By Kristy Short

In the spirit of the season, Creekside Elementary students reflect on the value of being nice

Ypsilanti, MI, December 11, 2012 – Michigan author and Operation Nice bully-prevention program developer, Kristy Short, Ed.D, today announced that Student Ambassadors of her Operation Nice Anti-bullying program dedicate their school Christmas tree to anti-bullying efforts. Students from Creekside Elementary deck out the school's Christmas tree with a "Spread the Nice!" theme—which is the Operation Nice program mantra.

"When a teacher sent me a photo of the fully decorated tree, it was so powerful,” said Short. “The kids, with the help of teachers, created a 'Spread the Nice' banner for the front, topped the tree with the program's mascot, the BE-BOT (anti-bullying mini-bot), and covered every branch with ornaments handmade by each student. Each ornament displays a unique message from a student on "How I Spread the Nice." It brought me to tears that the kids are so committed to the program and its 'be-kind-to-each-other' message  that they would dedicate the school's Christmas tree to further promote that message."

"Operation Nice has truly changed our school's culture! As teachers, we see it every day and keep hearing stories about how our kids are 'Spreading the Nice' inside and outside of school. I can say with all the confidence in the world that the entire faculty is so happy that Kristy chose our school to pilot her amazing anti-bullying program," stated Elizabeth Millington, Creekside Elementary Media Specialist and onsite Operation Nice program coordinator.

View Creekside's "Spread the Nice" Christmas tree from the Zanda Humphrey Operation Nice Facebook pageat http://www.facebook.com/pages/Zanda-Humphrey/145409805521574.

About Operation Nice®

Operation Nice (ON) is an anti-bullying prevention program for early education-aged children (K-5). Unlike other dry anti-bullying curriculum that relies solely on teachers toimplement and facilitate, Operation Nice is a visually engaging, literature-based program that calls on students to be equally active participants. Providing an engaging anti-bullying themed book, memorable characters, daily visual reminders (via Operation Nice printed materials), and relying on student involvement, children  are far more likely to adhere to the tenets of Operation Nice and “Spread the Nice” (the program's mantra) on a day-to-day basis. At the very core of Operation Nice is the ability to change the culture within a school. Operation Nice makes it cool to be nice (and very uncool to be a bully). Lead by mascot, Zanda Humphrey, the very coolest of fourth-grade scientists, students are engaged, excited, and loyal to the program from the start. Find out more at OperationNice.ORG.