Mieke and Elyse say the program has offered a great foundation
for having ongoing conversations with students regarding the best
ways to be kind, thoughtful, and caring when making decisions in
everyday life. The teachers track the class’ progress in a blog so parents
can follow and reinforce the teachings at home. It allows parents
and teachers alike to plant the seed early that people are different,
and that even though you are little, you can—and should—be the
best person you can be. Ultimately, Mieke and Elyse believe it will
result in closer friendships and more compassionate kids—not just
in kindergarten and first grade, but far beyond.
Moving forward, Mieke and Elyse say they would like to develop
a seamless two-year program to ensure maximum impact for the
students and build even greater camaraderie between the two grade
levels.
“We’re grateful to work in a school where we have the freedom
to build a curriculum around what students need,” Mieke says. “It's
nice to be supported in the same way we’re teaching our students to
support one another.”
As their final Swooper Citizens project of the year,
Kindergarten students performed the musical play, “The Rainbow Fish”
about a very vain fish who learns a valuable lesson on sharing.
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