At the beginning of each year, our students learn about the agreements and expected behaviors through the Class Constitution, a set of agreements that allow us to have shared pictures of how our class system should work. In Pk, K and 1st grade, we relate each agreement to an animal in order to have a visual reference. First, students get to know each of these animals and their related behavior. Then, we role play and reflect upon how we can behave like that animal in everyday situations. Finally, we draw the animals and choose a living space to recreate the class as a living environment. These are some examples of animals from the Class Constitution and their related behaviour:
The owl: I respect the moment to be silent, when someone makes the silence signal or when someone else is talking.
The giraffe: I follow Instructions.
The meerkat: I maintain good posture when sitting down.
The dog: I respect my classmates, teachers, and other people around me by being courteous and practicing the Golden Rule: Treat others the way I would like to be treated.
The bee: I do quality work, giving my best.
The kangaroo: I take care of my personal belongings and those of others.
….and this year, we have a special surprise for our students! Let’s welcome the new animals that join our Class Constitution! In Pk and K, the turtle and in 1st grade the chameleon and the cat. All of them relate to our Biosafety Protocol: the turtle has a protective shell that keeps its body safe; the chameleon can adapt to different environments and the cat takes special effort to be always clean and tidy. We embrace these new animals with optimism, understanding that adjusting and being aware of change can help us take care of ourselves and others around us.
Click on the link below to see some images of our class Constitution and the beautiful art works that our students produced.
Margarita Gaitán Preschool and Lower Elementary Virtues Development Coordinator
Resumen: Al comienzo de cada año, nuestros estudiantes aprenden sobre los acuerdos y comportamientos esperados a través de la Constitución de Clase, un conjunto de acuerdos que nos permite tener imágenes compartidas de cómo debería funcionar nuestro sistema de clase. En Prejardín, Jardín y Transición relacionamos cada acuerdo con un animal para tener un referente visual. Durante la clase se presenta cada animal y su comportamiento relacionado. Después, hacemos juego de roles y reflexionamos sobre cómo podemos comportarnos como ese animal en situaciones cotidianas. Finalmente, dibujamos los animales y elegimos un espacio vital para recrear la clase como un entorno viviente. ¡Damos la bienvenida a los nuevos animales que se unen a nuestra Constitución de Clase!
En Prejardín y Jardín, la tortuga y en Transición, el camaleón y el gato. Estos animales están relacionados con nuestro Protocolo de Bioseguridad; la tortuga tiene un caparazón protector que mantiene su cuerpo seguro, el camaleón puede adaptarse a diferentes ambientes, y el gato se esfuerza siempre por estar siempre limpio y ordenado. Le damos la bienvenida a estos nuevos animales con optimismo, entendiendo que adaptarse y comprender el cambio puede ayudarnos a cuidar de nosotros mismos y quienes nos rodean.
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