Kindness Contract

Over the past several years, schools across the nation have been vigilant in promoting a zero-tolerance for bullying.  This "anti-bullying movement" was born after many well publicized cases of suicide were the result of traumatic bullying.  As both a Humane Educator and parent, I am thrilled that schools are taking a proactive stance in protecting our children from torment.  Peer-to-peer cruelty has a long standing effect on children, and its damage isn't always evident.

While it has been quite some time since I warmed the seat in an elementary school classroom, I still can faintly remember the way my young brain operated.  If I was told not to do something, I immediately found myself wanting to do that which was forbidden.  Now, here is where I will say that I was not a bully.  In fact, I was a kid that found myself dodging a certain boy because he frequently threatened to beat me up.  I can still remember trying to stay home sick in order to avoid the terror.  But, back to my point....

I believe in choices and positive rule-making.  Such as:  'Would you like water or milk with dinner?' versus 'No soda with your meal'; or 'Would you like to do your homework before your snack or afterwards?' versus 'No television until homework is completed."  Empowering a child with positive choices is a philosophy to which I subscribe.

So, as my Humane Education Curriculum for the 2011-2012 school years closes, I am electing to have my final lesson include the signing of a Kindness Contract.  Rather than asking the children to NOT bully, I am having them agree to my contract which states, "I agree to be kind to all living things."  By the end of May, this contract will have been signed by over 2,000 children in Virginia Beach.  If I can positively impact one child that is suffering, or keep one child from inflicting pain on another, then I will have had a measurable and meaningful programming success.

And so, I would like to kindly thank all of the children and educators that have allowed me to meet with them, each month.   I, too, agree to be kind to all living things. ~ Amy

Fare Thee Well

We're saying goodbye to two of our management staff members within the next week.  Both of them are making some pretty big life changes and so they are stepping down from their current positions.  Between them, we are losing 12 years VBSPCA history and knowledge, not to mention buckets of their sweat and tears.

We get used to the goodbyes -- faces (those with skin, fur and feathers) change often around here.  But each life leaves a mark and the wheels continue to turn.  The thing is, we can't do everything we do without all of these faces, for whatever time they are here.  Each person and each animal that comes through our doors makes us better and we learn something from them everyday -- each staff member, each volunteer, each citizen, each critter makes a difference.

So, I was wondering how we would bid farewell to our comrades next week. How can we bottle up everything they have done here at the shelter and hold on to it?  But I guess the most appropriate goodbye would be the same way we send animals out into the world each day.  We say, "Good luck, we will miss you, I know you are going to have an amazing life and we are grateful that you stopped here on your journey."