“No Act of Kindness , No Matter How Small, Is ever Wasted” The Lion and the Mouse
It was important to me to introduce The Sunflower Network, a powerful organization started by my friend Dustin, to my classes at Barrow. This nonprofit ensures an emergency supply chain of food, hygiene, medical and other vital supplies to the people of Ukraine who need it most.
After visiting The Sunflower Network’s pop up art gallery featuring Ukrainian artists, where the proceeds went both to supporting the artist and funding supplies for Ukraine, I knew I wanted to get the Barrow community involved! Dustin and I collaborated about how we could engage the children at Barrow in supporting the children of Ukraine.
A few days later, The Sunflower Network donated mini tote bags to carry school supplies, lovies and treasures. We were excited to see the Barrow friends relate to the special feeling of having your very own backpack or very own bag where you can put whatever you want in it! The Green and Silver afternoon friends decorated them using blue and yellow acrylic paint, the colors of the Ukrainian flag and stencils to create shapes and letters.
In our community we often talk about the importance of compassion:
How can we care for our friends? How do we show kindness? What is fair? What does it mean to feel safe? What do you need when you feel scared?
In both The Green and Silver Room, friends often create artwork for one another and for teachers, which makes us all feel good. If a friend is upset by another, we ask them to check in with one other. This looks like, “Are you ok?”If the friend says no , they can respond, “what do you need?” These responses can range from an ice pack, a hug, space, or for a friend to say sorry. Through these acts of compassion, our 3/s 4/s have developed strong emotional and social language.
So when speaking to The Green and Silver Room, we focused our conversation on how Ukrainian children, children who are their age, do not feel safe and that their grownups are doing everything they can to help their children feel safe and loved.
Recently, Dustin left for Ukraine to deliver supplies along with the beautiful tote bags your children made. We look forward to hearing back!
