A central party of each and every day is Hello Meeting. It is a key component in our Social Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum and is essential to building the classroom community that is core to the Barrow experience. We start every day with a Hello Meeting, which typically includes the following four elements, each of which has a specific message it delivers:
Greeting
Our daily Greeting provides an opportunity to recognize and acknowledge the presence of each individual member of our classroom community by greeting everyone by name. The message is: It is important that you are here.
Sharing
Sharing takes various forms and provides children the opportunity to make themselves known to the community while learning about each other. The message is: What you bring to the community is important.
Group Activity
Group Activities such as group games and songs bring us together and unite us as a cohesive unit. The message is: It is important that we are together.
News and Announcements
During News and Announcements, we read the Morning Message, Schedule, and share any other important information about our day together. The message is: What we do here together is important.
While a seemingly simple process, Hello Meeting has a truly profound impact on each child individually and on the classroom community as a whole. It sets the tone for our time at school together, one that is respectful of all members and which unites us in shared goals and purposes. The sequence is thoughtfully and intentionally planned, working from the individual level to the group level and positioning everyone to feel welcomed, valued, and positioned to thrive.
Questions to Ask Your Orange Room-er
(These are meant to be fun discussion prompts to use with your child… do not be concerned if they can’t or won’t answer any particular questions… it’s not a quiz!)
1.) What “Hello Songs” do you sing at Meeting?
2.) What were some things on today’s schedule?
3.) What mistake did Brian make on the Morning Message?
