Caring kids show heart with kindness project
A SECONDARY school is asking pupils to shave letters into their hair as part of a project to encourage kindness.
The challenge has been set by teacher Ali Simpson, of Lourdes Secondary, as one of a 100-strong list of tasks presented to pupils.
They include playing an instrument in a lift; give someone a chest-to-chest heart hug – and shave the letters RAK into the back of your head.
Mrs Simpson has dubbed the challenged RAKtivism – with RAK standing for Random Acts of Kindness.
Residents on the South Side will have a week to get used to seeing odd sights such as youngsters dressed as superheroes and flashmobs on Paisley Road West.
Mrs Simpson said: “No one will be able to manage all 100 tasks but I think they will give it a good try.
“I don’t know if anyone will shave their head but when there is a competitive element to something then they tend to really go for it. It remains to be seen.
“Parents tend to go with us and are supportive of our events. We’ve shared the competition with parents so at least when pu- pils are asking to come to school dressed as a superhero they’ll know it’s a real thing.”
The idea came to the teacher, who is Principal Teacher of Raising Attainment, after she took part in The Greatest International Scavenger Hunt the World Has Ever Seen (GISHWHES).
Thousands of people from around 100 countries take part each year in the challenge.
Mrs Simpson thought it would be a good idea to create a scavenger hunt for her pupils but narrow the scope of the project to be about kindness.
She said: ““I thought it would be a good idea to bring the idea to the school but use it to expand our pupils’ circle of concern to get them thinking about other people and how they can help other people.
“There are some bigger tasks like volunteering or fundraising and others where we want to get them engaging with the wider community.”
Each form class from S1, S2 and S3 is taking part – around 30 classes and 750 pupils and the challenge runs from February 26 until March 5.
Pupils will have to photograph and document their progress to be in with a chance of winning.
Mrs Simpson added: “Kindness can mean a lot of things.”