School newsletter/lovely sentiment

Elementary Downstairs Classroom

January 10, 2020

This week at one of the morning circle discussions, the class worked with the Value Cards.  The Value Cards is a simple material that has dozens of value words printed on them with a simple definition.  The cards are laid out face up at circle and a question if presented to the students that requires them to look for a value word that they feel best represents how they feel about the subject discussed.  It is a work they enjoy and usually leads to a powerful conversation. 

This week we asked, “What value do you want out of the year 2020?”  Instead of sharing resolutions we thought it would be interesting to name a value for the year that we want instead.  The responses from the children were truly amazing. We were moved by the depth and honesty in the children’s reflections.  The following list includes some of the themes the children shared and their reasoning behind them.  

Value Words Selected	Summary of Children’s Reasoning
World Peace and Security	Feelings of insecurity and wanting the world to feel safer
Power	To stand up for oneself
Creativity	To be unique in one’s own ideas and not worrying about what others think
Family	We wouldn’t be anywhere without our family
Risk	You need risk to try new things and to learn, not just doing what is easy
Self-Control	To keep our bodies under control to help with listening
Expertise	Improving on the things I’m working on
Caring	People need to care about others a little more
Responsibility	When I am asked to do something, I need to stay focused and do it

Reflecting on their words, there is something to be said about the wisdom and clarity of a child’s heart, mind, and soul. Happy 2020 and thank you for being in our school community.