Dance For Kindness

Today's guest is my friend Lindsay, a character educator from up north in Canada whom I met at a CEP Forum some years back. Her schools are doing amazing things to showcase the kids' character and bring it to life. Look at this creative way to make their values visible using tongue depressors!

So I've asked Lindsay to tell us a little bit about a flash mob that some high schoolers in her district did at an Open House to celebrate World Kindness Day. Welcome, Linsday!

World Wide Flash Mob:  Dance for Kindness by Lindsay Strachan

Students from over 15 countries, 31 locations joined the Life Vest Inside as they united in a dance for kindness in honor of World Kindness Day on November 18, 2012.

To some the world is filled with war, hatred, violence, and hopelessness but Together We have the power to fill the world with kindness, hope, trust and love.

The purpose of the World Kindness Day was to look beyond ourselves, beyond the boundaries of our country, our culture, our race, our religion and realize that we are all citizens of the world. Here's a clip of the Flash Mob for Kindness that one of our local high schools performed as an Open House.

Freeze Mob: Those who participated in the freeze mob were given specific kindness positions in which to freeze and by doing so giving passersby the unique opportunity to notice kindness moments that are in constant motion.

Actions speak louder than words.

Click {here} to learn more about Life Vest Inside and 

check out their kindness boomerang {here} ... 

because kindness keeps the world afloat.

Author bio: Lindsay Strachan, former principal of Huntingdon Academy, in Quebec, Canada, retired eight years ago. The retirement was bittersweet as Huntingdon Academy had been a school with many difficulties. The students were from low income families, parents themselves had been in special needs classes during their elementary school and as a result had a negative experience with the school. There were severe behavior problems, illiteracy and a lack of support from the parent population.  During her nine year tenure at the Academy, and with the help of a very dynamic and committed staff, the parents gained trust in her, and became involved in the activities within the school. The school made a complete turnaround. The culture morphed into one of respect and caring. In fact, Huntingdon Academy won the award for the top school in Canada in the area of respect. As well the school received first prize for the “Say No To Violence” contest that was initiated by the Montreal Police.

A few years after her retirement, Lindsay was asked to serve as the Character Education consultant of the New Frontiers School Board. This is her fifth year and she has since implemented the Six Pillars of Character, Bucket Filling, Words and Manner of the week in all of the ten elementary schools in which she is involved.  In addition, every year she solicits names of students who have been outstanding citizens from the high schools, adult centres and elementary schools.  Coupled with a Character Counts Art contest recipients, all the Outstanding Citizens are honoured at a special school board evening.

Ask Lindsay if she will ever retire again? “I hope not” is her response. “I have too many things to accomplish in the area of Character Education. I love what I do and I see such positive results in all of my schools.”