Building the Cunniff Community

As we pause this month to remember the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, we are reminded of the importance of community. Dr. King frequently spoke about our collective need for a united, thoughtful, and committed community if we are to build the just society he envisioned for us. Similarly, in education, we know that being part of a strong, welcoming community helps children learn and grow. At the Cunniff, we are particularly lucky to have a community that is diverse both culturally and linguistically. We are also fortunate in the opportunity we have as a neighborhood school to build strong home-school ties for our children. Our task, then, is to design lessons that will make the best use of these strengths to help our children be the citizens we want them to be.

To this end, this month, we will be beginning the "homeside" component of our new, school-wide social curriculum, "Caring School Community". Designed to parallel the work we do with the children in school, the Homeside Activities provide a structure for families to share meaningful conversations with children. By asking children and adults to take the time to tell the stories of each family, we send several messages: families are important in making us who we are, each family is a uniquely valuable part of a larger community, and bringing family stories to school enriches our school. We also let children know that we value who they are and where they come from. Listening to and re-telling stories aloud, sometimes in other languages, help children develop the thinking skills they will need for their academic work, such as listening, sequencing, remembering details, and telling a compelling, interesting story to an audience. Finally, sharing theses stories with their classes means that the children can become the teachers, spreading the learning in even more, valuable, and sometimes unexpected directions.

Here are the "Homeside Activities" in a nutshell:
*Assignments are sent home once or twice a month.

*Children are asked to sit with an adult and share stories related to a given topic.

*No assignment should take more than 15 or 20 minutes.

*Family members are encouraged to share the stories in their native language. (We all express ourselves best in our native language.)

*There are no "Right Answers."

*Children then share the answers with their classes. They use these stories to reflect on both similarities and differences in our school community, to problem-solve effective ways of working with one another, and to appreciate different perspectives.

Research tells us that a strong home-school connection helps children feel a greater sense of belonging, and as a result, learn better. It is our hope that the Cunniff families will embrace the activities in this new program. We, here at school, look forward to the promise this initiative offers to strengthen an already rich community.