A School Has Replaced Homework With Acts Of Kindness All Through December
Positive attitude it’s what makes us people more connected to each other and it teaches us to appreciate our lives more. However, in today’s society, some things aren’t “going” in the right direction.
This time around Christmas brings families together and awakens feelings like love, joy, and we become more kind and grateful. It is the perfect time to help someone in need, therefore putting up a smile on someone’s face.
It’s not too hard to make someone happy: all you have to do is to spread the holiday spirit and take courage to make a significant change. As an example, students of an Irish school, Gaelscoil Mhíchíl Uí Choileáin, will do something unique to spread happiness around the holidays.
Instead of writing homework, throughout the whole of December, students are asked to spread kindness to the community and their relatives. While they carry out happiness, their parents will have to sing a “Kindness Diary”, or in Irish, “Dialann Cineáltais”.
This idea became a reality three years ago. Every year students have a different task to practice. The students practiced gratitude last year that was documented in a “Gratitude Diaries”, or so-called “Dialann Buíochais” in Irish.
The kinds are given acts of kindness to be chosen along with a schedule, like a reminder they can use for further actions.
For each day, the pupils have a task to achieve: on Mondays, they need to send a Christmas card, visit, or phone a lonely elderly person or a relative. They can help with chores or around the household on Tuesdays. The next day, they should try to make someone’s day brighter, and on Thursdays, kids should make themselves happy by doing something they love.
Fridays are reserved for encouragement and boosting their self-esteem while reading the generous observations dropped in a “Buicéad Cineáltais” or “Kindness bucket”.
Parents are amazed by this idea and embrace it.
“We are encouraging our pupils to think of the real spirit of Christmas, the spirit of kindness & giving. Our message is simple: they can be the reason somebody smiles today & they can help make this world a better place for others & for themselves." 🙏🏼 https://t.co/ujbI4Q2xIK
— Jacqueline de Rojas CBE (@JdR_Tech) December 8, 2019
Íde Ní Mhuirí, the Vice-Principal said:
“We are encouraging our pupils to think of the real spirit of Christmas, the spirit of kindness and giving. With such an emphasis on the materialistic and commercial aspect of Christmas, we often tend to overlook what it’s really all about… Goodwill!
Unfortunately, not everyone is in a position to be able to enjoy Christmas, some are lonely, some are sad, some might yearn for what they do not have and some might simply not enjoy the festivities. But there is nobody in this world who wouldn’t benefit from an act of kindness, and the joy of kindness is that it costs nothing.
Our message to the children is very simple: they can be the reason somebody smiles today and they can definitely help make this world a better place for others and for themselves.”
this is such a lovely idea – and so much learning that can be imparted thro' this.
Irish school replaces homework with acts of kindness: "Be the reason somebody smiles today"https://t.co/vb7APctU2M— Harini Calamur (@Calamur@mastodon.social) (@calamur) December 10, 2019
But the school doesn’t stop here: they have another project as a class called “Gníomh Cineáltais Ranga” or “Class Kindness Act”. Its idea is to think of a unique way to support the community.
Additionally, they have more projects throughout the entire school year. For example, students are obligated to spend more quality time with the family instead of doing homework each June. They should spend the time playing games together, take regular walks and hang out as much as they can. All these activities are written in a special book too.
Sources: