This year we started a committee among the staff that promotes acts of kindness to help maintain a positive morale across the building. I knew that when we started this that I would like to get the kids involved in some way too. When they see me choosing to give to others selflessly and anonymously, it sparks them to think in a selfless way as well.
Last week our committee treated the staff to a refrigerator full or sodas to get them through the week. It seemed to be a huge hit!
With over 30 classroom teachers in the building, all very hard working (and very tired), you can imagine how quickly these sodas went!
Starting on Tuesday I talked with the kids about what an act of kindness is. I described it as giving to others to brighten their day. We chose a class from Kinder, First, Second, Third, and Fourth grade to "Boo". I found some great printables on Teachers Pay Teachers that we were able to use as we went and dropped off simple class gifts to the five classes we chose. The note explained to the class that they have been "Boo'ed", and encouraged them to "boo" another class in the building. They are supposed to hang the "We've Been Boo'ed" sign on their classroom door so that they do not get boo'ed again.
We gave cute Halloween pencils to grades 1-4.
The kids had so much fun leaving the surprises, knocking, and "fast walking" away to be sure the students and teacher did not see who boo'ed them.
By Friday we had been Boo'ed back (we were gifted delicious snacks for the afternoon) and we noticed that tons of other classes had been Boo'ed as well!
In other news: this past Friday was our first day to try Reading Buddies with Mrs. Hart's and Ms. Conner's Kindergarten classes. The kids were basically SHOCKED when I explained that THEY would be the BIG kids this time. It took a minute to digest that they are now the older role models, and the little ones would be looking up to them and their reading skills. It was precious how excited they were to meet their little buddies and I loved seeing the little "teachers" come out in them. All of the students, second graders and kindergartners, were actively engaged in our buddy reading session. We hope to get together every Friday for about 20 minutes to read together!
And to make Friday EXTRA SPECIAL, Mr. Durand finally got duck taped to the cafeteria wall during lunch time for all grade levels (that's about two hours he was stuck to that wall!). As the students entered the cafeteria for lunch on Friday they were able to place a piece of duck tape to make sure he was really good and stuck! He's a trooper!
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