We Are Crew!
As I get to know each and every member of our Crew, I am continually amazed and inspired. For the first few weeks of school, we have been learning about what it means to be a crew. We began with a discussion connected to the message our Link Crew shared with us on the first day of school: "You belong" and what it means to truly belong.
Each day, students had the opportunity to share their "Me Bags" containing 5 items that best represent who they are. After sharing, students proudly displayed their items in our Crew Museum. We learned so much about each other and started to form meaningful connections.
Throughout our week, we read various books about characters who lived together, differently. The Crew held in-depth discussions and shared incredible insight on what they felt were the takeaway messages for our Crew.
After reading Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco, we discussed the word "impact" and how our words and actions impact others, both positively and negatively. Students agreed that they want to make a positive impact, just like Mr. Falker and Trisha's grandparents had on Trisha (who we later discovered was the author herself) in the story.
We concluded this discussion with a symbolic activity using paper and permanent markers. The paper represented each child and the permanent marker drawing represented the impact we have on others. Students were asked to pass their paper around the circle while every person drew an intentional line of impact on each paper. We discussed how our words and actions can leave permanent marks in others' lives, so it's important to be aware of how we treat others. Students then selected an area on their paper that they felt was beautiful and colored it to emphasize the positive impact they can have on others and others can have on them.
As we continued reading stories and discussing what it means to be a crew, students shared their thoughts and captured them on our graffiti wall.
Crew is woven into everything we do. It makes up the fabric of our day. One student shared his thoughts about the first day of school, "At first, I felt a little bit scared. Everything felt new and different. Now I feel that I belong." I hope his last statement continues to be true for him and for every student in our Crew. We all belong. We are Crew!
Each day, students had the opportunity to share their "Me Bags" containing 5 items that best represent who they are. After sharing, students proudly displayed their items in our Crew Museum. We learned so much about each other and started to form meaningful connections.
Throughout our week, we read various books about characters who lived together, differently. The Crew held in-depth discussions and shared incredible insight on what they felt were the takeaway messages for our Crew.
After reading Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco, we discussed the word "impact" and how our words and actions impact others, both positively and negatively. Students agreed that they want to make a positive impact, just like Mr. Falker and Trisha's grandparents had on Trisha (who we later discovered was the author herself) in the story.
We concluded this discussion with a symbolic activity using paper and permanent markers. The paper represented each child and the permanent marker drawing represented the impact we have on others. Students were asked to pass their paper around the circle while every person drew an intentional line of impact on each paper. We discussed how our words and actions can leave permanent marks in others' lives, so it's important to be aware of how we treat others. Students then selected an area on their paper that they felt was beautiful and colored it to emphasize the positive impact they can have on others and others can have on them.
As we continued reading stories and discussing what it means to be a crew, students shared their thoughts and captured them on our graffiti wall.
Crew is woven into everything we do. It makes up the fabric of our day. One student shared his thoughts about the first day of school, "At first, I felt a little bit scared. Everything felt new and different. Now I feel that I belong." I hope his last statement continues to be true for him and for every student in our Crew. We all belong. We are Crew!
