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K Is for Kindness
The other day I was in one of the kindergarten classes and they were writing their own notes. One student was a little stymied by the letter K (it’s a tricky one sometimes
) and looked over to notice that her classmate seemed to be writing it effortlessly. She asked her if she would help her make a K and proceeded to write the letter on the page like this: 𐤨, or backward. Her friend said, “Well, the straight line was a good start! Those other lines have to be on the other side.” That help from a 5-year-old peer was stupendous. Kind, supportive, specific guidance with no teacher input required. It would be remarkable, except that our students support each other in similar ways every day at High Meadows.
) and looked over to notice that her classmate seemed to be writing it effortlessly. She asked her if she would help her make a K and proceeded to write the letter on the page like this: 𐤨, or backward. Her friend said, “Well, the straight line was a good start! Those other lines have to be on the other side.” That help from a 5-year-old peer was stupendous. Kind, supportive, specific guidance with no teacher input required. It would be remarkable, except that our students support each other in similar ways every day at High Meadows.I am always impressed at how non-judgemental our kids are. They are less bothered than you think they might be by who is more or less advanced in their learning. They understand that learning things is a process, and our culture is such that anyone can ask for help. Our learning environment also makes a point of teaching kids how to look at things from other people’s perspectives. We instill empathy at High Meadows from day one.
According to the Harvard Graduate School of Education Making Caring Common project, “Empathy is at the heart of what it means to be human. It’s a foundation for acting ethically, for good relationships of many kinds, for loving well, and for professional success.” These words from Middle Years Principal Matt Nuttall get at the heart of how High Meadows fosters empathy: “We began our assembly one morning to kick off a new semester with a song that had the following refrain: “In a world where you can be anything, I’ll be kind to you. Could you be kind to me?’ It’s a bit oversimplistic, perhaps, but in so many aspects of our world and our daily lives, finding solace in the simple seems the best way to go. In reality, being truly kind is hard; it requires empathy for and understanding of others in a world that far too often tells us to think of ourselves first. We see acts of kindness every day at High Meadows, and it is abundantly clear to anyone who has spent time with our Middle Years students that this comes from deliberate practice and intention. We work at it in small ways each day, and our faculty demonstrates the importance of kindness in their words and deeds daily. As we face challenges and triumphs ahead of us, deciding to make being kind a priority seems like the perfect focus.”
By eighth grade, our students are well prepared (some alumni tell us they are over-prepared) for high school and primed to engage with the world as ethical leaders without our daily support. They have learned how to be strong in their values and comfortable being themselves. As Anna Cave ‘15 stated at one of our alumni events, “High Meadows helped shape me as a person and taught me to be comfortable with who I am. I was able to be very strong in my values, which really helped me later on in my life.”
Learn more about Ethical Leadership and Student Outcomes at High Meadows
The High Meadows community celebrates and perpetuates each individual’s quest for knowledge and skill, sense of wonder, and connection to the natural environment. We empower each to be a compassionate, responsible, and active global citizen.
Age 3 through Grade 8 | Authorized IB PYP World School
1055 Willeo Road, Roswell, Georgia 30075 | (770) 993-2940 | info@highmeadows.org
1055 Willeo Road, Roswell, Georgia 30075 | (770) 993-2940 | info@highmeadows.org
