On Monday, 10 February, our Year 6 students loved learning about the power of words, using toothpaste. This minty, messy, interactive lesson shared a very important message, and reinforced our 2020 Hillcrest focus of Unity by reminding students how the words we speak to others have the ability to build and strengthen community, or damage and divide it.
Toothpaste was the key ingredient used to show the class how words can impact those around us."Words are like a tube of toothpaste. If used the right way, toothpaste helps clean our teeth and keep our mouth healthy. Likewise, if we use our words to cheer someone up and say nice, helpful things, our words can bring joy to another person."
The Bible tells us that 'the tongue of the wise brings healing' (Proverbs 12:18), and as Christians, we want our words to be helpful to others. Just as toothpaste can keep us healthy, our positive words can bring joy and healing to our friends, family and neighbours.
The opposite is true too, and just like a tube of toothpaste, when our words slip out by mistake we can make a mess in our lives and in the lives of others. The students were asked to squeeze hard on the toothpaste tube to see what happened, and as predicted the toothpaste came squirting out and went everywhere. "When you open your mouth and speak hurtful things, you make a huge mess!"
The students were asked if they had ever tried getting the toothpaste back into the tube after it has been squirted out, and they agreed it would be impossible. Mrs Gough explained that the same can be said for our words "Once you say those hurtful things, you can’t take them back, just like you can’t put toothpaste back into the tube."
The Bible gives us all many warnings about words, including in James 1:19: 'Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. It also says that 'Reckless words pierce like a sword' and those words are just like the messy toothpaste, they can really hurt people.
Thanks to Mrs Gough for creating such a fun and memorable reminder of one important way we can build greater unity in our College community!