“IN a fast-paced day of creativity, calculating and problem solving, it does us all well at King’s Ely Acremont to reflect on our actions. Last term, the children noted in an assembly that not only should we stand by the tenets of energy, courage and integrity at King’s Ely, but we should also remember kindness.
“Kindness, they said, comes first. Kindness comes in bite-sized amounts and giant-sized portions, from holding the door for someone or buddying a quiet classmate in the playground to raising money for charity. Whatever the size of the gesture, kindness rarely goes unappreciated, it makes friendships and heals rifts.
“So how do we create a kinder community? Does kindness rise to the surface organically or does it need to be taught? It certainly should be modelled by the adults around our children and educators frequently are reminded of the quote that flies around professional blogs, ‘Let kindness fall like confetti in your classroom’.
“From the plethora of awareness days that are now in the calendar, we are invited to celebrate ‘random acts of kindness’ on 7th February. Whilst it seems a pity that we need such an obvious reminder of the simple yet undeniable impact of a small act of kindness, we can all certainly relate to the warmth we feel as a recipient of this gift.
“Whilst at Acremont, we do model, teach, praise and rejoice in acts of kindness, we also look beyond our walls to our local community. The Acremont School Council are embarking on an ambitious plan to stage a charity concert this term, in aid of our chosen charity, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.
“So, as much as we value academic success here, respect, honesty and kindness are surely the most powerful measures of our King’s Ely character?”