During the kindness assembly each year, students are taught about the importance of certain character qualities. This year, the emphasis was on self-control, something we could all use a little refresher on every now and then. Mrs. Petzinger and Mrs. Peckham put on an excellent skit, complete with a full-on brawl and donut eating, that helped bring to life the different situations where students might encounter the opportunity to practice self-control. Doing homework, waking up for school, treating peers with kindness, and respecting the school facilities were just a few of the scenarios where our children might meet the daily temptation to give in to laziness, a disrespectful attitude, or a lack of self-discipline. This is where nurturing and emphasizing the beauty and importance of self-control comes into play.

As Mrs. Petzinger pointed out during the assembly, “Jesus didn’t WANT to suffer on the cross. He pled with his Father in the garden of Gethsemane. But He is our greatest example of self-control. He chose to do what he knew was right, even when he didn’t want to.”

The assembly brought the lesson back to the scriptures by teaching the students hand motions to help them memorize Titus 2:11-12: ^“11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, ¹² training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.”