Kindness in Bloom: Early Years Students and Senior Citizens Grow Friendships

Something even more special than flowers was cultivated this year when grades 1 and 5 students from Joseph Teres School got together with seniors for games, conversation, and gardening: connection and friendship across grades and generations.

The grade 5 leadership group at Joseph Teres called The Kindness Squad has a mission to spread kindness within the school and the surrounding community through activities like raking, shoveling, and cleaning up garbage in the neighbourhood. They were already doing great work when the school counsellor, Jennifer Schlag, and vice-principal, Marie Klassen, learned that a grade 1 teacher, Meagen Watchorn, had created her own group called The Kindness Ninjas.

“Meagen shared her hope that The Kindness Ninjas could eventually extend their work beyond the school and into the Transcona community,” said Marie. “We connected with the Transcona Retired Citizens Organization to see how we might bring our groups together in a meaningful way for seniors.”

It turned out that members from the Transcona Retired Citizens Organization (TRCO) gathered on Tuesdays for lunch, which provided a perfect time for the students to visit. The Kindness Squad prepared Would You Rather questions to encourage conversations between the students and seniors, and bussed tables and washed dishes.

“‘Would you rather travel to the past or the future?’ and ‘Would you rather talk to animals or speak every language in the world?’” were questions written by the students that sparked laughter and connection and naturally led to deeper conversations,” said Marie.

The first visit went so well that multiple visits were scheduled this year with a continuation of the initiative planned for next year. It’s a wonderful example of how schools in RETSD are implementing the Comprehensive School Health Framework’s partnerships and services pillar, which builds relationships beyond the schools and promotes social well-being for students and community members.

Students also practice global competencies like communication, collaboration, and citizenship through the initiative.

“The response from the seniors has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Marie. “Smiles, laughter, and words of gratitude are constant. Most of the students interact with the seniors effortlessly. While there is plenty of time for connection, the visits are grounded in purposeful activities like card games, painting, singing, reciting poems, and working together.”

The grade 1 Kindness Ninjas even performed a short play for the seniors based on the book, The Mitten, by Jan Brett. On another visit, students brought flowers to plant in front of the community centre. They also brought flowerpots and flowers to plant together with the seniors, which the students then gifted to the seniors to take home.

“As educators, we strive to give students meaningful opportunities to grow, learn, and thrive,” said Marie. “This initiative is helping to shape future leaders who are kind and empathetic, and it has reminded all of us of the powerful impact connection can have across generations.”