By Chrissy Khachane, Head of Lower School
Encouraging and supporting children’s individual sense of self is deeply rooted in what we do at Foote. In the Lower School this unfolds in a variety of ways within our curriculum, but there are inevitably teachable moments that arise and create organic opportunities as well.
I relish in these occasions and could not have been more proud of some of our third graders this week as they invited me to listen to a concern on their mind.
In an age when technology helps us streamline a number of tasks, a group of third grade students brought to my attention a challenge that arose out of Foote's recent move to taking Lower School attendance digitally. Historically, the third grade students were given the responsibility of collecting attendance from each classroom in Grades K–3 and delivering the information to the main office.
The shift to taking attendance digitally left some third graders feeling the loss of this responsibility as a lost privilege (or a right of passage). After discussing it as a class, the students decided that a petition about the matter might be a way of bringing this concern to my attention.
I am honored to have witnessed the presentation and discussion that unfolded among this group of third grade students. Ideas were thoughtfully and respectfully shared, with the overall tenor focused on brainstorming a solution that would address the student concerns and aspirations for taking on more responsibility as citizens of our community.
As a solution, we agreed that third grade would take on a new responsibility to support our Lower School community, specifically, helping to disseminate snack to Grades K–3. Less than three weeks into the school year and we already have students thoughtfully bringing initiatives to the forefront. With this as the backdrop, I offer three questions to ask your Lower School child this week:
- Tell me about a time you worked together with a classmate or friend?
- How did partnering with someone else make you feel?
- What did you learn from this experience?
I look forward to connecting with you on Thursday evening at Parents' Night and I hope your entire family is having a wonder-filled week!