November 2, 2022
You may have heard your child talk about morning meetings, but do you know what they entail or the positive impacts they have?
Through this daily routine, students develop important social and emotional skills by actively engaging with one another, naturally building a sense of community within their classrooms.
Each year, Bondurant-Farrar teachers see their students develop through this practice.
"I find so much value in starting our school day with a morning meeting,” says Miss Wendy Garton, first grade teacher of Morris Elementary. “Students are actually building and practicing many important skills that are needed for academic and personal success.”
What does a morning meeting look like exactly?
At Bondurant-Farrar, it is a 15-30 minute meeting that takes place in each K-6 classroom at the start of the school day. The routine includes time for students to greet each other, share something about themselves, participate in a class activity, and understand how it ties into their teacher’s morning message - typically centered around lessons like kindness, compassion, friendship, responsibility, gratitude, belonging, managing emotions, and conflict resolution.
“Our morning meeting helps cultivate a safe, welcoming environment where students know they are seen and heard. Students are more motivated to learn when they feel valued by everyone in the room,” said Garton.
By starting the day this way together, it sets a tone for respectful and engaged learning in a climate of trust, builds meaningful connections among students, and merges academic, social, and emotional learning.
Ask your child about today’s morning meeting to see what lessons they learned!
