Despite controversial-but-compelling evidence that homework takes time away from families with little to no appreciable benefit for students, kids continue to slog through hours of school work outside the time they spend in the classroom. And despite evidence that small acts of kindness can infect a community like a positive virus, far too many kids are on either the giving or receiving end of unkind bullying on a regular basis.

Perhaps that’s why an elementary school in Ireland decided to do something radical: ditch all homework for the month of December and assign kids “acts of kindness” instead.

Here’s how the kindness program works

In the weeks leading up to the holidays in 2019, kids at Gaelscoil Mhíchíl Uí Choileáin, Clonakilty were given a kindness task for each weekday. It broke down like this:

Reach out to and communicate with an elderly person.

Make a family member’s life easier by taking over a chore or helping out without being asked.

Random acts of kindness of any kind.

Do something kind for your own mental and emotional well-being.

Students were asked to keep track of their kind deeds in a Kindness Diary. The school also created a Kindness Bucket, where students could write down and deposit positive observations and affirmations to boost the........

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