Our School, Our Voice: A Kindness Town Hall Facilitator Script

Warm-Up: Share One Kind Thing (5 minutes)

Teacher: "Good morning, everyone! Today, we have a very special meeting, a 'Town Hall,' to talk about how we can all work together to make our school an even kinder and more welcoming place. We want to hear your voices!"

"To start us off, let's do a quick warm-up. I want everyone to think of one kind thing you've seen happen or that you've done in our school recently. Maybe someone helped you, or you helped someone else. It could be a kind word, a helpful action, or a friendly smile. Take a moment to think."

(Pause for 30-60 seconds.)

Teacher: "Who would like to share their kind thing? Remember, there are no wrong answers, and every act of kindness, big or small, makes a difference!"

(Call on 2-3 students to share. Affirm their responses.)

Teacher: "Thank you for sharing those wonderful examples! It's so good to remember all the kindness that already exists in our school. We're going to build on that today!"

Introducing the Kindness Town Hall (10 minutes)

Teacher: (Display Town Hall Slides, Slide 1)

"As you can see, our Town Hall is called 'Our School, Our Voice.' It's about giving everyone a chance to speak up and work together. We've noticed that sometimes, not everyone feels included, or unkind words are used, and we want to tackle these challenges as a team."

(Display Town Hall Slides, Slide 2)

"So, what is a Town Hall? It's like a big group meeting where we all come together to talk about important things. We listen to each other, we share our ideas, and most importantly, we work together to find solutions to make our school better. It's not about blaming anyone; it's about making things better for everyone."

(Display Town Hall Slides, Slide 3)

"To make sure our Town Hall is a safe and respectful place for everyone to share, we have a few agreements. Let's read them together: (Read through the points on Slide 3, pausing for student input or questions.) Are there any other agreements we should add to make sure everyone feels comfortable and heard today?"

(Allow brief student input.)

Teacher: "Great! These agreements will help us have a really productive discussion."

Exploring Kindness & Challenges (15 minutes)

Teacher: (Display Town Hall Slides, Slide 4)

"Let's start by celebrating again. What are some of the things that already make our school a kind place? Think about your classrooms, the playground, the hallways. What makes you feel welcome and happy here?"

(Record student responses on the whiteboard or large paper. Encourage a variety of ideas.)

Teacher: "It's clear we have a lot of kindness here already, and that's fantastic! But even in the kindest places, sometimes challenges pop up. Recently, we've noticed some moments where students might feel left out, or hear unkind words."

(Display Town Hall Slides, Slide 5)

"In your small groups, I'm going to give you a Kindness Concerns Brainstorm Sheet. On this sheet, I want you to talk about some of these challenges. What does 'social exclusion' look like? What does 'unkind words' or 'name-calling' sound like? And importantly, how do these actions make people feel? Remember our agreements: focus on the actions and feelings, not on specific people. We want to understand the problem, not point fingers."

(Divide students into small groups. Distribute the Kindness Concerns Brainstorm Sheet. Circulate and facilitate discussions, reminding students of the norms if needed. Give them about 8-10 minutes for discussion.)

Teacher: "Alright, let's bring it back together. Each group, can you share one or two key concerns you discussed? What kinds of unkindness have you noticed, and what impact does it have?"

(Record key themes on the board, clustering similar ideas. Validate feelings and acknowledge the challenges.)

Brainstorming Solutions & Action Plans (10 minutes)

Teacher: (Display Town Hall Slides, Slide 6)

"Now for the most important part: becoming problem-solvers! We've identified some challenges, and now we get to decide what we can do. What are some ways you as students can be more inclusive? What can you say or do when you hear unkind words? What can adults at school do to help? Let's brainstorm some solutions together!"

(Record all student ideas on the board. Encourage creative and actionable suggestions.)

Teacher: "These are amazing ideas, everyone! You've shown you can think critically about how to make our school better. Now, it's time to make a personal commitment. I'm giving each of you an Our Kindness Action Plan. On this sheet, I want you to choose one or two of the solutions we talked about today – or even a new one you thought of – and write down what you will personally do, starting today, to be a more inclusive and kind member of our school community."

(Give students about 5 minutes to complete their action plans individually.)

Cool-Down: Our Kindness Future (5 minutes)

Teacher: (Display Town Hall Slides, Slide 7)

"Wonderful! Now, let's wrap up our Town Hall. For our cool-down, I want everyone to think of one word that represents your hope or vision for the future of kindness and inclusion in our school. What do you want our school to feel like every day?"

"When I call on you, please share your one word. This word is our collective dream for a kinder future."

(Go around the room, having each student share their word.)

Teacher: "Thank you, everyone! Those words are powerful and inspiring. Remember, every single one of us has the power to make our school a kinder, more welcoming place. Your voices today were important, and your actions tomorrow will make all the difference. I'm so proud to have you all as part of our 'Our School, Our Voice' Kindness Crew!"

Share One Kind Thing Warm-Up

Think about our school. Have you seen or done something kind recently? It could be a kind word, a helpful action, or a friendly smile.

Write down one kind thing you've seen or done in our school. Be ready to share it with the class!

Kindness Concerns Brainstorm Sheet

Instructions: In your small group, discuss the following questions. Remember our agreements: focus on actions and feelings, not specific people. Be ready to share your group's ideas with the class.

Discussion Questions:

1. What does social exclusion look like in our school? (Think about places like the playground, cafeteria, or even in the classroom.)

   • Examples you might discuss: Ignoring someone, leaving someone out of a game, turning your back when someone tries to join.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

2. What do unkind words or name-calling sound like? (Think about comments that make people feel bad or put them down.)

   • Examples you might discuss: Calling someone "dumb," saying "no one wants to play with them," making fun of how someone looks.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

3. How do these actions (exclusion, unkind words) make people feel? (Think about the emotions involved.)

   • Examples you might discuss: Sad, lonely, angry, invisible, not good enough.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

4. Why is it important for us to talk about these things and try to make a change?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Our Kindness Action Plan

Our Town Hall meeting was about making our school a kinder place. Now it's time to make a personal plan!

Think about all the ideas we discussed. What will you do to help make our school more inclusive and kind?

My Personal Commitments:

1. One way I will actively include others this week is by:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. When I see or hear something unkind, I will (choose one or more ways to respond):

   • Speak up respectfully.
   • Use "I feel" statements.
   • Get help from an adult.
   • Do something kind for the person who was hurt.
   • (Your own idea):
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

3. My promise to our school community is:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Our Kindness Future Cool Down

Think about our Town Hall today. We talked about how to make our school an even kinder and more inclusive place.

What is one word that represents your hope or vision for the future of kindness and respect in our school?

This word is your part of our collective dream!