This past week, I met with all of the fourth and fifth graders in our school to celebrate all that they do to mentor and lead as the oldest students in our building. As the oldest students in the building, the younger students watch what they do, listen to what they say and as a result form opinions about what it means to be the oldest student at Georgetown.
My goal was three fold:
- Set expectations for what a positive leader and mentor looked and sounded like at our school. By caring for others, we are able to reduce incidents of bullying and harassment at our school.
- Remind them that their greatest responsibility is to model appropriate language, play and problem solving at all times–and especially when in the presence of younger students in the hallways, on the playground AND on the bus.
- Celebrate the work they do helping the pre-kindergarten students who share the 4/5 hallway, as well as the times in which I have observed them helping students on a regular basis.
I combined these goals into a video which uses photos of the fourth and fifth graders and some of the younger students in our building. We have an outstanding 4/5 group in our building. Please be sure to follow their class blogs to hear about all the great contributions they make to our school.
