Kind deeds multiplying at northern Ontario school thanks to kindness ninjas | CBC News

A program that teaches children how to be kind is continuing, and is even expanding at Larchwood Public School in the Sudbury-area community of Dowling.

Teacher Natalie Taylor devotes part of her day to asking her kindergarten students to perform a kindness challenge; all tasks contribute to the children eventually becoming full-fledged kindness ninjas.

The ninja element comes into the description because the students are expected to do their kind deeds quietly and not draw attention to themselves.

“I was trying to find ways at the youngest age to teach them about being kind, what it feels like, what it sounds like, everything about it,” said Taylor about the origins of the kindness ninjas. “So we start each day with thinking of something we can do to be kind. We hold that in our head so that our day will focus more on kindness toward ourselves and others.”

In January, the students will receive red belts when they complete all of their kindness tasks.

On one day in December, they were still accumulating good deeds toward that red belt.

They were busy making kindness buttons that they plan to sneak into the pockets of older students to surprise them.

Hearts, unicorns and rainbows featured prominently as the youngsters coloured in their buttons.

The students are grappling with the concept of kindness, as they work.

One child says she helps her mother do the dishes, another says she helps her brother pick up his toys, and a little boy says he helps his Dad with the truck.

Brielle Burns is confident that she’s got a handle on being kind 

“it’s saying nice words to people and making people some good pictures,” she said as she concentrates on her craft.

Another young boy, Aleczander James, working on a card for a friend’s birthday, says sometimes he’s kind, sometimes not; a mix of both.

Taylor says that’s fine, she’s been teaching them about honesty as well.

The theme of kindness runs through the entire school now, because all of the students began their education with Taylor and have been through the kindness ninjas program.

This year, Taylor came up with an idea for the whole school to participate during the holidays. It’s called the Twelve Days of Kindness.

Every student gets a challenge such as saying please and thank you, or making a card for their bus driver.

They also get a heart to put on a kindness rainbow that says “Be the I in Kind”

“The school’s really trying to focus on that, that once they leave kindergarten they can still show kindness in different ways,” said Taylor.

“Academics are great and we focus on them, but being a good person is something really important for everyone, that everyone has in them to give,” said Taylor.