By Chris Crocker
Some days it seems like the world is full of gloom and doom. Heavy questions and decisions fill our day. Listen to any news report and the future looks dismal. With the weight of the world on our shoulders, we forget to look for the moments of joy and kindness!
Need a spirit lift? Let me give you a quick glimpse into Parish Day School. A school where kindness is taught, cultivated and encouraged!
Recycling
Ms. Salem & Ms. Gross love to take a trip with their class to empty their new recycling bin into the large recycling dumpster. Each classroom has a new recycling bin that they fill throughout the week . These were provided from the Keep Virginia Beautiful grant Parish Day School received this summer. This weekly field trip to the dumpster allows the children to empty it into the large recycling dumpster as needed. The children learn the earth is a precious gift from God and we are to care for it and all its creatures.
Clean Homes & Healthy Bodies
Ms. Jen & Ms. Brittany’s children collected donations and have hands full of items ready to carry to the pantry. For the Thanksgiving Season, Parish Day School has been collecting products to help families have "clean homes and healthy bodies." The children have been involved in each step of the process. One classroom sorted the items by category and several more classrooms carried them to the Eastern Shore's Chapel Pantry. The children also served as ambassadors reminding their families to donate as they walked by the containers of collections lining the hallway.
Sharing & Taking Turns
We captured a picture of Mrs. Scheib guiding a group of children as they seek to share and take turns. Developmentally, little ones are primarily centered on self and what benefits self. It’s hard to be a part of a classroom and interact with so many peers. It’s challenging to wait and/or share with a peer. Asking for a turn and waiting patiently is modeled and taught in the classrooms. While it doesn’t come naturally to our little ones, when practiced and given consistent loving guidance, it came be!
Kindness among Friends
In the pictures below friends are holding hands as they wait by the bathrooms. Other pictures highlights two friends sharing a ride on the bicycle and a friend sharing a crayon. Sharing a hand while talking, giving a friend a ride on the playground, or sharing crayons with friends are some more ways kindness is found at Parish Day School. These simple acts are innocent expressions of love to a friend who may need just a bit of encouragement. It warms our heart to see these moments happen throughout our school day and we celebrate with our children when they make these kindness choices on their own.
Dream with me for a minute, envision 15 years into the future. These seeds of kindness that were planted during the 2021 – 2022 school year have fully blossomed in the hearts of young adults. Young adults who are world changers sowing acts of kindness through all their interactions. How do we change our future? By planting the seeds of kindness in our children.
