The theme of Saturday's lesson in one of our classes was the question: ‘Why is it worth helping?’. Pupils learnt about the idea of charity campaigns and discussed the importance of volunteering, and then created posters intended to encourage other pupils to help those in need.
The Polish word ‘wolontariusz’ (volunteer) comes from the Latin adjective voluntarius, meaning ‘voluntary’. Volunteering is work undertaken of one's own free will and without pay – for the benefit of other people, animals or whole communities. Its importance is highlighted by International Volunteer Day, established by the United Nations and celebrated every year on 5 December.
The pupils' posters are colourful and full of optimism. They feature rainbows, flowers, butterflies, hearts and smiling teddy bears, as well as the slogans ‘Pomagamy’ (We help) and ‘Pomagać’ (To help). On some of the posters the children drew banknotes and coins, as a reminder that many charity campaigns rely on collecting money. The finished work was put up on the board in the classroom.
A social awareness poster is meant to catch the eye and convey a clear appeal in just a few words, which is why short slogans and bold colours dominate the pupils' work. Volunteering, meanwhile, can take many different forms – from helping neighbours and taking part in collections, to caring for animals in shelters, to supporting events organised by the school or parish.
Talking about helping allows children to recognise the needs of others and to think about what they themselves can do – at school, at home and in their local community.
