Primary and Elementary School Students Practice Being “Bucket Fillers”




Teacher Donna Welch holds their classroom “bucket” where students add handwritten notes about “bucket filling” acts they notice on a daily basis at school. Dr. Viscovich purchased buckets for each Homestead classroom in September so the students could add slips of paper explaining good behaviors.

Teacher Donna Welch holds their classroom “bucket” where students add handwritten notes about “bucket filling” acts they notice on a daily basis at school. Dr. Viscovich purchased buckets for each Homestead classroom in September so the students could add slips of paper explaining good behaviors.

Do you know what it means to be a “bucket filler?” How about a “bucket scooper?” Children in Garden City’s primary and elementary schools know the answer to these questions! A metaphor for an individual’s well being, his/her heart, and his/her feelings, each person carries a “bucket” which can be added to with the kind acts of others or taken away from by thoughtless comments and behaviors. Adopted from Carol McCloud’s book, Have You Filled a Bucket Today?, students in Hemlock, Homestead, Locust, Stewart and Stratford have embraced being “bucket fillers” as they learn about good citizenship.

Homestead Principal Dr. Suzanne Viscovich (seated, center) asked kindergartners in Donna Welch’s class to explain to the Locust Valley site-based team guests how they practice “bucket filling” in their classroom.

Homestead Principal Dr. Suzanne Viscovich (seated, center) asked kindergartners in Donna Welch’s class to explain to the Locust Valley site-based team guests how they practice “bucket filling” in their classroom.

On May 11th, members of Ann MacArthur Primary School in Locust Valley visited Donna Welch’s kindergarten class at Homestead School to see exactly how the “bucket filler” strategy works in action. The kindergartners explained to five members of McArthur’s site-based team how their teacher read Carol McCloud’s book to them at the start of the school year, how they learned to be “bucket fillers,” and how they are now using their emerging reading skills to read the book by themselves and with their classmates. “This idea carries through to their homes and to play dates,” Donna Welch commented to the Locust Valley visitors. It also reinforces one of Homestead’s guiding principles promoted and modeled by Dr. Suzanne Viscovich: “Character is doing the right thing when no one is looking.” The Locust Valley site-based team members, including building Principal Dr. Sophia Gary, were so impressed with what they saw in Ms. Welch’s class that the team will be advising the implementation of the “bucket filler” program in their school. “The experience was so enlightening,” commented visiting kindergarten teacher Barbara Fahlbusch. “There is such a wonderful culture in this school. This is a community of learners, and the children are adorable. Honestly, we are speechless.”

Acting out being mean to a classmate, this student takes away from her friend’s “bucket” by not helping her after she slipped and fell at school.

Acting out being mean to a classmate, this student takes away from her friend’s “bucket” by not helping her after she slipped and fell at school.

A student in Ms. Welch’s class shares Carol McCloud’s book, Have You Filled a Bucket Today?, with visiting Locust Valley Principal Dr. Sophia Gary.

A student in Ms. Welch’s class shares Carol McCloud’s book, Have You Filled a Bucket Today?, with visiting Locust Valley Principal Dr. Sophia Gary.

At Stewart and Stratford Schools, students participated in the second annual Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) Week. This event, led by social worker, Michele Degati, was designed to increase a positive social and emotional learning atmosphere throughout the school buildings and community. RAK week also sought to encourage students to become “bucket fillers,” a focus of this school year. Similar to the other four schools, Stratford’s program is modeled after McCloud’s book. As a visual reminder, Stratford students recently decorated paper buckets with their “bucket filling” behaviors. Hundreds of buckets were displayed as part of a school-wide bulletin board with responses such as: helping a younger sibling, writing a kind note to someone, offering help to a family member or neighbor, sharing with siblings, offering to help with family chores, cleaning a room without being told, etc.

Author Carol Mc Cloud (at left) asked for volunteers during her presentation at Stratford School to demonstrate how to add to others “buckets,” and how it harms others to take away from them.

Author Carol Mc Cloud (at left) asked for volunteers during her presentation at Stratford School to demonstrate how to add to others “buckets,” and how it harms others to take away from them.

Stratford students filled a school-wide bulletin board with examples of how they practiced being “bucket fillers.”

Stratford students filled a school-wide bulletin board with examples of how they practiced being “bucket fillers.”

As further encouragement, “bucket filler” author Carol McCloud visited Stratford School in mid-April to explain first-hand to the students what it means to be a “bucket filler.” Ms. McCloud, who has brought her message to 500 schools across the country, involved the children in several visualization exercises explaining, “To create a ‘bucket filler’ school, you need to get everyone on board. ‘Bucket filling’ is for all of us.” Ms. McCloud was a teacher and a newspaper writer before penning her “bucket filler” idea. She presented a PowerPoint to the students and interacted with them as she read passages from her book.

Congratulations to Garden City’s primary and elementary school students for displaying consideration, compassion, and keeping the “buckets” of others filled to the brim!


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