Promoting Kindness Under the Pines

The Hamden Hall community kicked off its ongoing commitment to being a kind and respectful environment for all with myriad educational activities and a school-wide pledge commitment and banner signing as part of the No Place for Hate program.

The Middle School Diversity Club under faculty advisors Allison Ehrenreich and Jose Martinez hosted a Creating Kindness workshop facilitated by guest Tony Ferrailo. Tony Ferraiolo is the Director of Health Care Advocates International’s Youth and Family Program. All students were welcome to join the workshop where Tony spoke with them about the importance of kindness. Using art as a tool, students were asked to draw pictures illustrating how to show kindness to someone and a second drawing on how to be kind to yourself. Miss. Ehrenreich noted that the workshop allowed students to have an organic and natural conversation about what kindness means to them and how they would like to spread it in the world.

Lower School students spent a morning learning about kindness and how they can spread goodwill to everyone through small actions. Students in PreSchool through Grade 2 watched a video titled “Have You Filled a Bucket Today?” that emphasized how expressing appreciation, doing small acts of kindness, and helping others can bring joy and “fill their buckets.” After the video, the students were asked in what ways they can fill someone’s bucket. At their desks, each student received a piece of paper with an outline of a bucket and wrote down different examples of how they can make others feel special. The paper buckets were placed inside a giant plastic bucket in the Lower School courtyard before the students signed the banner.

“We fill buckets by saying nice things to the people around us,” said Grade 1 teacher Beth Messina 1996. “It is important to know that we can fill our own bucket and so can others. By being kind to one another and speaking nicely, not only will you fill their buckets, but you will fill your own.”

Students in Grades 3-6 watched a video about the book “Each Kindness” by author Jacqueline Woodson, which detailed how a new student wasn’t welcomed by her peers and felt isolated before a teacher stepped in. Students in that scenario learned a lesson on how to extend friendship and kindness to others. For their activity, the Lower Schoolers created a kindness rock filled with ways on how to be kind to their fellow classmates. The rocks were dropped into a pool to create a ripple effect illustrating how kindness can be a chain reaction.

Upper School students, faculty, and staff gathered in Taylor Gymnasium for an assembly during which they learned about the history and mission of the Anti-Defamation League, which initiated the No Place for Hate program in schools. Students learned what it means to take the pledge before signing the banner. The Middle School community will have its assembly and banner signing tomorrow, October 20.

Hamden Hall earned the official No Place for Hate designation in 2020 by the ADL. For the third consecutive year, the Hamden Hall community will host the Walk for Unity event on Sunday, November 12. All are welcome to attend including pets, according to coordinators Dr. Lisa Hill, director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and student equity advisor Krysi Crimley.