PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE...
What are Bucket Fillers?
SEPTEMBER 2012
Dear Parents,
This year you will hear a lot about
buckets. As the school year began, we
introduced students to Carol McCloud’s
book, Have You Filled a Bucket Today?
Conversation about the book will continue
throughout the year. It will complement
our character building program , “Cool
Tools.” The blend of both programs will
create the ultimate learning environment
for student success.
McCloud’s book explains that each of us
has an invisible bucket. It is a container
for positive feelings and good thoughts
about ourselves. When our bucket is full,
we feel great. When it is empty, we feel
sad and lonely. When we fill other peoples’
buckets by saying or doing things to increase their positive emotions, we also fill
our own bucket. When we dip from others’
buckets by saying or doing things that decrease their positive emotions, we empty
their bucket and our own bucket too. The
filling or dipping occurs continuously as we
interact with each other. We face a
choice every moment of every day: we can
fill buckets or dip from them.
Bucket Fillers help without anyone asking.
They give compliments, share a smile, or
invite someone to play with them. Other
examples of bucket filling are spending
time with friends and family, helping at
home and school, and using kind and respectful words. Bucket Fillers offer love
and are considerate of others’ feelings.
Bucket Dippers rob others and themselves of
positive feelings. They refuse to help with
tasks. They don’t share. They are mean, inconsiderate, uncaring or disrespectful. Bullying
and teasing are examples of bucket dipping.
When Bucket Dippers say or do cruel things,
they drain others’ buckets. Their own buckets
wind up empty too.
The simple metaphor of a bucket helps
students understand how important it is to
show consideration for others. Throughout
the year through various classroom lessons and
activities, your child will learn how to become a
bucket filler and avoid being a bucket dipper.
You can reinforce these lessons at home by
talking about how your family can fill other
peoples’ buckets. You can become a Bucket Filling Family by working on filling others’ buckets
daily. Be creative and have fun with it. For example, you might like creating your own family
bucket. Have family members fill it with notes
sharing how they filled a bucket each day.
Choose times to gather as a family and review
the notes. Encourage each family member to
share how the bucket filling activities made
others and themselves feel.
Now you know why you will hear a lot about
buckets this school year. Please join Juan Cabrillo and your child in asking, “Have you filled
a bucket today?”
Imagine…Believe…Succeed
Sincerely,
Dr. Pam Herkner
Principal