Being Kind is a Big Deal at OWIS: How This School Has Made Kindness Part of the Culture

From a Kindness Student Council to kindness family challenges – everyone from the teachers to students takes kindness seriously!

Children who attend One World International School (OWIS) are encouraged to treat others with respect and compassion — in essence, with kindness. There’s a thriving multicultural environment at OWIS, and being kind to others is a cornerstone of their community. Schooling that is driven by strong values such as kindness, respect and concern for others produces children who go far in life.

At OWIS, these values extend beyond just the students. The educational approach is designed to be supportive and non-judgemental. Students are encouraged to improve and work on themselves and their own personal targets instead of comparing themselves with others.

From the assessment process to the feedback given to students, kindness is always a guiding principle. It’s this difference that sets One World International School head-and-shoulders above many other educational institutes.

The Impact of Kindness on a Child’s Brain

There’s real science behind the power of compassion. When you commit an act of kindness, it boosts the level of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, a feel-good chemical, that has the power to regulate emotions such as happiness, satisfaction and peace. By being good to others, you’re actually helping yourself too. But the science of kindness goes beyond just boosting your mood. It has other benefits as well. For instance, it can:

• Decrease levels of anxiety
• Lower blood pressure
• Help you live longer
• Prevent illness
• Lower stress

Generally speaking, kindness also has a positive impact on the following challenging behaviours:

• Bullying
• Discrimination
• Acts of aggression
• Disrespect
• Cheating
• Unethical behaviour

While there’s no tangible measure of how kind a student is or is not, educators at OWIS strive to promote acts of compassion and kindness through a nurturing environment and positive feedback. Students are challenged to hone these skills just as they do their academic skills.

Additionally, a culture that embraces kindness impacts students’ health, happiness, ability to learn, self-esteem, and accountability. It produces children who are future-ready and able to deal with all situations from the perspective of compassion.

The Kindness Council at OWIS

At OWIS, they have transformed their regular student council into the Kindness Council. Every student who serves on the Kindness Council has demonstrated acts of kindness in daily life. As members of the Council, they model the value of kindness, and it’s their responsibility to promote kindness to the student body at OWIS.

11,000+ Acts of Kindness by OWIS

In March 2021, OWIS accepted a challenge from Think Kindness to achieve 5,000 acts of kindness in 15 days, starting on March 10. Students also placed their handprints on the kindness tree murals located inside the school as a reminder to always be kind. Teachers, staff, parents and families were encouraged to participate in the Think Kindness movement and join in the fun by keeping track of kindness at home and outside of school as well.

OWIS not only measured 5,000 acts of kindness, but the school surpassed it to reach 11,343 acts of kindness in 15 days! OWIS became the first school outside of the US to take up and achieve this incredible kindness challenge.

OWIS strives to maintain the highest possible academic and ethical standards in students’ education and training. Children come to the classrooms excited to learn, and they spend the school day fully engaged with the material. They learn to think critically, collaborate with others, explore and exchange ideas and form viable conclusions. In addition, they benefit from OWIS’ values-based learning methods that encourage kindness and student agency from the early years onward.

If you’re interested in learning more about OWIS and how the curriculum and culture benefit students of all nationalities, do be in touch or get a virtual tour.

One World International School (Nanyang Campus): 21 Jurong West Street 81, Singapore 649075, Tel: (+65) 6914 6700
One World Preschool, Mountbatten: Block G, 231 Mountbatten Road, Singapore 397999, Tel: (+65) 6914 7350
www.owis.org