One of the great joys of working at Meriden is witnessing the inherent goodness that our girls naturally display. They frequently demonstrate thoughtfulness, empathy and care for others, which is a reminder of the innate capacity for kindness that resides in each child. This week, we are celebrating Kindness Week in the Junior School, not to teach kindness, but to encourage and reinforce these natural qualities that shape the girls’ character and strengthen the supportive environment we strive to create.

Our School Prefects, supported by Mrs Nikki Bowden, thoughtfully organised the week’s activities. Pre-K to Year 2 students enjoyed stories selected by our Prefect team and teachers that promoted the value of kindness. A favourite was Rose Meets Mr Wintergarten by Bob Graham, where Rose’s kindness helps to improve the life of her elderly neighbour. Years 3 and 4 students participated in activities acknowledging the different strengths of classmates, encouraging them to think about the unique qualities of each of their peers. In Years 5 and 6, students created origami hearts to give as gifts to someone as an act of kindness.

Assembly afforded me the opportunity to talk about kindness. We explored how kindness extends beyond helping others to include self-respect, discussing how setting appropriate boundaries is an important element of kindness to yourself and others. For a Year 1 student, this might be saying, ‘I’d like to play by myself right now, but I can play with you later,’ while an older girl might express, ‘I care about helping you, but I also need to complete my own work first.’ The girls are learning that being kind doesn’t mean always putting others first at their own expense.

While our girls generally demonstrate kindness, I know kindness sometimes requires conscious effort, especially when they’re tired or feeling frustrated. These moments when kindness doesn’t come easily provide opportunities to grow and reflect. If you are looking to support this theme at home, try noticing when your daughter shows spontaneous kindness. This helps develop intrinsic motivation rather than dependence on external validation.

I hope parents have benefited from the focus on kindness this week; maybe chores have been completed without asking, siblings have shared more readily or you’ve noticed small thoughtful gestures around your home. Every day at school we experience their thoughtfulness, whether it’s holding a door, offering help to a friend or inviting someone different to play. These everyday acts help to create a supportive environment that makes our junior school such a special place.

We celebrated Education Support Personnel Day last Friday, recognising the contributions of our Support Staff. We are grateful to each member of the Support Staff who work in many different areas of the school to enable the teachers to concentrate on our core job of teaching the girls.