Kindness Challenge 2021

HDC Kindness Challenge 2021!

Hi everyone! Throughout the month of February we invite your child or children to participate in our HDC kindness challenge! We ask that you print out a copy of the calendar (or ask us for a copy) and check off which random acts of kindness your child completes. You do not have to do the exact act on the exact day but we invite you all to give it a try!

 At the end of the month we invite your child to bring in their completed calendar to the office for a prize!

Kindness and social emotional learning is an essential part of our school curriculum. 

 By taking the time to focus on the children's social emotional health it can help foster a child's self confidence and build their self esteem. When children are happy and feel safe with their peers there is less disruptive behavior and more time for actual learning!

A kind and positive school culture is a win win for students, families and teachers alike! 

Click here to check out this website which talks more about the importance of teaching kindness to children. 

"Make kindness an everyday practice for children, and see how humanity changes for the better!" -Child Insider

Hogwarts...no HDC!

Magical things are happening in our school age room this summer!

The children were sorted into their houses via a random drawing on the first day at HDC this summer. 

Just like at Hogwarts the children are able to earn points for their school triumphs. In our case at HDC we are focusing on the kind deeds that the children are doing in the classroom. After the lock down, we know that it is more important than ever to give special attention to the children's social emotional health. So by focusing on the kind deeds that they are doing for their peers and teachers we are hoping to build positive social relationships among the students. The teachers have decided to only spotlight the positive and not take away points for any negatives at this time, their hope is to build up each students self confidence and self worth. 

Here are a few of the things the kids know the teachers will be looking for. The kids also can give a shout out and let the teachers know when a peer helps or does something nice for them. 

They also brainstormed as a class how they might feel if another house has more points at the end of the summer than another. They also talked about what they can do to cope if they do get upset. It is important for children of all ages to learn that it is ok to not always win and that having fun throughout the summer is the most important thing. We also believe it is important to learn coping and self regulation strategies at a young age to be able to regulate their emotions more effectively and become successful adults. 

Here are the students house point logs, recent things they have done to earn points and their house maps they made!

You might belong in Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart.

 Their daring, nerve and chivalry set Gryffindors apart. 

You might belong in Hufflepuff, where they are just and loyal.

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true and unafraid of toil. 

Or perhaps in Slytherin you'll make your real friends, 

those cunning folks use any means to achieve their ends.

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, if you've a ready mind.

Where those of wit and learning, will always find their kind.

The kids have had so much fun with the Harry Potter theme so far this summer and we love how excited they are to do kind deeds for one another!