Random Acts of Kindness Homework

We are excited to begin a new unit! We hope our excitement for this new unit will spread to our older friends, too! This week, and last week, both Kindergarten classes met to discuss what giving and kindness mean.
Giving: (verb)
Merriam-Webster's Definition: 
1. Freely transfer the possession of (something) to (someone); hand over to: "they gave her water".
2. Bestow (love, affection, or other emotional support): "his parents gave him encouragement"; "he was very giving and supportive".

Kindergarteners' Definition:
When you fill someones bucket! When you help someone in need. When you smile at someone.
Kindness: (noun)
Merriam-Webster's Definition:
1. The quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.
2. A kind act.

Kindergarteners' Definition:
Not thinking of yourself. Helping someone up. Doing things for others.

This Winter, we will be performing random acts of kindness (RAK) both in our community and at Willowwind.  How will we make this happen?  Here are a few of our the ideas we generated at school:
• Leave nice notes on cars in parking lots to let others know we care.
• Smile at someone.
• Give a compliment.
• Buy a gift card and hand it to someone going into the store or restaurant. Make sure to say "Random act of kindness! Enjoy!"
• Tell your family you love them.
• Help load grocery's into an elder's car.
• Return a lone shopping cart.
• GIve away old clothes and toys to people in need.
• Hold a door for a stream of people.
• Share coins. Put quarters in parking meters, put coins in bell ringers' red cauldrons, pay for someone else's drink or food in a drive through lane, attach a baggie of coins to a vending machine.

Additional ideas we brainstormed can be found on the hallway wall outside the Cottontail classroom.  This is where we will display our RAK work.
WEDNESDAY'S HOMEWORK: On Wednesday, I sent home a note with an attached notecard. Use this notecard to journal your child's first act of kindness completed this week or weekend. Have them write down what your family did. If you can, attach a picture (or email me the picture) to go with the notecard. Please return the green notecard by Tuesday, January 20th.  We are eager to spread the kindness word.  If you complete more than on act of kindness have your child journal the additional acts on other notecards (extras available at school) or on your Family Random Acts of Kindness Worksheet (sent home on Wednesday). Don't forget to add (or email) a picture to go with each act of kindness.  Continue to do this as your child competes a variety of acts of kindness throughout the month of December.
We will create a Random Act of Kindness bulletin board to display all of our notecards and photos. With our RAK's on display, we hope the urge to complete acts of kindness will spread across our Willowwind community and beyond.  Throughout January and February, we will be completing acts of kindness at school as well. Look out for upcoming blog posts with more information. We hope to plan a field trip or two to spread our kindness with a variety of community of organizations.

Here you will find a few links of other families that have completed random acts of kindness in their community. Click the links to to find additional ideas. Really, the ideas are endless - there are a variety of free and inexpensive ideas at our fingertips!

Kindness Ideas: Click HERE, HERE, and HERE.

Finally, here is a video we showed the Kindergarteners yesterday.  It is amazing how quickly they caught onto the pay it forward idea.  One friend said, "So.  If someone helps me and then I help someone else and then they help someone else the kindness will just keep going and going!"  It is clear that your child and their classmates are thrilled for the fun to come when showing kindness to many!  Encourage their excitement!  Please let me know if you have questions! Most importantly, have fun!