Osoyoos Elementary School students bring a “chain of kindness” down from the bleachers to circle their fellow students at a wrap-up rally for the school’s 21 Days of Kindness. (Richard McGuire photo)
The gymnasium at the Sonora Community Centre was packed with students and staff last Thursday as Osoyoos Elementary School held a wrap-up event for their 21 Days of Kindness campaign.
Since Jan. 6, students and staff at the school have been making a special effort to do good deeds, which have been recorded on “kindness slips.” In total, 1,681 slips were collected over the 21-day period.
“It takes 21 days to form a habit, so we want kindness to be a habit,” said Principal Dave Foster.
The initiative ties in with the school’s heart-mind component of social-emotional learning, he said.
“Kids are trying to catch other students doing kind acts around the school,” he said.
When they did, kindness slips were read on the announcements along with kindness quotes.
“It could be as simple as if somebody drops a book, picking it up for them, holding the door, bringing a chair for someone else,” said Foster. “Just random things that kids probably do on a regular basis, but now we’re actually looking for them. We want to recognize those kind acts.”
At Thursday’s school rally, the students heard speeches, saw a slide show and a group of them paraded around the gym carrying a paper “chain of kindness” to encircle their peers.
And they enjoyed a lunch of beans on buns with salad, kindly donated by Watermark Beach Resort and served by volunteers from the Osoyoos Coyotes.
The parent advisory council also played an active role in the initiative.
Does the kindness campaign change students’ behaviour? Foster thinks it does.
“I truly do,” he said. “It changes behaviour because recognizing it can cause kids to want to do it more. If you want to do it more, it’s going to be hopefully entrenched in their daily lives.”
And he believes it will have a lasting effect with the children growing up to be compassionate adults.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
Members of the Osoyoos Coyotes served lunch to Osoyoos Elementary School students last Thursday at the conclusion of 21 Days of Kindness. From left are Evan Della-Paolera, Austin Cleaver, Jackson Glimpel and Adam Jones, while more team members are behind them. The lunch was donated by Watermark Beach Resort. During 21 Days of Kindness, students and staff draw attention to good deeds and acts of kindness in the hopes that the behaviour practised over the 21 days will be habit forming. (Richard McGuire photo)
Students draw with crayons on pink paper table coverings at a school rally to conclude 21 Days of Kindness. The pink symbolizes anti-bullying. From left are Riya Sandhu, Anshnoon Mann and Riya Brar. (Richard McGuire photo)
Principal Dave Foster addresses students during the final day of 21 Days of Kindness (Richard McGuire photo)
Students bring a “chain of kindness” down from the bleachers to circle their fellow students. Pictured in the foreground are Jeremy Collier and Brayden Aldridge. (Richard McGuire photo)
The gym at the Sonora Community Centre was packed for a lunch and rally to conclude 21 Days of Kindness at Osoyoos Elementary School last Thursday. (Richard McGuire photo)
