What’s green and rides a horse? Alexander the Grape
What do you call a dinosaur that plays football? A Soccersaurus
Two of the jokes children shared with us today, World Smile Day.
Anne, Hannah, and Fr Ian had a lovely morning visiting St Chrysostom’s and St John’s Schools, going into classes and talking about smiling! It was also lovely at St John’s School to be joined on the tour of the classes by Mrs Mortlock, the Head of School, and Dr Tayo Adebowale, the Chair of Governors of the school. How wonderful to have received hundreds and hundreds of smiles all in one morning.
Several of the classes had prepared for the visit and had been doing work on smiles, or writing out jokes to share.
We found out how infectious smiles are, and how happy the children – and the teachers -are in their classes. We discussed how, when we are sad, someone smiling at us can make us feel warm and help brighten up life.
All the children, and staff, were given a smiley face sticker and invited to take the smile home with them, and so spread smiles from school into the community.
What we found out in practice today scientists have also confirmed! Researchers from the International School of Advanced Studies (SISSA) in Italy have discovered that if we see someone else smile, or even think about a smile, we reproduce it as well.
Of course we try to smile everyday, but today World Smile Day is a special day for us in church and in our schools as we remind ourselves how important the gift of a smile is, and how we can spread smiles to those around us.
An invitation: Do an act of kindness. Make one person smile!
PS At the end of the day one little girl said ‘I lost my smiley sticker, but I kept my smile on my face all day!’ How lovely.
St Chrysostom's Church News and Views 