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Kind words matter at Barr Colony

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Classifieds

If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.

That adage describes the gist of a Kind Words Matter project Barr Colony School students from pre-kindergarten to Grade 6 will carry into March.

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“We got a Kindness Wins grant and we’re going to be focusing on Kind Words Matter,” said vice-principal Pam Mather.

Beyond Borders Circle of Change provides a $200 grant to both school divisions from proceeds from the sale of Kindness Wins merchandise at Lloydminster and District Co-op locations for projects that benefit the community.

“Our focus for our students will be sharing kind words with oth - ers,” explained Mather.

The project kicked off on Pink Shirt Day celebrated at Saskatchewan schools on Feb. 15 to encourage everyone to stand up for kindness, inclusion and respect and put an end to bullying.

“You just kind of have to say nice things, give compliments and stuff like that,” said Grade 5 student Noelle Jepson.

She practices that by saying things to others at school like “I like your shirt” and “You’re really kind,” and “You’re sweet.”

Jepson says it’s also pretty heartwarming to be on the receiving end of complimentary comments.

The emphasis of Kind Words Matters though will be class projects with older students working with the pre-k youngsters to help them make and design cards bearing kind words to give to others.

Other classes will be sharing things like kind words on sticky notes and decorating the hallways with kindness posters and the like.

“Classes will pair up with either other classes or some of our neighbours in our community to share kindness,” said Mathers with the recipients to be left up to students to decide.

Some classes are also pairing up with community partners to spread even more kind words.

“We talk about kind words mattering because we try using kinds words to ourselves as well as being kind and gentle with other people,” stressed Mather.

She says kindness does have an impact on students.

“Talking about kindness and kind words and that kind words matter is important for kids especially nowadays when they have social media,” she said.

Mather notes not all the words they read on social media are polite or kind.

“If we can use kind words to lift up others around us it makes our classrooms, our school and our community a better place,” she said. Using kind words is top of mind for Grade 6 student Jazmyn Fair.

“It can actually make you feel pretty good about yourself too because you are making someone else feel happy,” she said.

She also tries to practise what she preaches.

“I try to say hi to lots of people in the hallway and ask people how their day was,” she said.

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