“A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees.” – Amelia Earhart
The world can feel a little heavy these days and often times a small act of kindness can lighten our load and remind us to spread the kindness we have received.
At St Peter’s Woodlands, kindness is celebrated and features as a central theme to how we learn to treat one another. Across the school children from all year levels explore kindness throughout their various subjects, recently children from the early years have been learning how to spread kindness.
Spreading Kindness Inspired by Literature
In the ELC the Pre-School children from the Moseley Room have been engaging with the story ‘My Kind’ by Eddie Betts.
The book explores the idea of spreading kindness and treating everyone equally. The children have declared themselves as ‘Eddie’s little homies’ and will repeat this quote from the book: “Kindness is the key, it’s the only way.”
The children have been encouraged to critically think about the message the story is conveying and how they can apply it to their lives. They were asked to think about the ways they spread kindness in the classroom. These were some of their ideas:
The children took it a step further to try and think of some ways they could spread kindness beyond the classroom. After brainstorming a few ideas, the class decided to write little notes of kindness on some cut out love hearts.
Once the hearts were decorated the children roamed the school with the educators and handed them out to staff. The notes and the children’s big bright smiles certainly did bring some joy amongst the staff.
Exploring Kindness during Chapel
Recently the Reception to Year 2 Chapel service discussed the idea of kindness at Chapel. Reverend Andrew Mintern provided the children with an analogy explaining how, just like a cold is contagious, so too is kindness – if we show kindness it is likely to rub off onto others and they will be kind too.
Using stories from the Bible and another one from Greek writer Aesop, the children explored how, “no act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted.” The children were encouraged to think about how small acts of kindness can make a big difference and the ways in which they can practice this in their everyday lives.
To finish off the Chapel service some new students to SPW were invited to share with the group an act of kindness they had been shown since starting. The students showed great courage and shared some examples such as being invited to play, being shown around the grounds and made to feel welcome.
Be Kind Awards
At SPW we like to recognise and acknowledge the students who have shown acts of kindness to their peers in the form of a Be Kind Award.
Thank you to Heidi Kerr, Kate Hodgkison and Rev’d Andrew Mintern for contributing to this article.