Touched by the plight of the Ukrainian people, the Batheaston School community came together to raise approximately £1,500 for The British Red Cross as the result of a ‘Kindness Week’ where all the pupils and staff took part in activities with a dedicated focus on kindness.
“When we initially planned the week, we could not have been aware of the recent events in Ukraine,” recalls Head Teacher, Sally Jeffries. “With kindness as a theme, we wanted to support the children in their awareness and provide the opportunity to show compassion and empathy, beyond our school walls. As a school, we take immense pride in our creative curriculum, so it felt natural to use art as a means to promote our support for Ukraine, whilst at the same time raise money.
“On Friday 25 March, we held a special ‘Pop-up Art Fair’ at the school. Every child in the school created something for the event, sunflowers being the mains source of inspiration. We sold an amazing range of artworks, such as clay tiles, glass ornaments, paintings and even tie-dye T-shirts! All were sold alongside special art pieces, donated by local artists and galleries. The enterprising spirit of the children is something we as a staff take great pride in, with some children offering extras such as Madison’s sunflower seeds and Jasper’s bookmarks and cards. Alongside the proceeds from the art fair, we also raised money from our ‘Blue and Yellow Mufti Day.’
“For all our children, kindness week gave them the time and space to consider the lives of others, to appreciate what they have and demonstrate that acts of kindness have the potential to make the world a better place.”