Europe and Asia

Lithuania

Alizava secondary school, Kupiškis district, Lithuania

Theme 1. Grade 4

Theme 2. Grade 4. Teacher Danutė Miknevičienė

Grade 4 students visited Kupiškis lagoon. They did not only enjoy beautiful nature but also collected a lot of pinecones. 

Theme 3. Grade 4. Teacher Danutė Miknevičienė

Each of the fourth graders made an autumn rose and came to school with it. All these roses made a beautiful bouquet. Together with a big hug they presented this bouquet to their teacher demonstrating their gratitude for her hard daily work.

Theme 4. Grade 4. Teacher Danutė Miknevičienė

The fourth graders were asked to find and cut out lots of pictures of people from old newspapers and magazines. Then they glued these pictures on sheets of paper forming families. Later, the students presented ‘the families’ they created and discussed the concept of a family. What do all families need? They also discussed the role of grandparents in the family. They shared stories about their grandparents, how often they communicated with them, or what the grandparents taught them to do, or what they learned from the grandparents’ personal experiences. Finally, they spoke about how they could help their grandparents. 

Theme 5. Grade 4. Teacher Danutė Miknevičienė

The students created an art installation “Beautiful nature. What can we do?” We organized discussions. What can our country do to keep our forests, lakes, and rivers cleaner? What can the school do to save our environment? What can each student do? The answers were, do not litter! Collect and sort out garbage! Properly dispose electronics and used batteries! The students drew “I sort out garbage” pictures. The students read and analyzed the picture book “If you met a bear” by Martin Glaz Serup from Denmark and Malin Kivelä from Finland, (illustrator Lina Bondestam from Finland). In this witty book, the authors show children that there is no need to be afraid of wild animals, you need to know how to behave when you meet them and be friendly to them. 

Theme 6. Grade 4. Teacher Danutė Miknevičienė

The students got acquainted with the biography of the incredible Polish writer, doctor and educator Janusz Korczak. They were very impressed with this man’s endless love to children. In the name of children, he rescued his own life many times. The students got acquainted with Korczak’s book “King Matthew the First”. They read the excerpts from the book and watched the animation based on it. Then they drew characters from the book.

Theme 7. Grade 4. Teacher Danutė Miknevičienė

Who are refugees and how can we help them? Even the help of specialists was needed to clarify this concept. Initially, the students found out that refugees are people who, due to war, violence, torture, imprisonment, and killing are forced to flee their country for the safety of their children and themselves. In today’s world there are over 103 million refugees. The worst part is that half of the world’s refugees are children. Today, people are running away from Syria, Venezuela, Ukraine, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Russia, Tajikistan. Kupiškis’ district 4th and 6th Grade students of Alizawa School created wordless books for Issa Watanabe’s Migrants. 4th graders participated in an online meeting with an expert on wordless books and children literature IBBY Lithuanian branch chairman Inga Mitunevičiūta. The students learned about the library on the Italian island of Lampedusa, where the most wordless books in the world are kept. People fleeing evil come to this island by boat from Africa. There are many children and teenagers among them. To make children feel better, the adults came up with the idea of establishing a library of wordless books. Silent books help even the illiterate people communicate with others without knowing their languages, because the images are understood by everyone. The specialist told the students the story of the emergence of wordless books and showed very interesting examples of such books.

Theme 1. Grade 6. Teacher Danutė Miknevičienė

Theme 2. Grade 6. Teacher Danutė Miknevičienė

Theme 3. Grade 6. Teacher Danutė Miknevičienė

The school principal and the physical education teacher organized a fun trip for the sixth grade students –
a hike through the wonderful nature of the Anykščiai region. Students thanked the organizers and
hugged them.

Theme 4. Grade 6. Teacher Danutė Miknevičienė

6th grade students made fun collages for their sick classmates to wish them a speedy recovery and get back to school. Together with these greeting cards and collages, they took photos via messenger to send them to their sick friends who were very pleasantly surprised with this kind of care and attention. The students also took digital photos of their beloved grandparents and created informal photo frames during the activities. Then they pasted the printed photos of their grandparents into these frames. This way they congratulated their grandparents for their achievements in life.

Theme 5. Grade 6. Teacher Danutė Miknevičienė

6th grade students wrote poems about sorting out garbage. We organized the game. The students, who chose the most littered area, spent 15 minutes collecting their garbage bags. After taking them to the containers, they poured them out, then sorted them, and put them in the appropriate containers. 

Theme 6. Grade 6. Teacher Danutė Miknevičienė

The lesson “An Hour with Janusz Korczak” was held for 6th Grade students. They learned about this incredible Polish pedagogue, writer, doctor and public figure of Jewish origin; about his heroism in the Polish army where he served under his real name Henryk Goldszmit. This remarkable person died in 1942. together with his students in the Treblinka gas chambers. Korczak believed that every child has the right to love, respect, education, and care. Until today his philosophy keeps inspiring people all over the world. The students were very moved – some made portrait collages of this hero, others just drew. For many this will remain as a very important lesson learned.

The students also studied the interactive map of the history of Kupiškis region “Salamiesto – Alizavos edge”. After scanning the QR codes, they read outloud to their classmates about the heroes of their native land: a diplomat and lawyer Jonas Aukštuolais, a historian Bronių Dundulis, a teacher Juozas Vējelis, a military pilot, aviation captain, and a partisan leader Albinas Tinziulis, a doctor and publicist Gediminas Kaluinas, a museologist and local researcher Juoz Petrulis, an art critic and journalist Vidmantas Jankauskas, and a linguist and lexicographer Klementina Vosylytė.

Theme 7. Kindness Immersion with students from different grades. Teacher-librarian Danutė Miknevičienė

Theme 1. Grade 5. Teacher Gražina Kigaitė

Theme 2. Grade 5. Teacher Gražina Kigaitė

Theme 3. Grade 5. Teacher Gražina Kigaitė

The 5th and 6th graders remembered their hiking trip around the Anykščiai region. Divided into groups, they participated in “a battle of wits” on the topic, titled “Who knows the Anykščiai region best.” The students also discussed the topic of gratitude. In their opinion, gratitude can be expressed by giving a ‘sweet prize’ or a ‘real medal’ and saying some nice words. The students were involved into the activity of writing individual letters with thanks for this beautiful trip. The activity was accompanied by listening to beautiful music.

Theme 4. Grade 5. Teacher Gražina Kigaitė

The fifth graders discussed how important it was to remember and pay respect to those who perished long time ago. Then they visited the local cemetery and spoke with the cemetery employee who showed them the old graves of families of priests and landowners. The students stood in silence next to these graves and long neglected chapels. They lit candles and said a prayer.

Theme 5. Grade 5. Teacher Gražina Kigaitė

Theme 6. Grade 5. Teacher Gražina Kigaitė

The students were asked to find heroes in our small town, and they did. This is the Alizava fire brigade that employs 9 men. The students visited the fire station and learned that it was founded in 1964. They were shown a historical photo and a map depicting the territory served by the team. The students were also invited to sit in the fire truck and use the truck’s horn. They learned how to tie knots to rescue people from the upper floors of a burning house. They even tried on firemen’s boots. This visit helped them to understand that the firefighters are our today’s heroes.

Theme 7. Grade 5. Teacher Gražina Kigaitė

The students participated in a study about Ukraine, its history, nature, culture, and “vishivanka”. After that they decided to learn how to create Ukrainian ornaments. While drawing they talked about the refugees from Ukraine living in Kupiškis and they also listened to Ukrainian songs. The students decided to present their drawings to Ukrainian refugee children who are studying in the school in Kupiškis Povilas Matulionis.

Theme 1. Grade 10. Teacher Daiva Yukonė

Theme 2. Grade 10. Daiva Yukonė

This week, students participated in the celebration of the European Day of Languages, translating the text “Kindness is the strongest force, and a smile can move mountains” into different languages. The students’ works decorated the walls of the school. Since autumn is already in full blossom here, the days are darker and gloomier, the students came up with the idea of ​​looking for smiles and words of kindness in the outdoor spaces. They created words and smiles from natural materials, leaves, pinecones, or flowers, even two little people made of pebbles gave each other warmth in the form of a red heart. Even nature itself smiles at us with a rainbow. 

Theme 3. Kindness Immersion. Grade 10. Daiva Yukonė

This week, during the lessons, we talked about the manifestations of friendship and noticing others, and caring for others and their importance for a friend or loved one. Students shared their experiences. During the breaks, the 10th graders helped the elementary school students in different ways – they accompanied them to the classroom or the hall, etc. They also paid great attention to showing sympathy while greeting others. It happened so that the students were also friendly and gentle with their pets!

Theme 4. Kindness Immersion. Grade 10. Daiva Yukonė

Theme 5. Kindness Immersion. Grade 10. Daiva Yukonė

Theme 6. Kindness Immersion. Grade 10. Daiva Yukonė

First, the students and I engaged in a discussion about the fact that some people are admired worldwide and considered heroes, such as Christopher Reeve, Mother Teresa or our own ancestors, grandparents, family members. We clarified the meaning of the term ‘hero’ in the prepared sample slides. The students said that a hero is a person who is admired for his/her bravery, extraordinary achievements or valued qualities and the values that this person exudes. Then, we decided to find photos of grandparents at home, bring them to school and share memories about them. This would demonstrate how important, precious, and irreplaceable they are to us. This last part caused a lot of positive emotions and warm memories of childhood spent with grandparents, the most delicious pancakes baked by grandmothers and stories from their service in the army from grandfathers. Remembering their ancestors, the students decided to choose and write short articles about heroes. Then they presented these stories in class, explaining why their chosen person is a ‘hero’. Among them was a woman fighting for the freedom of her country; an athlete who donates a lot to charities for sick children; an actor who did not leave a woman who was hit by the car on the street, a Ukrainian president who is fighting together with his soldiers for the people and freedom of his country, and the sister of a student who works as a police officer, and some other people. All of this helped spreading the message – kindness generates more kindness, and it should be shared. After the presentations were done, the students concluded that each of us, every day, should take small steps of kindness which would make the world a better place to live.

Theme 7. Kindness Immersion. Grade 10. Daiva Yukonė

The subject was not easy. The students and the teacher discussed the topic in many different ways during a number of lessons. They spoke about the meaning of the key concepts suggested in the Curricula Materials and also about possible ways of helping and supporting people in crisis. The teacher suggested to read an article about the situation in Ukraine and watch a few videos on YouTube about the problems of war refugees and in principle, about the feelings of people in such desperate and difficult life situations. The discussion deeply touched the students. They kept wondering of the choice of words to use for refugees to feel their care and support. The students discussed key words and their importance in everyday situations, provided examples and shared their own experiences. After reviewing the Kindness project entry “Ribbons for Ukraine”, the students decided to put together their own poster in support of Ukraine with kind words and a strong message of encouragement and sympathy.

Theme 1. Grade 1. Teacher Birutė Kairienė

Theme 2. Grade 1. Teacher Birutė Kairienė

For Grade 1 students the world is primarily the world of nature full of inexhaustible beauty. This week the students visited the Anykščių district and inspected the place where the giant Puntuk stone lies, near the Šventoji river, in the Anykščių šileli landscape reserve. They admired the banks of the Holy River. They marveled Elme’s six-trunked oak. They “housed” the cow in the niche designated for the class, collected information about it, and depicted it with different means of expression. Students observed the beauty of nature in their home environment as well. While creating, observing the environment and diverse objects, the students felt elated and learned how to better understand the beauty of nature. They feel so proud of their contribution to the creation of beauty.

Theme 3. Grade 1. Teacher Birutė Kairienė

Theme 4. Grade 1. Teacher Birutė Kairienė

This week the students were invited to talk about the people who are very dear to them – their grandparents. These are the people who are part of almost every family and who take care of their grandchildren daily. While addressing their grandparents, the students used phrases like this, “You took care of us for many years, we remember the warmth of your hands; you taught us the truths of life, while spreading your tenderness, kindness, care, and love around the house.” Apparently, the first graders could tell a lot about their grandparents. During the class the students drew pictures and created portraits of their grandparents. At home they spoke with them about their hobbies and favorite foods. As a result, they learned that many grandfathers liked to gather mushrooms in the nearby forest and go fishing, while the grandmothers prefer taking care of the flowers in their gardens. Like grandchildren, grandparents love eating pancakes, mashed potatoes, and soup. The most welcomed guests in their houses, if they live by themselves, are their grandchildren. Grandchildren wish their grandparents health, peace, and joy. They send them their love and ask for forgiveness for not visiting them on a regular basis.

Theme 5. Grade 1. Teacher Birutė Kairienė

The students spoke about the Earth being our home. They also discussed our homeland, Lithuania. We are lucky of being able to walk along the sandy beaches, enjoy the boundless horizon of the sea, watch beautiful sunrise and sunset every day. From an early age, children learn that it is up to us to decide what kind of land we will preserve for ourselves. During classes everyone said that it is very important not to litter, not to break tree branches, not to destroy birds’ nests, and to behave responsibly while being in the forest. We also talked about the importance of water for our Earth. The students drew water droplets, showing the importance of water for people, trees, seeds, fish, and animals. First graders actively joined the “We sort” project and figured out how to sort things. Every student has a pet. We talked in class about stray animals that are left behind by their owners. We all hope that there will be fewer abandoned puppies and kittens in the future. During the lesson, the students drew their pets. They realized that we are all stewards of our Earth and should take care of our planet. What are we without it? 

Theme 6. Grade 1. Teacher Birutė Kairienė

History speaks for itself.  Everyone in the Kupiškis district knows about Adam, who founded the museum in Uoginiai village Petrauska. He was a person who was always working. He started looking for interesting trees and stones, and in his hands, they received a new life, turned into wonderful animals and fairytale characters. He also collected other things. Gradually, all his exhibits made into a beautiful museum where everything speaks to your heart and mind. The Adams Petrauskas Museum consists of a complex of buildings. The exhibits show how our ancestors lived, what hardships they had to go through. Visitors are always delighted with old household elements, and the stories on the posters; huge, rusted by the years chains, weaponry, books, and old photographs. Adams Petrauskas was able to use his simplicity and sincerity to appeal to every visitor. The museum is visited not only by schoolchildren and teachers from Kupiškis district, but also by guests from other countries. Everyone remembers the words of Adam Petrauskas that the history of the nation does not end with every new generation. By visiting the museum, first graders enriched their knowledge about Lithuania’s past. On their way back from the museum, the children stopped at the monument to those who died in the village of Stuburai in memory of the WWII guerrillas. The monument is of quite impressive size. On the memorial board one can read all names of the fallen heroes. This monument preserves our historical memory and visiting it inspired children to learn more.  

Theme 7. Grade 1. Teacher Birutė Kairienė

First graders participated in the drawing competition, “Sun and World Peace for children” and sent their drawings to Ukraine. During a few Lithuanian language classes, the students read and studied Ukrainian folk songs and a fairy tale, “How the animals ran away from winter.” The morale of this story is that only together a bear, a wolf and a fox managed to defeat the beasts. The students discussed it and concluded that the same is true about Ukraine – only being united in their fight against the enemies, they are strong and able to keep pushing the Russian aggressors out of their homeland. The students also drew illustrations for the story. In principle, the students have been talking about Ukraine a lot and discussing concepts of friendship, sympathy, and care.

Croatia

Theme 1. Teacher Jasenka Tisucki, School “August Cesarec,” Ivankovo

Theme 2. Teacher Jasenka Tisucki

Theme 3. Teacher Jasenka Tisucki

Theme 5. Teacher Jasenka Tisucki

Theme 6. Kindness Boost. Teacher Jasenka Tisucki

Theme 1. Cheering-up or Entertaining Others. Grade 5A, III. Osnovna Škola, Varaždin

Theme 2. Grade 5. III. Osnovna Škola, Varaždin

Theme 3. Kindness Immersion. Grade 5. III. Osnovna Škola, Varaždin

The students watched two videos – Aloha from Hawaii and Free hugs from Portugal. Then they discussed the differences between Portugal, Hawaii, and Croatia. They noticed that people looked different, and that in Portugal they are more dark-skinned, while in Hawaii they have a different eye shape. The students also mentioned that their school was not next to the beach. However, they all noticed that people looked happy when they hugged each other and when they were given a small sign of attention like an Aloha clay mug.

As a result, they decided to start practicing and using hugs in front of the school. It felt great. It was practically the same when they smiled at strangers on the street and greeted them.

Theme 4. Kindness Immersion. Grade 5. III. Osnovna Škola, Varaždin

The students wrote heartfelt letters and created cards to their grandparents, drew nice pictures, and then visited their beloved grandmothers and grandfathers to present these gifts to them. They took photos together. Everyone was very happy.

Theme 5. Kindness Immersion. Grade 5. III. Osnovna Škola, Varaždin

The students together with their teacher Marina Balažinec, who is also a biology and chemistry teacher, monitor the life cycle of the linden tree throughout the year to see how different temperatures affect it. They also raise awareness of the importance of trees in the environment.

Theme 6. Kindness Boost and Kindness Immersion. Grade 5. III. Osnovna Škola, Varaždin

To celebrate November 18 the students painted commemorative pebbles with the images from the city of Vukovar. They also created a special place to commemorate the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Homeland War and the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Vukovar and Škabrnja. Prior to this, the students did Kindness Boost where they put together a table with the photos and names of the people from our school who they consider school heroes. Through this activity, they made even more aware of the importance of these people and created a commemorative poster that will permanently stay in the school hallway.

Theme 7. Grade 5. III. Osnovna Škola, Varaždin

Theme 1. Kindness Boost. Grade 2. III. Osnovna Škola, Varaždin

Theme 2. Mini-Kindness Boost, Grades 2-3. III. Osnovna Škola, Varaždin. Coordinator Valentina Habunek Mrazović

Theme 2. Super Kindness Boost. Grade 2. III. Osnovna Škola, Varaždin

The students watched a recommended video where the girl Tanishi was signing and dancing. They were closely looking at Tanishi’s clothes and skin color, noticing similarities. On the globe they showed India, and then one student said that it is in Asia and that many people live there. When watching the video for the first time, the students were very quiet. They liked the song, and translated it into Croatian. Gradually, with music and movement, they happily imitated Tanisha’s movement and joined her. Three students did not want to get involved right away. A girl who was new to the class said she was too shy to dance, but later on she joined in too. We did a similar activity listening to the composition by C. Saint-Saens, Tortoise. The composition is slow and encourages the expression of slow movements, and gradually all students surrendered to the music. They shared their feelings of satisfaction and beauty, although some were still a little embarrassed.

Next day we will repeat the activity with a discussion of the theme of relaxation and creation of beauty and kindness through observation of nature and the aesthetics of dancing. We will connect both activities and point out that the beauty of expression unites us and encourages kindness. Tanishi inspired us to be beautiful and kind, so we can inspire others. A possible idea is to rehearse this dance and encourage other school students to join us.

Theme 2. Kindness Immersion. Grade 2. III. Osnovna Škola, Varaždin

Theme 3. Kindness Boost. Grade 2. III. Osnovna Škola, Varaždin

Children prepared letters and drawings to the school staff expressing gratitude and appreciation of their work. After letters were delivered, many employees responded to our students saying that the latter brightened their day and that it was very meaningful for them. Our cleaner who helped distributing the drawings to the employees, sent photos of the drawings to a shared Viber group, which includes all school employees, and wrote that everyone from the school could see how they were shown kindness. It was really a very meaningful activity!

Theme 3. Kindness Immersion. Grade 2. III. Osnovna Škola, Varaždin

The students were very happy to see the Curricula Materials suggested videos – Free Hugs and ALOHA. They said that this was very nice, and that everyone must have felt good while doing this kind of activities. The students also mentioned that this could be done in any part of the world, and that kindness was universal. Then the students discussed what they could do, a type of a project that would make people around them feel happy. As a result, they decided to extend their kindness beyond the school to a nearby kindergarten. The idea was to bring the kindergarteners something that the students would make for them to celebrate International Day of Kindness on November 13. The kindergarten director was very happy to hear this and invited the students for a visit.

Theme 4. Kindness Boost. Grade 2. III. Osnovna Škola, Varaždin

Theme 2. Kindness Boost. Grade 3. III. Osnovna Škola, Varaždin

Theme 3. Super Kindness Boost. Grade 3. III. Osnovna Škola, Varaždin

Theme 4. Kindness Boost. Grades 2 and 3. III. Osnovna Škola, Varaždin

The students were motivated to discuss what they could do to help the elderly living in the neighborhood. They suggested that they would like to help carrying bags from the store, mowing grass, visiting them regularly, bringing fruit, and in principle, showing some small signs of attention. To start with, the students decided to draw pictures and write letters to their grandparents and elderly neighbors to show them their love and respect. Some of the students suggested that it would be a good idea to visit a senior living house and express their kindness that way as well. The teacher is now considering how to organize such a visit, and the students are preparing for it.

Theme 4. Kindness Immersion. Grades 2 and 3. III. Osnovna Škola, Varaždin

Last week, when the students were drawing and writing to their grandparents, they also expressed their wish to visit a local senior living house. The school contacted the house and they agreed to meet with the students. Now the children are working hard, making Christmas decorations and greeting cards. In the second half of December they will surprise the seniors with a visit and Christmas gifts. The administration of the senior living house is delighted with this idea and are looking forward to the visit. 

Theme 5. Kindness Boost. Grades 2 and 3. III. Osnovna Škola, Varaždin

Food waste was the focal point of our discussions this week. The students learned that excessive food waste is a global problem. In the world, an average of 74 kilograms of food is thrown away per inhabitant in a year, and in Croatia, it is 84 kilograms. We learned from our school chef that 60 kg of food is wasted in our school every day. The school pedagogue Valentina and the chef spoke with the students about this situation and discussed ways to reduce the waste. They decided to create a project to encourage everyone to eat more cooked food and not throw so much food in the trash. For this, students will be rewarded with a cake (the chef decided to reward them) and receive some special awards (cleaning, being polite to others, not throwing away food, etc.). This calendar year, the project will include Grades 1-4, and next year – Grades 5-8. Even in less than a week the chef already noticed a big change and the decrease in the food waste. That is how children demonstrate kindness to the environment. To also show care for the environment, the students planted some plants.

Theme 5. Kindness Immersion. Grade 2. III. Osnovna Škola, Varaždin

The students were asked to present their pets and make a short video with them. In the videos, they explained how they take care of their pets.


The students demonstrated their concern for the environment by collecting bottle caps for the Association of Leukemia and Lymphoma patients during the action “Donate lastic caps to expensive medicines.” They carried plastic bottle caps to school and then delivered them to the Association this week in order to finance expensive medicines by selling the bottle caps.

Theme 5. Kindness Immersion. Grades 2 and 3. III. Osnovna Škola, Varaždin

On the the International Day of Kindness, the students, teacher Marina Drvar-Trtinjak and pedagogue Valentina Habunek Mrazović visited a kindergarten to present the kids with colored stones which were painted by Grade 2B and 6B together. The stones were also prepared for all students and staff. We spread kindness in all areas.

Theme 6. Kindness Immersion. Grades 2 and 3. III. Osnovna Škola, Varaždin

The students paid tribute to the national heroes on November 18 which is celebrated as the national holiday – the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Homeland War and the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Vukovar and Škabrnja. On this occasion, teachers and students spoke about their national heroes and ways to keep their memories alive. For example, the students created a panel and lighted lanterns.

Theme 7. Kindness Immersion. Grade 2. III. Osnovna Škola, Varaždin

This week, the students were split into small group discussions about refugees from Ukraine and what they could do to help them. They wrote down the ideas and then decided to implement some of them. The students also talked about the people who became victims of the earthquake in Petrinja, Croatia (December 2020) and who are still suffering of its consequences. The students brainstormed the ideas on how to help them, especially school-aged children. The 2nd graders spent the last few weeks thinking about how to stand up for themselves in an assertive way. So they wrote messages to the principal, teachers, parents, the mayor, and the governor of the state, in which they emphasized what they would like to change and how to fight for themselves. As an example they discussed the situation of shortening the school break only for a certain group of students and how they would stand up for themselves. Students wrote down their suggestions and then presented them in front of the whole class. The emphasis was put on the concept of standing up for oneselves without hurting others – doing it in a kind way.

Today was extremely emotional. We went to visit our student Nikita and his family from Ukraine on the occasion of the Saint Nicholas holiday. Students collected school supplies, sweets and chocolates to cheer up their classmate, his brother and their two sisters. The students played nicely all together and decided to come again. Earlier, they collected hygiene items and food, and even bicycles for Nikita and his siblings. The students were happy to help in the spirit of kindness.

Partial use of the Curricula Materials

Koç School, Istanbul, Turkey

Theme 2. Teacher Davash Pillay, Kindergarten

Themes 2-3. Teacher Davash Pillay, Kindergarten

Themes 1 & 3. Kindness Boost. Sharing & Cheering-Up. Symbols of Kindness

Theme 3. Kindness Boost. Creating an Atmosphere of Kindness. Noticing Others.

Caring and Sharing. Kindness Boost. Grade 1

Theme 4. Kindness Boost. Grade 1

Italy

Themes 1-2. Age Range 9 years old. Educators Luisa Colapinto & Elena Albera, The Slowness Park, Savigliano, Cuneo

For the Kindness Mini-Boost children first discussed the meaning of kindness and how they understand it. Here are some of their responses. It is like a little rabbit or a hairy and soft kitty. Kindness is like a hot heart. It is like a teddy bear. Kindness serves to transmit happiness to others and to yourself. It helps to find new friends. Kindness is when you help the poor or someone who is in need. Kindness is like a great cloud that spreads happiness. Being kind helps to create good relationships with others. Kindness serves to maintain peace in the world. Kindness promotes a better conversation. Kindness is like a wonderful dream. Kindness is like a hot sun. Kindness is as gentle as a feather. Kindness is self-love and love for others. To be kind helps to cure anger and sadness. It helps to diminish the feeling of guilt. Kindness makes us happy and less lonely. To be kind provides satisfaction. Kindness helps to sustain a dialogue. To be kind helps to feel respected and to respect others. To be kind means taking care of yourself and of the world. Kindness leads to peace. If all the people in the world were kind, there would have been no wars. 

The group also discussed the question, what it means to be kind to yourself. Here are a few of the children’s responses: To be kind to yourself means to take a break. To be kind to yourself means looking at beautiful things (nature, paintings) and listening to birds’ singing, beautiful stories and poems. It means to have faith in yourself. To be kind to yourself means eating healthy. It means walking in nature. It means not to be judgemental. To be kind to yourself means to do things that make us feel good. It means taking care of yourself and taking time to relax. It means to take time to play. It means to respect and listen to your body. We can breathe fresh air being out in nature because we are Nature.

Themes 3-4. Age Range 4-10 years old. The Slowness Park, Savigliano, Cuneo 

Theme 5. Age Range 4-10 years old. The Slowness Park, Savigliano, Cuneo 

The Azores, Portugal

Theme 4. Kindness Boost, Super Kindness Boost and Kindness Immersion, Ages 3-10

This video shows how the students from the Dr. Francisco Machado Faria and Maia school in the Azores (Portugal) used Theme 4 with the concentration on full inclusion, caring and noticing others in the community as described in the Curricula Materials. They tried different devices used by the blind people. The students did Kindness Boost, Super Kindness Boost, and Kindness Immersion. Together with their teachers, the students worked on developing the understanding of others – the blind, empathy, and care towards such children in a true spirit of full inclusion. The school has 94 children, ages 3-10. The teachers involved in the project were: Março Vieira, Lúcia Meneses, Margarida Branco and Cristina Melo. Preschool teachers are Rita Bonança and Marlene Terra.

Theme 4. Kindness Boost, Super Kindness Boost and Kindness Immersion, Ages 3-10

This video shows how the students from the Dr. Francisco Machado Faria and Maia school in the Azores (Portugal) used Theme 4 with the concentration on full inclusion, caring and noticing others in the community as described in the Curricula Materials. They tried different devices used by the blind people. The students did Kindness Boost, Super Kindness Boost, and Kindness Immersion. Together with their teachers, the students worked on developing the understanding of others – the blind, empathy, and care towards such children in a true spirit of full inclusion. The school has 94 children, ages 3-10. The teachers involved in the project were: Março Vieira, Lúcia Meneses, Margarida Branco and Cristina Melo. Preschool teachers are Rita Bonança and Marlene Terra.

India

Grade 10, Kindness Boost. Delhi World Public School, Ludhiana

A short performance on kindness was presented by students of Grade 10 as a part of the morning assembly. Four students played the main characters: Balshan played the role of the narrator; Angeldeep – The Kind Lady; Neeraj – The Needy boy Harry, and Rubalpreet – Assistant. The play conveys the universal message of how to become kind and friendly toward others, and to always remember, ” No act of kindness is ever wasted.”