4 Ways Somersfield Builds Kindness into its Ecosystem
Somersfield Academy’s mission is to inspire socially conscious, independent thinkers. From Montessori start to IB finish, we make every effort to enrich a student’s individual experience with lessons on compassion and empathy. Kindness is built right into our vision and values. Here are just a few ways that we reinforce those values right into our ecosystem.
The Peace Rose Ceremony
At Somersfield Academy, the students learn to respect themselves and others. One way to foster this is through our Peace Rose Ceremony in Children’s House (3-5 years old). Students are encouraged to deal with conflict by using “understanding” and “forgiveness” to find resolution. The peace rose is meant to de-escalate a heated situation by allowing both children to have their voices heard. Whoever is holding the peace rose, shares their feelings before they pass it to the next child. It is passed back and forth until a resolution arises — that may be a simple apology from one to the other, or an agreed-upon plan of action. Sometimes the outcome is just to agree to let it go and reset.
The Buddy Bench
At Somersfield Academy, the students are encouraged to have the strength and courage to stand for what is right. A great place to practice inclusion is on the playground. Our Buddy Bench is a helpful tool that initiates kindness toward our friends. If a student is feeling lonely or doesn’t have someone to play with, they can sit on the Buddy Bench. When another student notices them, they are encourage to include them in their playtime activities.
Apologies, Callouts, Thank You
At Somersfield Academy, our students are encouraged to share awareness and compassion. Our P5 students participate in a daily awareness activity called Apologies, Callouts, Thank You, or “ACT.” Every afternoon, ACT allows students to express themselves to their peers in kind ways by apologizing for any miscommunications, acknowledging when they see someone doing a good deed for someone else, and thanking them for doing something kind specifically to them. This is a great way to communicate and clear frustrations and move through differences together as a class.
Character Strong
At Somersfield Academy, our students and staff make a commitment to diversity and inclusion. MYP can be a difficult time, intellectually, physically, socially, and emotionally. To keep our MYP students aligned with our kindness, they participate in a programme called CharacterStrong. CharacterStrong is grounded in research and focused on fostering the whole child with vertically aligned lessons that teach social and emotional learning (SEL) and character, side-by-side. Character education involves developing thoughtful, healthy, and kind human beings. Our character is informed by our personal values and choices. SEL competencies include self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.
Our school was founded in 1991 to offer not just an education, but an experience that would inspire socially conscious, independent thinkers. At the end of their tenure, a graduate will emerge prepared not only for university, but for life. These are just a few ways that we embed kindness into a supported journey to leadership.
For more information on our unique curriculum, contact our Admissions Office at 236-9797 or by email to admissions@somersfield.bm.