Morning Meeting

There's a wonderful new beginning to your child's school day! It's called Morning Meeting and it's a great way to build community, set a positive tone, increase excitement about learning, and improve academic and social skills.

Morning Meeting usually takes between fifteen and thirty minutes. First thing each morning, the children and I gather in a circle. We begin by greeting each other. Every day, your child hears his or her name spoken by a classmate in a friendly and cheerful manner.

Next, a few students share some interesting news followed by a conversation with the class. This helps students listen carefully, think about what they hear, formulate good questions, and learn about each other. When your child shares, s/he'll have a chance to feel that his/her ideas are valued and that the other children care.

After sharing, there is an activity for the whole class. We might sing or recite a poem or play a math game. The activity time helps the class feel united as a group, reinforces academic skills, and helps the children learn how to cooperate and solve problems.

Finally, we read the news and announcements chart, which helps students think about the day ahead.

Sometimes, we'll have an "agenda" where students can sign up to discuss problems they might be having or anything that they might need advise on. In this instance, they'll explain the problem to the class and the students will give them advise on how to solve the issue. If two children are not getting along and they've tried a few conflict/resolution tactics which are not working for them, this can also be brought up at the morning meeting.

Morning Meeting lets children know every day that school is a safe place where everyone's feelings and ideas are important. I’m looking forward to a fantastic year!