A peek in through my window:
One of the features that I enjoy
talking about with prospective parents is the community feel of the Lower
School. I absolutely love watching siblings taking care of each other.
Numerous families have children in the various divisions and it is not unusual
to see the older ones bring their younger siblings to class or to their lockers
in the mornings. What is so beautiful is the visible attitude, or really,
the lack of it. These are happy children, smiling, taking the extra
minute to be kind to the younger ones. At dismissal, we frequently watch
as the older siblings, even those in the Lower School, are protective of the
younger ones, making sure they have their belongings and head in the right
direction when their names are called. I don’t take this for
granted as it is not the norm in other schools.
Capitalizing on this trait and to
increase the amount of responsibility expected of our 5th graders, we have
started a new Lower School program. Our 5th graders have been “buddied”
up with 1st graders to help them out at various times. One such occasion
is our weekly Oneg. We are thrilled (we kvell, for sure!!) as we watch
this pairing. Students are taking this very seriously. 5th grades
are enjoying the new responsibility and 1st graders appreciate the special
attention. Watching both groups of students walking into the auditorium
together, many of them holding hands, seeing the 1st graders look at
their “older” buddies with such admiring eyes, observing the 5th graders very
seriously following through on helping their charges truly is a sight to
behold!!! It’s all part of the process of helping our students learn how
to be leaders as well as how to interact appropriately with others.
We regularly see other “community”
activities. This week, 5th grades will work with 2nd graders on writing Shape
Poems for Tu B’Shvat. On Wednesday, one 4th grade class recited a poem to
a kindergarten group and another to a 1st grade. We can pride
ourselves on fostering an environment in which it is “cool” to be helpful and
kind!
Another newly-introduced program is
our recess time clubs. They started this week for grades 2 through
5. Students may continue to participate in unstructured recess or they
may sign up for one of the clubs being taught by our teachers. Choices
range from chess club, to origami, to Italian, to newspaper. We believe
that this ability to attempt something new and different aids children’s
development and enhances their ability to make informed choices. It is
also a great way for children to broaden their horizons and dabble in new
pursuits. One never knows what will be of interest – or not!!!
Education is multifaceted. We continuously
strive to enrich and enhance each child’s experience so that s/he will be
challenged, encouraged, and motivated. Shabbat Shalom
No comments:
Post a Comment