Lower School Update - February 8, 2018

THE EAGLE’S NEST: MORE THAN JUST AN ASSEMBLY

By Bobbie Neubern, Heidi Pierce, and Aaron Van Borek

On Monday mornings, at many schools around the world, one might notice both students and faculty sluggishly pulling themselves to wake up, struggling to get to class and get their week started. But not in the Lower School at Graded!  Instead, you'll see students and teachers arriving early, quickly dropping their bags off at classrooms, and joyfully skipping down to the playground to partake in full division playtime, as they excitedly await the blasting of Will.i.Am's "What I Am." - the song that announces that the Lower School's Nest is about to start!

What is the Eagle's Nest?  

The Eagle’s Nest is a weekly Lower School tradition in which all of the students and staff between K-3 and 5th grade gather in the gymnasium on Monday mornings to connect, reflect, and celebrate as a unified international community of learners.  These gatherings, which are different from the Community Assemblies that highlight curriculum-related learning, began in September of 2017. The Eagle's Nest serves as a chance for all members of our community to practice and review our values and start the week off on the right foot: full of energy, informed with the week's events, and equipped with strategies to embrace and tackle the challenges that may lie ahead. The Nest follows a predictable sequence each week, allowing for both teacher and student voices to be heard. It begins with a warm welcome in which students are reminded that we are all Eagles (and Eaglets) who have chosen this school to learn and grow together - academically, socially, and emotionally. Through a call and response, the students are reminded of the community behavioral values, also known as The Eagle Way.  Individual students and entire classes are acknowledged and celebrated for demonstrating The Eagle Way in the hallways, the classrooms, or anywhere on the campus. Most gatherings include the teaching of a new breathing technique to help students practice mindfulness, as well as announcements that notify the community of important events taking place that week. Students have the chance to volunteer and share their passions or talents, by performing songs they have written or dances they have choreographed.  On occasion, the Nest includes a full division brain break, that sees everyone getting up, moving, laughing, and getting ready to learn! As a short, 20 minute gathering, the Eagle's Nest packs a punch and leaves its participants with a strong understanding of what it means to be a Graded Eagle.

Inspiration & Motivation for the Nest

Last year, Graded adopted a new mission, vision, and core values. The mission laid out was to “Inspire, challenge, succeed. Every student, every heart, every mind.” As we reflected on what living this mission could look like in a lower school community, the conversation quickly shifted to a weekly entire lower school gathering that would bring us all together for a shared experience, and one that would offer the chance for different members of the community to better get to know each other:  not just students getting to know the other teachers at the school, but a chance for students to get to know their peers (both younger and older), and for teachers to get to know the larger student body.  

Inspiration came from a few whole-school assemblies held at Graded, as well as previous experiences of community gatherings at different schools. What was evident from these previous experiences was that students and staff alike left the gatherings feeling happy, energized, connected, and noticed. They truly impacted every student, heart, and mind.

Around the same time that the mission was rolled out, Graded Lower School began a committee to discuss implementing Positive Behavior Intervention Systems (PBIS) at our school. Part of a PBIS structure includes an opportunity to connect and share successes, celebrations, set goals, and provide reminders with not just students but also with staff. Once again, all signs pointed to some sort of event where the lower school community could gather together and connect.

As this idea of creating an opportunity to connect as an entire lower school was beginning to take form, Graded unveiled its new strategic plan. One of the main goals of the plan states, “Be happy.” This goal included promoting a positive school climate where every student feels accepted, cared for, and valued.  It also includes promoting a balanced education where building strong academic skills is as valued as building good humans. It was clear that we needed to move forward on creating an opportunity for our entire school to come together to support our mission, PBIS implementation, and strategic plan.

The Story of the Nest

After administration heard the purpose and rationale of a whole school community gathering, a committee of teacher volunteers was formed to move an idea into actuality.  Using Simon Sinek’s “Start with the why” model, the committee was able to clearly articulate why this gathering needed to happen before even beginning to think about what it would look like or how it would be done. Their list of goals included:

- To build a positive school climate
- Create a space to celebrate our Lower School community
- Promote a sense of community and belonging for all students and staff
- Establish role models for students
- Build relationships to help know students holistically - understand who they are outside of academics
- Help students transition from home life and into the learning environment
- Connect with service learning - making learning matter
- Create a bigger sense of PreK-12 community (through linking opportunities and announcements)

As a committee, the shared understanding of the “why” provided the anchor for every conversation and choice moving forward. This same committee worked through the logistics of organizing the Nest, and shared their proposal with administrators and faculty to gain their feedback before moving forward.

In order to smoothly and effectively establish a new weekly routine for our community, the committee agreed to take responsibility for the planning and execution of the Nest during the first semester - inviting student volunteers to take part.  By second semester, once a clear model was established, the goal was to move responsibility of the Nest to the students:  who would lead in the organization and delivery of the gathering in a larger way.

Moving Forward: A Student Driven Nest

With the new semester upon us, students are gladly taking over the Nest. This past week, the Lower School had a very successful gathering in which students from various grade levels participated: a third grade student opened up the Nest with a warm welcome, a first grader lead the call and response of The Eagle way, and fifth graders taught the community a new breathing technique and shared the week's shout-outs.  Seeing students take risks, share their voices, and put themselves in front of the whole community is inspiring others to do so - ultimately fulfilling our Graded's mission to "Inspire, challenge, succeed. Every student, every heart, every mind."

The Impact of the Nest

Feedback from staff:

The Eagle's Nest has provided us with a fantastic opportunity to strengthen our sense of community in the Lower School. Students have a weekly opportunity to gather together, see all the adults and children in the Lower School together, and learn from each other. We feel this weekly gathering helps students recognize they are part of a larger community that truly cares about and supports them. - Mr. Vance Boisjoli, LS Principal

The Eagle’s Nest, every Monday morning has become a powerful time for our Lower School community to come together, to set the stage for a week full of kindness, respect, effort, and learning.  No matter if we are a student, teacher, or administrator, we all go off from there to meet those common goals each week.  - Shannon Wilker, LS Teacher

Feedback from students:

"I like breathing in, breathing out part of the Nest because it helps me control myself" - Second Grade student

"I like the Eagle's nest because it gives us a fresh start to the week." - Second Grade Student

Feedback from parents:

From its inception, the Nest has been a lively topic for conversation at our dinner table. [My daughter] often reports on and then teaches us the meditation techniques that she learns from Ms. Kitto. She also sings the songs that are featured regularly, such that my 2-yr old, who does not attend Graded, can with great pride and enthusiasm sing the song [about the eagle in its nest...] It's wonderful to start the week with a communal event that brings all kids together, gives kids of all ages steps that they can participate in, and builds to a joyous send-off to the classroom.  -- Parent of K-4 student

Our five-year-old is bringing the Nest home, now teaching us mindfulness exercises at the dinner table. -- Parent of K-5 Student

After School Activities

Please remember to sign up your child for 2nd Semester Lower School After-School Activities by 8:00 pm on Wednesday, February 7. Confirmation of enrollment in activities will be sent to families on Friday, February 9. Activities begin the week we return from the Carnival break and end the week of May 28.

The Eagle Way

Parents, we would like to share a tip with you that we have also shared with our teachers this week.  It’s called “Q-TIP” and it means Quit Taking It Personally.  This tip is from an organization called Conscious Discipline.  Q-Tip reminds us to see a child’s behavior as something that happens in front of you, but not to you.  That can help you shift your mindset from frustration, fear or blame to relationships and connections.  Speaking of connections, Conscious Discipline offers a definition of 4 elements of connection: eye contact, presence, touch, and playfulness.  Check out guide to the elements of connection and reflect upon how each one plays a role in your family and in your relationships with your own kids.      

Carnaval Break

Next week there will be no school as we will have our Carnaval break. We wish all our families a joyous holiday full of connections with family and friends. See you back at school on Monday, February 19.  

Upcoming Important Dates

Feb 6	PTA Board Meeting (1:00 pm Room E12)
Feb. 9	LS Carnaval Assemblies; Storyteller Assemblies
Feb. 12 - 16	No School - Carnaval Break
Feb 19	Semester 2 After School Activities Begin
Feb 20	PTA Book Club (1:00 pm Room E12)
Feb 27	1st Grade Field Trip: Toca da Raposa Parent Coffee (8:30 am Auditorium)
March 6	PTA Board Meeting (1:00 pm Room E12)
March 9	LS Community A Assembly (8:15 am Auditorium)
March 13	PTA Book Club (1:00 pm Room E12)
March 16	LS Community B Assembly (8:15 am Auditorium)
March 19/20/21	3rd Grade Field Trip: Republica do Lago
March 20	2nd Grade Field Trip: Toca da Raposa Parent Coffee (8:30 am Auditorium)
March 21	Half day of classes (students dismissed at 11:30am)
March 23	LS Community C Assembly (8:15 am Auditorium)
March 24	Graded Run Against Cancer

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