Le Chéile Pay It Forward Day 2016
Thanks to the many wonderful teachers and students who made our Pay It Forward Day such a significant, meaningful and enriching event this year. Below is a selection of some of the ways the day was marked in our schools. We would appreciate if more schools could send us on details of what they did and their photos.
Ard Scoil Raheny
By Colm Mythen, Principal
We marked Pay it Forward Day with a day full of Random Acts of Kindness.
FCJ Bunclody
By Simone O’Neill, Anam Cara
FCJ ‘s Pay It Forward Day was a big success. A band made up of students from 3rd to 6th year played at lunchtime beside the tuck shop which lifted everyone’s mood! A big Thank You to Karen Fanning in Saint Dominic’s Cabra for the beautiful PowerPoint, we made very good use of it. One of our students; Cathlin, who had been at the conference in Athlone spoke wonderfully over the intercom for morning assembly informing all of the relevance of the day.
Jesus and Mary College, Our Lady’s Grove, Goatstown
By Karen O’Donovan, RE Teacher
We marked Pay it Forward Day on Friday. My third years made hearts with ‘positive comments’ on each one and then after school on Thursday put them on every students’ locker.
Jesus and Mary, Salerno
By Celina Long, Anam Cara
On Friday 15th of April, we at Salerno celebrated our first ever Le Chéile Pay it Forward day. It was a huge success embraced and enjoyed by both students at staff throughout the school. We began our day by creating our Sacred Space in line with the occasion. We then all said a prayer together and after enjoyed listening to the Le Cheile song which was sung by five of our 1st years. Following this, we had a group of our 5th year students go to every class in the school and deliver a random act of kindness to each student and staff member. This act of kindness had to be completed by the end of the school day. Some of these acts included – opening a door for someone, paying a compliment, and smiling at others. As these acts were being delivered we had a poem The Fable, read out to each class, promoting the importance and effects of a simple act of kindness. We had our 1st years singing in the hall at break time which added a lovely atmosphere to the day. The students had so much fun carrying out their act of kindness and then completing many others as well! One of the highlights for the staff was at lunch time when we received an anonymous note from our leaving cert students. The note was a Thank you to all the staff at Salerno for all that they do and it was read out to a very happy staffroom during lunch! This message was inspired by our Pay it Forward day and proves the importance and impact of our little acts of kindness!
We also enjoyed some prayer, reflection and song throughout the day. Our Pay it Forward day reminded us of the importance of showing kindness to one another in our school community and beyond.
Le Chéile Secondary School
By Margaret O’Shea
Pay it Forward – we had a longer than usual assembly – where Mary and Destiny presented to the whole school some of the aspects from the conference, we also got all of the students to complete a survey in relation to the next UN secretary general (using their iPads) and hopefully, effecting some global change! We then had the students Pay it Forward within the school community and invited them to do so in their wider community. We also learned the Pay it Forward song at Assembly, recording some of that footage and other footage from that day. I edited it recently and it was shown at our film festival; click here for the link.
Maryfield College
By Patricia Seery, Anam Cara
We had a great day with “Pay it Forward” here in Maryfield College on April 15th. Leading up to the day we had every student in the school draw their own individual hand print. On the morning of the 15th, we had special assemblies (details included in the attached PowerPoint) with all our year groups and staff. Briefly:
- We introduced the theme of the day and its purpose
- We had a lovely reflection
- We showed a lovely clip from you tube about kindness etc.
- We suggested ways that everyone could be involved in doing some acts of kindness on the day itself and over the weekend.
- We asked them to become involved in ”CAN of kindness” appeal – a food appeal for those in need (Paying it forward into next week)
- As students were leaving the assembly hall, they received a Handprint (an actual handprint of someone else in the school) – there was a lovely thought or affirmation or quote printed on one side of the hand and on the other side was a NUMBER.
- Throughout the day we surprised staff and students by having them RAK’d – this meant that their number was randomly pulled out of a hat and they received prizes.
- There was a brilliant atmosphere in the whole school that day, and It’s been lingering on as I’ve seen and heard many staff and students continue to pick up on the notion of PIFD. For example, one staff member who had been RAK’d with a lotto scratch card won €25 and last week used it to treat the staff to lovely scones at break time before the May weekend, so the kindness is continuing!
Click for Pay it Forward Day – PowerPoint Presentation
Our Lady’s Templeogue
By Marie Therese Pierce, Anam Cara
We began the day with an Explanation about the day and a Prayer which was said by a sixth and First Year student.
A Second Year group went down to the local church and gave out tokens of appreciation to the people as they entered.
They then stayed to pray for anyone who was in need of prayer. One student gave a short Introduction where she explained what the Random Acts of Kindness day was about and how we could pay it forward. Six students also prepared Prayers of the Faithful and Offertory Procession. They brought up two Teddies who were in need of a loving home. These were given to two people who promised to give them lots of TLC!!!
A group of First Years went up to Rathfarnham Shopping Centre for an hour and helped in Tescos with bag packing and distributing balloons to small children as well as giving some coins for the trolleys.
Another First Year group put stickers on every locker in the school and gave out tokens of appreciation to staff members and the sisters who live close by.
Patrician Presentation Fethard
By Marie Maher, RE teacher
For Pay it Forward day this year we took the theme from The Beatle’s song ‘All you need is Love’. All students watched a short video clip set to this song which focused on ‘Love God, Love Others’. First years also watched the short video excerpts from the ‘Pay it Forward’ film. Discussion followed in all classes on the concept of ‘Pay it Forward’ and it’s practical application.
Again this year a wall display was created to focus attention on the idea. First years made posters of the suggestions forwarded by Le Chéile and some of their own ideas. This served to give students ideas of what they could do on a practical level. Sixth years made hearts – a large one with the above song title for the centre of the display, and smaller hearts – one for every member of the audience !!
Each student was given a heart during RE class and asked to reflect on how they could ‘Love God, Love Others’ in the coming week. They then wrote down one or more actions they could commit to sincerely in the coming days. All of the hearts were put up on the wall around the large heart bearing the words ‘All you need is Love’.
An exercise such as this is both reflective and very visual. It is easier for students to see The Parable of the Mustard Seed in action. When each one places their own small heart on the wall with all those of other students, it is very evident how The Kingdom of God can grow slowly and steadily.
Ramsgrange Community School
By Marie McCabe, School Chaplain
We had a wonderful pay it forward day here. On Thursday night I came into school and put a post it on every student locker, each post it had a positive affirmation on it. On Friday morning students were really excited to read each other’s affirmations, it created a great buzz around the school and got the day off to a great start. At 9.30am our head boy addressed the school over the intercom, he wished all a happy pay it forward day and encouraged all to take part. One random locker had a bright pink post it with a special message on it, that student was asked to see me during the day and got a gift.
During the day I popped into classes and with the prior permission from the teacher, students got a homework pass. In the staffroom there were chocolates at break time.
At lunch and break times senior students gave out free hugs!
Finally last class the deputy and I went to all classrooms and every student and teacher got a lollipop!
It was a fabulous, memorable day.
St Aloysius College, Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork
By Kathleen Clery, Anam Cara
Pay It Forward Idea:
Sometimes the smallest act of kindness can make the greatest difference, so when someone does you a favour, don’t pay it back, Pay it Forward. The simple idea of doing good works for others to repay the good that has happened to you is one that can easily be conveyed to all and encourages us to be socially aware and take a role in making our school a better place. To mark Le Chéile “Pay it forward” day there was various activities organised in school throughout the week finishing on Friday.
| Monday | Reflection for the day on the TV screen. Each student will receive a name of a student from her year. The student will then make a special effort be nice to that person for the week. Each member of staff will also receive a name. Non exam senior Religious Education classes will watch the “Pay It Forward” film. |
| Tuesday | Reflection for the day on the TV screen There will be a bake sale for Trocáire in the quad. |
| Wednesday | Reflection for the day on the TV screen There will be a collection of food for St Vincent De Paul in school and for Penny Dinners in the staff room. |
| Thursday | Reflection for the day on the TV screen Post-eds with inspirational messages will be placed on lockers around the school. |
| Friday | Reflection for the day on the TV screen Lollypops will be distributed to all students. There will be a raffle and prizes will be given out to random students and teachers at school. There will be treats in the staff room at break time. Chaplaincy, Student Council and Meitheal team representatives will visit the convent bringing cakes for the sisters with them. |
Saint Joseph of Cluny
By AnnMarie Doyle, RE Teacher
We had a whole school assembly, where a group of fifth years opened with the le Cheile prayer. Another pupil explained the background to Le Cheile.
We then showed a clip from Pay it Forward film. Following this, a pupil explained the idea of Pay it Forward.
Then we had a short comical drama piece where the girls acted out some random acts of kindness and displayed the pay it forward idea.
We finished with the fable on kindness.
All week my fifth year religion class has been working on making a list of various acts of kindness. We have a basket of Pay if Forward Actions. The ‘Pay it Forward team’ will be visiting all classes in the morning and each pupil will choose a slip from the basket with the action. They are then asked to record their action on a label that will be hung on the tree in our school foyer.
The pupils have also made special Pay it Forward slips for the staffroom.
The Pay it Forward Team have brought in some left over chocolate from Easter too and are giving them out ‘randomly’ throughout the day.
St Dominic’s College, Cabra
By Karen Fanning, Anam Cara
For Pay it Forward Day on Friday we decided to ask every member of the school community to carry out a random act of kindness. We had a slideshow running on the TV screen at the student entrance of the school with quotes about kindness in order to motivate everyone!
Saint Louis Community School, Kiltimagh.
Click for:
A Reflection on Le Cheile Day 2016
Papal Cross Award Project St Louis CS Kiltimagh 2016
St. Mary’s Glasnevin
By Ciaran Coll, Anam Cara
Throughout the day there were random acts of kindness happening among the staff and students. The focus of the day was on the concept of ‘selfless giving’. Many thanks to the student reps Chloe Dalton and Kelly Fowler who attended the Le Chéile conference earlier on in the year, and it was them that came up with the following ideas for the day.
At Tutor Time Chloe and Kelly came on the intercom to introduce the ‘Pay it Forward’ day to the school community. This was followed by a reflection. The girls explained that each tutor pack contained a polypocket full of pieces of paper with ‘random acts of kindness’ written on them. Each student then picked one out and this was the one Act had to do that day. Example: Ask someone today “How can I help you?”. As the day went on, there was a blank brick wall outside the staff room were the students were encouraged to write up on a brick what ‘random act of kindness’ they got and how they completed it. Tutors then showed the ‘Pay it Forward’ clip which helped set the context for the day.
There was also a surprise treat for the lucky students who happened to find a star randomly under their desk in each classroom. There was also a visit by the “Pay it Forward Bear” at break and lunchtime handing out treats randomly!
Towards the end of the day the girls read out some of the acts students wrote up on the ‘Pay it Forward Wall” and they brought the day to a close with a prayer they had written which encouraged us to show kindness, compassion and mercy every day not just on ‘Pay it Forward day”.
Our pay it forward wall, where student wrote up what random act of kindness they did for the day.
The pay it forward bear, big hit with the 1st years, giving out random treats at break time
Our Le Cheile Reps, Kelly Fowler and Chloe Dalton
St. Michael’s Holy Faith, Finglas
By Noreen Russell Kennedy, Deputy Principal
Cystic Fibrosis Ireland is an organisation which is very close to our hearts here in St. Michael’s, due to the recent sad passing of one our 6th year students this year from CF. When we discovered that Le Chéile’s Pay It Forward Day fell on the same date as Cystic Fibrosis “65 Roses Day,” we decided to link the two together. St. Michael’s students would be carrying out random acts of kindness as well as raising funds for a wonderful charity.
A Display was set up encouraging students to be nice to each other and to give back to others. Students made slips with kind tasks written on them such as “forgive someone” or “sit with someone who usually sits alone.” This created a positive and caring atmosphere throughout the whole school, with everybody getting involved and highlighting the importance of kindness and goodness.
Our 6th years sold purple roses and wristbands for 65 Roses day and their enthusiasm and energy filtered down through all of St. Michael’s students and staff. It was 6th years way of Paying It Forward to families affected by Cystic Fibrosis. Over €1,200 was raised on the day for CF.
Pay It Forward has been a wonderfully positive experience in St. Michael’s and we hope that other schools will be inspired to get involved not just once a year, but every day.
St Wolstan’s Community School
By Nigel Kerrigan, Anam Cara.
At St Wolstan’s Community School we were busy all week preparing our community for Pay It Forward. Students were busy placing notices of positivity all around the school on doors and walls. We encouraged each person to be selfless on the day and to do something kind or positive for another person without expecting anything in return. If people were unsure of what to do they could go to the suggestion box in the Meditation Room and take a selfless act and Pay it Forward. On the morning of Pay it Forward our Prefects and TY students gave out chocolate coins to each person as they entered the building reminding with a positive message on it them to Pay It Forward and enjoy the chocolate of course. At lunchtime we also had a photo booth in the Hall and staff and students were invited to come down and show off their smiles and help create a wall of smiles. The atmosphere that these activities created resulted in such a warm positive happy environment which became infectious to our whole community. We certainly saw great selfless acts being performed as well as seeing the importance of sharing a smile with others to creates an atmosphere of positivity for all in our school.
