Learning to be Compassionate

As we come to this opportunity to honour Truth and Reconciliation Day, we reflect on how to meaningfully introduce the ideas of fairness, responsibility, and justice to us in early years context. To help us understand, in simple and thoughtful ways, the importance of treating everyone with respect and compassion.

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As friends observe our orange shirt, we begin to engage in conversations that allow us to share our understandings, voices, and ideas connected to the meaning of this day. Through drawing, a friend notices,

“There are children,”
“a feather,”and
“a woman,”
which leads to a shared interpretation, “she must be the mother.”

These moments of dialogue invite us to think more deeply about the symbolism represented in our drawings and experiences.

Role play provides us a way to understand the importance of Truth and Reconciliation Day. It helps us explore feelings of empathy, respect and fairness. ​Friends share ideas about how we use our voices and why it is important to speak up.

Together, we talk about Phyllis and how it was not nice that her orange shirt was taken away from her. The children connect this to tour own experiences, noticing that it is not nice when friends don’t listen to our voices, and that it makes us feel sad when friends take something away from us.

​This conversation give us a deeper understanding of fairness, respect, and the importance of valuing each other’s feelings and belongings.

​We also capture a special video of us sharing our own words — joyfully saying “Every child is special.” It is a meaningful reminder of how we can carry forward the message of the day with our own voices.

Together, we continue to unpack our thinking by wondering, “What is it about the orange colour?” This process encourages us to connect symbols, colours, and stories with the broader ideas of respect, fairness, and reconciliation, nurturing empathy and awareness through our own expressions and discoveries.

​We honour the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Through our ongoing conversation, we continue to unpack our understandings of the importance of Orange Shirt Day and what it means to say “Every Child Matters.”

Following our discussion, we express our reflections by creating our own orange shirts to represent this day. This creative process becomes a way for us to connect emotionally and symbolically with the message of remembrance, respect, and belonging. Acknowledging that every child’s story, voice, and experience holds value.

Emily is especially proud to share her drawing, which symbolizes her understanding of the message that every child is important and valued. This learning experience gives us a chance to connect with the meaning of the day in a personal way.

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Friends happily sing “Rain, Rain, Go Away” together while listening to the sound of the rain outside. Luka sings the song nicely and loudly for friends to listen to and sing along to.

​Ryan sings it sweetly and gently. It is a joyful way for friends to connect to the weather, turning a grey day into one filled with music and laughter.

Later in the week, we read a heartwarming story titled Hug Me, Please!.
The story resonates deeply with us, sparking genuine joy and connection. We notice how we naturally begin offering hugs to friends, extending the warmth of the story into our own relationships.

Through these moments, we see how stories can nurture empathy, care, and a sense of belonging. Reminding us that emotional connections are essential to our shared learning experiences.

This moment highlights how emotional literacy can be nurtured through shared storytelling and authentic interactions. Our responses reflect our growing capacity to interpret emotions, express affection, and build meaningful relationships.

Luka spontaneously walks toward Emelia as his natural act of kindness. His act of kindness becomes part of his everyday language of learning and living together.

This act of kindness is truly contagious! It moves through the room like a spiralling energy. We see Anthony and Luka sharing a big, warm hug, embodying the tenderness and joy that have begun to ripple among friends.

In these moments, kindness becomes a living practice, passed from one child to another, reminding us how connection and empathy grow through simple, heartfelt gestures.

Anthony also shares a big warm hug to Rebecca. These small gestures show how we are growing in our ability to show kindness and affection towards one another, reinforcing the idea of friendship and empathy that we often explore in our classroom.​

We also have a wonderful time creating fall bowls using leaves we collect outside. We work carefully to glue the leaves onto balloons, forming the bowls. Once the glue dries up and the balloons are removed, the beautiful leaf bowls take shape. We are excited to see our hard work transforms into something we can hold and admire. This project not only celebrates the changing season but also reminds us of the beauty and value of nature.

​Luka and Rebecca are eager to help prepare a birthday cake for a friend. We assist with adding the ingredients and mixing them together. This learning experience allows us to feel included in a celebration while also practicing teamwork and responsibility in the kitchen. The joy on our faces as we take part in making something special for a friend is truly wonderful to see.

Dhanika thoughtfully adds pounded paint to the branches of a drawn tree, capturing the changing colours of the leaves we observe these days. Her choice of colours reflects her growing awareness of seasonal changes and her ability to translate her observations into her artwork.

Rebecca, on the other hand, expresses her emotional awareness toward the living things around her. During her encounter with ribbons, she gently wrapped one around a dinosaur figurine, explaining that the ribbon is meant to help treat the dinosaur’s “ouchy” from running. Through this thoughtful act, Rebecca demonstrates empathy and a nurturing sense of care in her imaginative play.

This imaginative play sparks so much joy and collaboration! Emily, together with her peers, demonstrates a strong engagement in imaginative thinking. While Kalyan, Anthony, and Rebecca express excitement in the act of hiding, Enily shows confidence and expressiveness as she takes the role of the seeker. This exchange reflects our growing ability to negotiate roles, understand perspectives, and sustain shared play.

Kindest,
Children & Friends.