Grade 3 Students Create Waves of Kindness

April 14, 2022

Academics

GNS

Waves of kindness continue to roll across the Beach Drive campus! During a recent Friday Morning Live Assembly, the Grade 3s shared letters of appreciation they had written to staff, a mural they had created and a new verse they had written for the school song.

Students spoke at assembly about the importance of showing appreciation, and read notes of gratitude that were given to different people around the school. Here are what some of the students wrote:

“Dear Bus Driver Dan, I am writing to you because I think you are really good at your job. I am grateful that you are my bus driver because you are the only person that can drive me to school. So many people on the bus appreciate your help, too.”

“Dear Adrian, I am writing to you because I am really appreciative of all you do. Thank you for keeping the school so clean. Many people at GNS are safe because you work tirelessly cleaning all day.”

“Dear Mr. Holtum, I am writing to you because we really value what you do at GNS. I love the way you always have a smile on your face and you are very energetic (in a good way). That is why so many kids at GNS appreciate you!”

In art class, the Grade 3s celebrated waves of kindness by making an art display that everyone in the school could enjoy. They even had their peers help make it, as each student had the opportunity to paint one of the textured clay discs that were used to make up the waves in their mural.

To finish off their presentation in assembly, they also introduced a second verse to the school song. Ms. Inge Illman, the music teacher, helped the students come up with the verse to follow a certain rhythm and rhyming scheme. Students brainstormed words that they wanted to include within the verse, and they then narrowed it down.

“Our waves of kindness motto inspired the sea theme,” explained Ms. Illman. “At first we weren’t thinking about a sea theme throughout, but one student suggested ‘waves of kindness wash over us,’ and then ideas started coming up with flood and current. Then the students were rolling with sea metaphors. It’s something that they discovered on their own as a way to write a song.”

The additional lyrics students came up with are:

“Waves of kindness flood our school

Flow out from friend to friend

The tide takes a loving act

And brings it back again

We will include, and not exclude

Kindness is the key

In a fair ground, in a fair school

Glenlyon Norfolk by the sea.”

Way to go Grade 3s for showing kindness in many ways!