Our thankful class

Each week we hold a Class Council.  This is a forum to check in as a community, to share appreciations and to solve any problems that have been recurring.  The friends speak honestly about things that aren't working for them and then offer solutions.  They are used to thinking of many solutions and agreeing as a class, instead of only having one friend solve problems.  There is a journal in our room where you can find the past problems and the solutions that the children have come up with and agreed to.

This week friends only had one problem to solve and everyone was feeling like they have been able to solve disagreements as they come up in the week.  So the highlight of our meeting this week was how the friends are getting good at sharing more specific complements.  The practice helps us hear what types of things people appreciate about our behavior and the details of what makes someone feel your friendship. 

I wanted to share this with you because it can be a special time, and I feel lucky that I get to hear this each week!  I hope you are all well and I'm looking forward to our field trip tomorrow!!!

Love, Jennifer

Class council 2/23/11  Appreciations and Complements:

Paz: Thank you, Henry, for sharing the little marbles for our pool. (in the construction area)

Tayler: Thank you Tennacee for helping me sound out the letters for “Legs” for my math work.

Connor: Thank you, Paz and Tayler, for letting me join your work and for letting me help you. (construction today)

Yama: Thank you for Coco for you being a bad guy and I’m the good guy and for playing with me on that game.
Coco: In the play bay?

Yama: Yeah, at recess.

Abdullah: Thank you Connor for being my partner and talking to me.

Thyra: Tennacee, thank you for letting me see your work and for explaining it. (math prove-it)

Madelynn: Thank you, Natanya, for playing the bad guy game with me.

Henry: Jennifer, thank you for being our teacher and thank you for teaching us how to sew on the paper.

Jenna: Natanya, thank you for being a kitty with me.

Natanya: Ocean, thanks for being my partner and thanks for holding the hula hoop when I said so.

Ocean: Thank you, Jennifer, for writing the jelly bean song, I liked the jelly bean song.

Agustin: Thank you Connor being my friend. Like for playing in the play bay.

Bridget W.: Thank you, Jennifer, for teaching me how to sew, too.

Coco: Olivia, thank you for doing the flags work. Your flags were beautiful because you wrote nice.

Olivia: Thank you, Jenna, for playing cheetah with me.

Aryav: Thyra, thank you for sharing your cup when we were painting.

Tennacee: Thank you, Bridget W., for sitting by me at open choice time. Thank you for telling me the stories.

Bridget B: Thank you, Jennifer, for teaching us songs and poems.

Cecelia: Thank you for my class. I appreciate that I worked hard today.

Jennifer: I really appreciate that the class in general is working on your own and not giving up on your work. And, I also appreciate how you all have taken over songs and poems and are running it yourself. It really works!