Thursday, August 24, 2023

Issue:

Mackay and Whitsunday Life

“Kindness Is Free, Let’s Share It”

Schools across the region celebrated b kinder day last Wednesday by spreading its message of love and empathy.

The June 22 event was started by the mother of Billie Kinder, a 12-year-old girl who passed away in a tragic horse accident in 2016.

Billie’s legacy has become the b kinder initiative, as well as the charity flyhighbille. Both of which remember her empathy and compassion by promoting them at schools across the globe.

Organisations like Proserpine State School have continued to adopt the annual commemoration and make it their own.

The primary school’s iteration of the event this year included selling 500 badges leading up to the day - with the funds heading back to flyhighbillie – each with hand-drawn artwork from students.

The badges were illustrated by teacher Kylie Edmondson’s prep class.

The prep cohort began their day by reading individual, personalised notes left on their desks that had been written by Ms Edmonson.

The messages were compassionate and thoughtful expressions for the students to cherish. The prep class then wrote their own kindness letters to be given to another student – an activity the entire school undertook.

b kinder volunteer Mel Turner said it was excellent to see how much the Whitsundays have “totally embraced the message”.

“This is the second year at this school and they’re really going all out this time; the badges in particular that the students designed has made it so interactive,” Ms Turner said.

“At the end of the day, it’s about being kind and empathetic, and inspired activities like those badges are an expression of that.”

That morning the school had installed, with the help of parent Iain Karon, a B the ‘I’ in Kind wall – a large poster painted by parents Sue Thompson, Jade Olsen, and Bec Radford.

Students individually stood in front of the poster to become the I in kind and have their picture taken – just one of many activities they took part in over the course of b kinder day.

Fleur Wallis, Sue Thompson, Shiralee Morris-Blair, Linda Sippel, Kylie Edmonson, Mel Turner, Rachel Crisp, Kelly Bennett, Jade Olsen, and Bec Radford

B kinder volunteer Mel Turner with some of Ms Edmonson’s prep class

Teacher Fleur Wallis, b kinder volunteer Mel Turner, and teacher Kylie Edmonson

Students enjoyed the B the ‘I’ in Kind wall created by parents

Ms Edmonson’s prep class forming a love heart on the school’s oval

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