the negativity.”

Senior Kassidy Krist was one the students who received a compliment. Hers was from Clarambeau.

“It made my whole day, and it made me feel good reading it knowing that Cami had taken the time to write out the compliment and had thought of me,” Krist said.

Nester discussed the idea of keeping the door going even after Christmas break. Leaving space for students to write more compliments.

Nester wants to challenge students to be the change, to care more about their own actions and make school a better place to come to everyday.