Morning Meeting
We set a warm, happy, positive and productive tone each day during our Morning Meeting. At the preschool level, students might hear a story, sing a song, and hear about new learning possibilities for the day. In the elementary program students in each classroom engage in singing, greeting, number line, calendar and challenge problems; they hear important announcements from teachers about the learning possibilities for the day; and they engage in enjoyable community-building activities. In our middle school program, students and teachers meet as a whole school, or in advisee groups, to greet one another, make announcements, and engage in educational games and community building activities. Throughout the school students learn to greet each other with a smile, eye contact, a firm handshake and a friendly voice. This greeting is a critical ritual that helps us set a friendly tone for the day and teaches important social skills. Teachers often lead discussions about rules, social issues or problems that need to be resolved as a community.