Circus Week and Character

November 17, 2015 | Posted in: Class Updates

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We’re midway though a terrific week in room 209!  On Monday, we got to watch an AMAZING performance by the National Circus Project.  (I live-tweeted photos and videos from the circus.)  What was particularly incredible was that the performance was an introduction for the fourth graders.  Since that performance your fourth grader has been working to master some amazing skills that they first saw performed in Monday’s show.  I’ve had the opportunity to see a few of the different performances, and I’m really impressed by how quickly and thoroughly the kids are mastering these skills!  On Friday afternoon, fourth graders will perform for the whole school, and I hope you’re planning on coming to the kids’ evening performance on Friday night at 6:30pm.  All the fourth grade teachers will be there for the fun, and I can’t wait to see the kids show all they’ve learned.

Curious why we’re working on the circus in school?  Well, besides the fact that it’s AWESOME (C’mon, don’t we all wish we’d had a similar opportunity when we were kids?), Circus Week has given the kids an amazing opportunity to learn teamwork, perseverance as they learn a new skill, problem solving, and so much more.  These are definitely key life skills that will influence their academic success now and in the future.  Additionally, our school’s character focus this month and next month is on the pillar of fairness.  This is a terrific time for us to have the circus, since we’re able to discuss questions of fairness, such as who got their first choice for parts in the circus, why some roles are harder or easier than others, etc.  In class, we have a set meaning of the word fairness.  (Ask your child if he or she remembers it!)  We say: Fair doesn’t mean that everyone gets the same thing.  Fair means that everyone gets what he or she needs.  It may not be the most elegant definition, but it works for us!  In Circus Week, this means that some kids may have an easier or harder skill to practice, and that’s fair, because everyone got a skill that’s right for them.