By Staff
Beginning this school year, our four elementary schools have begun using a bucket-filling philosophy.
This is based on the book, "Have You Filled Someone's Bucket Today?" by Carol McCloud.
This book tells about how everyone needs to get their bucket filled by acts of kindness and positive interactions with others.
It discusses the importance of being nice to everyone, and that any small act of kindness makes an impact on the person who receives it, and it fills their bucket.
This is a wonderful way to teach children about empathy, kindness and understanding of other people's feelings.
Elementary students have done many activities to reinforce the importance of the message behind the story book.
At Sister Lakes and Kincheloe Elementary, students have all signed pledges saying that they promise to be kind to everyone at school by doing small things such as smiling at people who look down, asking people if they are okay or helping others if they need it.
They also have made posters telling what it means to be a bucket filler which are displayed in each classroom.
The whole staff – teachers, aides, lunch room staff and bus drivers participate in reinforcing this idea by handing out tickets to students who are caught doing something kind for someone else.
All tickets go into a big bucket and each Friday the counselor draws out three tickets and reads the student's name and what they did to fill someone's bucket over the loud speaker.
The bucket filling philosophy also tied into our annual non-violence week this year by teaching students that being kind and caring about everyone's feelings is a proactive way to stop violence at school.
Both staff and parents have noticed the difference this idea makes among students at school.
Teachers talk to students often about making sure they are filling others' buckets and not being a "Bucket Dipper."
Parents have also commented about how nice it is to give language to young people that helps them express when they need more support, and understand how their actions and words impact others.
One Sister Lakes parent reported that her daughter had a rough morning and went to school and told her friends, "I need my bucket filled today, guys," and her friends knew exactly what she meant and helped her turn her day around.
Students take a lot of pride in sharing things they have done to fill someone's bucket, or things someone has done to fill theirs.
It is amazing to see students so excited to make their school a place where everyone is treated in a kind and positive way.
All four elementary schools and Patrick Hamilton are looking forward to having Carol McCloud, the author who began the bucket filling idea, come to speak to our students later this winter.
We are excited to hear her explain where the story came from, and teach Dowagiac students more ways to make their school a better, safer, kinder place to be.