September 14, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES I & III • Page 19 Have you filled a bucket today? Have you had your bucket filled today? Danielle Bache, principal of Midland Park’s Highland/Godwin schools, wants to know this about her students. This year, the character education theme is “Bucket Fillers,” based on the books by Carol McCloud. The concept involves the “invisible bucket,” which holds all of a person’s positive thoughts and feelings and is filled when people say and do nice things for us. People need a full bucket to feel good about themselves, and when a person dips into a bucket, he or she removes the positive thoughts and feelings inside it. To reinforce the kindness concept, parents and students painted kindness murals around the playground to remind students as they play to be nice to each other and include others out of their circle in their play. Students were introduced to the “invisible bucket” concept at opening day assemblies at Highland and Godwin schools, where they listened to the story, “Have You Filled a Bucket Today?” They also learned how to recognize bullying, how to deal with it and how to help their peers when they find themselves in an unpleasant situation. Students also learned that a person can also fill his or her own bucket by thinking positive thoughts and saying and doing nice things for others. “I am encouraging the children to be bucket fillers throughout the year by being kind and respectful,” Bache told parents and guardians. Each student designed his or her own bucket to be displayed at home as a reminder of the invisible bucket theme. In addition, every classroom has a bucket that will be filled by the teacher and students when something ‘Invisible bucket’ concept inspires character education Highland School fourth graders Olivia, left, and Mary with Principal Danielle Bache. kind and respectful is done. This is not a contest to fill the bucket, Bache said, but an incentive and recognition program for students to be trustworthy, respectful, caring, responsible, fair, and kind. Throughout the year, district teachers will present lessons focusing on these character education traits and anti-bullying strategies, and several assembly programs will focus on creating positive and healthy relationships between and among students. “Our efforts will be to help students follow the code of conduct and reduce the number of inappropriate incidents between peers,” Bache concluded.