Head’s blog
Over the course of this week we have had a huge focus on giving and thinking of others. A variety of charitable projects and initiatives have been taking place within the school, echoing those taking place nationally, and we have tried to pull these together to give emphasis to the importance of empathy.
The children have been eagerly clutching pound coins to make donation for a poppy in order to remember those who have died in wars over conflicts in history and more recent times. We touch on this in an age appropriate and sensitive way and as the children progress through the Foundation they attend more traditional remembrance services at Mill Hill School.
The children have also each been given a box by the Rotary Service and have been filling these with small gifts and toys for children abroad who live in circumstances where they will not receive any Christmas presents. Our Parents Association co-chairs kindly delivered a wonderful assembly on this project and how important it is to care about and give to others. In total we have collected 155 boxes – so 155 children will get a Christmas present this year.
We are also gearing up for Children in Need and the whole school community will come together to raise money for children across the country and abroad who need help and support in different ways.
Underpinning any charitable initiatives are the qualities of kindness and empathy, but also the notion that we can be proactive in helping others. We don’t have to just sit back and feel sorry for people – we can do something about it. This message, as the children go through the foundation develops into something more sophisticated where pupils are encouraged to develop the mind set and skills for social innovation.
We hope that all we do at Grimsdell encourages social responsibility and the core attribute of kindness from an early age. Kindness can lead to great things.
