Sharing kindness in Leopold

SOME of the youngest participants at schools and preschools in Leopold are coming together to show and share kindness.

Grade 3-6 students from Leopold Primary School regularly visit Meli’s Leopold Kindergarten and Allanvale Preschool as part of Kind Kids Club (KKC), a program which has run since 2019.

Leopold Primary School KKC co-ordinator Skye Cook developed the club so the students could model different aspects of kindness in the wider community.

“One of our school values is ‘kindness’ and in so many areas of our school, family and community life we can show kindness and it is free.

Each session of KKC can be different. Children talk about what being kind and unkind looks like, and then put these skills into practice by doing activities that encourage sharing and helping one another.

All Meli kindergartens incorporate an “Anti-Bias Approach” into their curriculum, meaning Meli educators work with every child, every day to promote kindness, equity and inclusion.

Leopold Kindergarten leader Leschelle Keast said the KKC was a great way to complement the Anti-Bias Approach, teaching the children that even a small gesture of kindness or a smile can make someone’s day.

“We enjoy watching the kindergarten children learn from the primary school children about being kind and what it means to be kind to people and the environment.”

She said the kindergarten children had also found confidence with interacting with an older age group.

“The kindergarten children are always excited to see their big school friends when they come.

“This assists them when they go to school, learning that the ‘big’ kids are not scary, but are friendly and there to help them.”

Meli invited the community to take a look inside its network of 30 kindergartens during its Kindergartens’ Open Week, which began on Monday this week and ends today (Friday, May 17).

For more information about Meli Kindergartens and to register for three- and four-year-old kinder, head to meli.org.au/kindergartens.