1. Dear Parent(s),
This year we are enthusiastically introducing a new character development program
called Bucket Filling. Bucket filling is an easy-to-understand concept: Everyone carries an
invisible bucket that holds our good thoughts and feelings. When our buckets are full, we
feel happy and when our buckets are empty, we feel sad. Students can fill buckets when
they do and say things that are kind, considerate, caring, and respectful. They can also dip
into buckets and remove those good feelings when they are mean, inconsiderate, uncaring, or
disrespectful. The lesson is two-fold, because when we fill the buckets of others, we fill our
own bucket, and when we dip into the buckets of others, we dip from our own buckets as
well.
During this school year we are encouraging, reminding, and recognizing everyone’s
efforts to be bucket fillers at home, at school, and everywhere they go. To accomplish this,
the BAS class has developed Bucket Notes. The Bucket Notes are an anonymous was to
appreciate all the kind and wonderful things, big or small, which happen in our classroom on
a regular basis. The notes are written on a piece of paper and dropped into our special bucket,
to be read on Fridays. The goal is to have at least 17 notes in the bucket, which is one per
BAS student. This is a class project, and the responsibility to fill the bucket should not fall on
one or two individuals, nor should any student be singled out for not participating. Instead,
the goal is to urge students to encourage and help each other to write bucket notes. At the end
of each week we celebrate by reading the bucket notes out loud while keeping the writer
anonymous.
Please inspire your child/children to participate in this endeavour. When you pick up
your child/children, ask them, “Have you filled a bucket today?” Together, we hope to
create a more kind, care, and grateful atmosphere in our classroom. If you would like to learn
more about bucket filling, visit the Bucket Fillers website, www.bucketfillers101.com. Please
feel free to approach me with any questions, comments, or suggestions.
Thank you very much for your support
Ms. Tasha