“What’s unique about my body is I like my heart.” This week, Junior Kindergarten social scientists connected with classmates, and their 4th Grade Buddies, about visible and invisible identities. Students read a range of books about bodies, and practiced talking about how everyone has a body and everyone’s body is good. Students considered their body’s flexibility, strength, and skills, and also thought about their insides and a compliment they could give to their body: “My body is good at going to the park.” “My body is fragile.” “I’m really fast and strong.” “I can get all the way to the end of the monkey bars.” They shared with classmates and teachers about hair, skin, family members and names, and also talked about how pronouns are a way we refer to people when we don’t use their name. Some of us are girls and we say “she,” others are boys and we say “he,” and some in our community aren’t a boy or a girl and we say “they.”
For Identity Week at school, students also practiced interviewing. JK students practiced asking a classmate the question, “Good afternoon [name], what’s unique about your body?” then listening for the answer. Then each JKer was interviewed about themselves by their older Buddy in 4th grade. Buddies time allows 4th graders to model leadership, and practice expressing care and interest for younger students in our community. 4th Graders designed and led the interview, note-taking about their younger Buddy’s responses and making connections. JKers relished being interviewed individually, and got to practice things like telling details, and spelling words with sounds they know. (“I need support! I don’t remember how to spell my mom’s name.”) With opportunities to write, read, ask, speak and listen, all of us live out our Commitment to Community & Belonging in ways big and small at school.