Coming upstairs. When we built onto Prairie Creek in 2009, we didn't mean to create a metaphor for growing "up" when we put the 4/5 classes on the second floor but it was evident that was how kids felt as they came up the stairs for the first time as fourth graders. They are the "big kids" now.
We often see a change in kids over the summer between 3rd and 4th grade. Students are more independent. They are more able to manage their feelings. They are able to shift gears between being silly and serious more purposefully. They are more aware of the needs of others and more able to articulate their own needs successfully. 4th grade is a big deal.
These are nascent skills, to be sure. Sometimes kids are more independent at school where the positive influence of their peers motivates them. Home is a safe place (which we want it to be) and it can also be a place where kids do things (or don't do things) out of habit. Your fourth grader is ready to take on more responsibility including waking up with an alarm clock, getting breakfast and lunches ready for themselves, doing laundry, helping with cooking and cleaning, and managing things like paperwork in the backpack express. Whew. That's a daunting list. It won't happen day one and there will be mistakes, but your child is ready. More importantly, your child will take great pride in all that they are able to do now.
And what about those 5th graders who arrived upstairs a whole year ago? Fifth grade is often a year of refinement. Fifth graders are able to see opportunities for growth in themselves and can set goals to tackle challenges. (Fourth graders are often just surprised at what they can do!) 5th graders are often able to see the slightly bigger picture. In groups, they'll figure out the steps between Point A and Point B or they'll corral the team to get to work even though the deadline seems a long way away. Fifth graders are also gaining an deeper understanding that what might be easy for them, might be hard for someone else (and vice versa). They have more empathy and they are really good at encouraging each other.
We talk a lot these first months about "4/5 Skills." "Fourth and fifth graders are able to laugh at a joke and get back to work." "Fourth and fifth graders are ready to take things out of their backpack express." "Fourth and Fifth graders are ready to have snowball fights and gauge when they need a break." "Fourth and fifth graders can work independently around the school and stay on task." "Fourth and fifth graders can check the weather and choose the right gear for forest school." There may be a bit of aspiration in some of the skills we talk about but it's good to set a high bar and, in my experience, fourth and fifth graders often soar over it.
I've been waiting a long time for these kids to come upstairs. I'm so glad they've arrived.
Below are some scenes from our first day. Students did a lot of work getting to know each other - designing surveys, conducting interviews and sharing stories about Habits of Mind they used over the summer.
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