Acts of Kindness
How can we make our school a kinder place?
How can we make the world a kinder place?
How can we make the world a kinder place?
All human beings have a natural capacity for kindness. It is an essential aspect of civilized human life. It belongs in every home, school, neighborhood, and society. At our school, we believe in supporting our children to be socially responsible human beings that can contribute positively to the world around them. Therefore, the teaching of kindness is as important as teaching the more academic subjects.
The mission of Dunkirk Primary’s ‘Acts of Kindness’ programme is to teach the importance of kindness and to nurture the innate kindness within us all, inspiring the whole school community to be more kind within their everyday lives.
Scientific studies prove that kindness has many physical, emotional, and mental health benefits. Many studies show that being kind helps children to become healthy, happy, well-rounded individuals. Below is a brief summary of some of the benefits of practicing kindness.
It helps to create happy, caring children
Supports children to make and sustain strong friendships.
It provides children with a greater sense of belonging
Practicing kindness improves self-esteem and inner confidence
Improved health and less stress
Increases feelings of gratitude and appreciation
Better concentration and focus
Reduced anxiety and depression
It helps to reduce bullying within the school community.
Supports children to make and sustain strong friendships.
It provides children with a greater sense of belonging
Practicing kindness improves self-esteem and inner confidence
Improved health and less stress
Increases feelings of gratitude and appreciation
Better concentration and focus
Reduced anxiety and depression
It helps to reduce bullying within the school community.
Our Acts of Kindness project includes a program of events that happens throughout the year, including staff training, ongoing explorations of kindness within class and bigger scale projects that inspire children to take kindness into the wider community. Keep checking this page for the latest news!
Latest 'Acts of Kindness' news....
Acts of Kindness Happening Day
'Safe spaces'
Happening days are 'surprise' creative learning days for the students, usually planned and delivered by the school's resident artists, working in collaboration with the teaching staff. Each happening day is very different but these carefully planned days aim to be thought provoking days that are full of unexpected events that challenge and stimulate the imagination, encourage in depth explorations and develop creative thinking skills.The school's latest Happening day this term was inspired by the Acts of Kindness project....
Children arrived in school to be presented by an unusual assembly. As they entered the hall, images of refugee situations were projected on a screen. As they watched this film, three characters entered into the hall, carrying their belongings with them in small suitcases or boxes. These characters watched the film silently too and once the film finished, these 'lost' characters presented a story which showed two girls and their mother being forced to leave their home because 'Something has happened....'
Pupils were asked to imagine that the school was to become a 'safe space' and a place of refuge for these characters. It was their responsibility to reflect upon the needs that these 'lost people' have and how the school community can work together to look after them. The whole day was devoted to children having time to act upon their thoughts and reflections about care and kindness, putting into action their ideas of how to show kindness to people in vulnerable refugee situations. Children's ideas included making welcome banners, designing blankets of kindness, writing positive poems and lullabies about care and compassion, creating mini safe spaces and exploring kindness through movement, trust exercises and drama.
Children arrived in school to be presented by an unusual assembly. As they entered the hall, images of refugee situations were projected on a screen. As they watched this film, three characters entered into the hall, carrying their belongings with them in small suitcases or boxes. These characters watched the film silently too and once the film finished, these 'lost' characters presented a story which showed two girls and their mother being forced to leave their home because 'Something has happened....'
Pupils were asked to imagine that the school was to become a 'safe space' and a place of refuge for these characters. It was their responsibility to reflect upon the needs that these 'lost people' have and how the school community can work together to look after them. The whole day was devoted to children having time to act upon their thoughts and reflections about care and kindness, putting into action their ideas of how to show kindness to people in vulnerable refugee situations. Children's ideas included making welcome banners, designing blankets of kindness, writing positive poems and lullabies about care and compassion, creating mini safe spaces and exploring kindness through movement, trust exercises and drama.