Blog Posts by Nadine Kalinauskas

Bob Sampson, principal of Bellingham Christian School, declared Friday a "sun day" (Screen grab)This story is for the students (and former students) who believe that good weather should be good enough reason to cancel classes for the day.

In Bellingham, Washington, it is.

Bob Sampson, principal of Bellingham Christian School, declared Friday a "sun day" and gave his 205 students the day off:

"SCHOOL CANCELLED DUE TO GREAT WEATHER! WAHOOO!" the school's website announced.

In an area that rarely sees a full day of sunshine, the unconventional decision to let kids enjoy the great weather is something he did once before, two years ago.

"It's just a day to create some anticipation, some joy," Sampson told the Los Angeles Times.

He added that because the school didn't use any of its snow days this year, the "sun day" was used instead.

"Kids just love the anticipation of sitting around see if school is cancelled when it snows," Sampson told the Associated Press. "You know, we haven't had any snow days, so I thought 'how fun would it be to create that anticipation for kids when it's nice out?'"

On Saturday, the Mikinduri Children of Hope Foundation held its annual yard sale at the Charlottetown Civic Centre.

The charitable organization raised thousands of dollars to help improve the living conditions in Mikinduri, Kenya.

"Rough math, we're feeding something like 50,000 meals from this exercise," Ted Grant, the foundation's chief organizer, told CBC News. "I used to think that poverty was not having any money. Having been to Kenya now 18 times, I no longer believe that. My definition of poverty now is not having any options."

Founder Makena Ambassa was born near Mikinduri and moved to PEI more than a decade ago. She launched the foundation to help her impoverished hometown with food, infrastructure and health care.

Ambassa recently returned to Mikinduri with her daughter to see how her Canadian friends have helped the remote village.

"I cried all the time to see what the foundation has done, things that I had never seen before — the cookhouses, the schools, renovations, the water —

Start off your week on a high note: good Samaritans making the world a better place.

Two weeks ago, ArkadiYM93 uploaded a compilation video to YouTube containing footage from Russian dash cams. Instead of featuring what is often expected from these videos — random gunfire, corrupt traffic police, road accidents, and trucks spilling cows — this one celebrates the random acts of kindness that occur every day.

Watch the heartwarming moments below.

"The one with the child helping the elderly woman across the street made me lose it. What a heartwarming video," viewer biganakhanhda wrote.

"'Two men looked thru prison bars / One saw mud, the other saw stars.' You find what you are looking for in this world," poetic YouTube user Thelastminstrel added.

Have you witnessed any good deeds lately?

Maddie and Jon. Facebook photoA high school senior identified only as Maddie for her sweet gesture at a prom.

She asked Jon, a junior with autism, to be her date.

Jon's father, Mike Larson, tells the story on Facebook:

"About a month ago, Maddie, a senior, came to my office (I’m a teacher at their school) and asked if Jon’s mom and I would allow her to take him to prom. Maddie had gotten to know Jon through a school club that promotes friendships between special needs kids and regular kids. 'He's a junior,' she explained, 'so it's his prom too. I just think he should have the chance to go.' I told her we would be honoured to have him go with her," Larson wrote.

Maddie didn't just ask Jon to go to the prom with her, she made sure to include details to make it extra-special for him.

"During the next couple weeks, she asked what his favourite colour was (orange) so she could get a dress in that colour. She also made reservations for their group (they doubled with another couple) at a restaurant that served his favourite

Dion Phaneuf and the Toronto Maple Leafs made the playoffs extra-special for one young fan.Just in time for Saturday night's game: a heartwarming, good-news story about the Leafs.

Toronto's professional hockey team has made this playoff season extra-special for one young fan.

Little Jack Monto was born with severe “positional plagiocephaly,” a superficial condition that left his head misshapen: his jaw was pushed to one side, his eyes were crooked.

To correct his head's shape, Jack wore a $2,000 all-white helmet for four months.

"His head is still a little bit oddly-shaped but compared to what it was, it's a huge difference," Jack's father, Don Monto, told the Toronto Sun.

"On a whim," Jack's parents, Monto and Jessica Somerville, wrote to the Toronto Maple Leafs' captain Dion Phaneuf and asked if he would consider signing their son's medically-required helmet.

[ More Good News: Video: Ducklings conquer their fear of heights ]

"His vocabulary is filled with hockey terms," Monto said of the young hockey fan, adding that Jack treats everything as a hockey puck and gets frustrated

Better than a fire detector: Man's best friend.Early Wednesday morning in the village of Atlas, Pennsylvania, a Cocker Spaniel named Oz nudged his owner awake. The house next door was on fire.

Randy Merlo now credits his 12-year-old dog with saving his life.

Oz woke Merlo as flames spread though the vacant house next door.

"He was nudging me, and I smelled smoke and we left," Merlo told WNEP-TV. "Saved my life, yes, he probably did."

The fire eventually spread to Merlo's home, causing fire, smoke and water damage. Merlo is staying with a friend until he can return home.

"This is a nightmare. All my windows are knocked out, but I guess the firemen had to do that. I appreciate all their help and I'm glad my dog and myself got out safely," he told News Item.

Firefighters are investigating the cause of the "suspicious" fire.

[ More Good News: Video: Ducklings conquer their fear of heights ]

In case of fire, it's handy to have a dog.

Earlier this year in Oklahoma, a Pit Bull Terrier pounced on her sleeping owners to alert them to a fire. While

Ducklings are good at many things: delivering the mail, hanging out at the pub, and crossing busy highways.

They're not so skilled, however, at jumping down steep steps, as is evidenced in a cute video posted on YouTube.

"In front of the library at UMBC [University of Maryland Baltmore County], the mother forced those little guys to jump down 3 giant steps, it took like 5 minuets to go down each one," wrote YouTube user Faisal Mahmood.

Watch the adorable duckling overcome their fear of heights below.

"I see the potential for a Disney movie here...It will be called A Ducks Life," one YouTube viewer commented.

We've heard it before: the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.

In "Omelette," CalArts student Madeline Sharafian's second-year film, a clever little dog looks after his depressed and exhausted owner by making sure he's well-fed.

"I wanted to make something that focuses on how meaningful it is to make food for someone you love. My family's lives practically revolve around cooking for each other, so it's a theme that I'm deeply attached to. I hope you enjoy it!" she writes.

Watch her heartwarming hand-drawn animated short below.

"Perfect video to start the day on," Sam Morrill writes on Vimeo.

"Vimeo has a like button, but it really needs a Love button. This was adorable! Wonderful storytelling at a great pace. Everything felt very carefully thought through, and lovingly crafted. Thank you for this!" adds viewer Steve Tsuida.