Kate Middleton Leads Online School Assembly About Feeling ‘a Little Bit Better’ During Lockdown

Kate Middleton is going back to school on Thursday — and she’s bringing a special message along with her.

The royal mom of three will lead a morning assembly for the Oak National Academy — an online classroom and resource hub created by teachers — to speak about the importance of mental wellbeing among children.

Oak National Academy has provided more than 12 million video lessons and given free resources to parents and teachers during lockdown. The service’s weekly assembly enables students across the U.K. to experience a key part of the normal school routine.

In her video speech,  Kate says, “Talking to someone, whether it’s a friend, family member, or teacher, is something you can do to make yourself feel that little bit better. And you can also play your part in helping others to feel better too, whether offering a friendly ear, or helping someone in need. Small acts of kindness can go such a long way. But as we help others, we mustn’t forget to nurture ourselves, by taking the time to focus on the things that make us feel happy too.”

Kensington Palace Kate Middleton in another video call during lockdown

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Kate, 38, also joined a video call with students from Waterloo Primary Academy in Blackpool, whose parents have been working on the frontline during the coronavirus pandemic. The royal asked them what kindness means to them, and some of the children shared photographs they had taken and submitted to Princess Kate’s “Hold Still” photography project. One of its central themes is “Acts of Kindness.”

Kate’s assembly addresses the theme of kindness and is based on a lesson plan from the Mentally Healthy Schools platform that Kate supports — it’s also developed by one of her key charities, Place2be.

Related: Kate Middleton Launches New Photo Project That Reflects ‘Bravery, Kindness’ amid Coronavirus

Matt Hood, Principal at Oak National Academy, said in a statement that they were “thrilled” Kate was leading the assembly.

Samir Hussein/WireImage Kate Middleton

“Being kind and considerate is a vital lesson for children at any time, but especially so in the current pandemic. We must encourage young people to talk about their feelings and to know that it’s normal to feel a bit anxious or upset right now,” he said, adding that the royal’s “Hold Still” initiative is a “fantastic way to get children engaging with their mental wellbeing as they think about what kindness means to them and how they can show it towards others.”

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The Mentally Healthy Schools site was launched two years ago and developed by leading children’s mental health charities The Anna Freud Centre (which manages the website), Young Minds and Place2Be.