By Michron Robinson
Students and staff of the Christ Church Girls’ School ended the term on a high note on Thursday.
They showered praises on Honesty Ambassador Safia Bernard as they celebrated the success of the school’s Kindness Challenge and food hamper drive to assist the less fortunate in the surrounding Water Street community.
The soft-spoken Bernard, who had returned a money-filled purse she found, was pleased at being acknowledged for her good deed.
She said she was cheered on by her mother when she recounted the incident.
“She said she’s very proud of me and told me to keep up the good work,” said the 10-year-old who was also saluted by principal Orlaine Benn for her honesty.
Co-ordinator of the Kindness Challenge, Deborah Jones explained that students from Class 1 to Class 4 were involved in the initiative and were required to fill out a kindness checklist daily.
The challenge also involved students saying a Kindness Pledge, the appointment of Kindness Ambassadors, a poster competition, and reading stories with the kindness theme.
Jones said it was well received by the students.
“The girls were inspired to do at least one kind deed each day. They had lots of enthusiasm and they took to doing it, as they would come and give me their little checklist… and I got positive responses from their teachers,” the teacher said.
Head of the school’s Positive Behaviour Management Programme Sophia Bentham told Barbados TODAY that providing incentives for students when they do good has a positive effect on their psyche.
“I believe that when they see certain things going on, for example with the young lady [Safia],… I believe that it will motivate them to participate in kind acts,” she said.
“We know that it is not going to happen overnight but we want to reinstall positive behaviours and for them to make the right choices so that they are not going to choose the negative all the time. This is more proactive rather than reactive…. We want it to become a way of life for them,” Bentham added.
The senior teacher said the school planned to maintain and expand the Kindness Challenge.
“Going forward, we hope to continue next year because these acts can be repeated. We have some more activities that we want to do next year as well,” she said. (MR)
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