Classroom Meetings

            Classroom meetings occur once a cycle for the kindergarten, first and second grade classes and generally last 30-40 minutes. Classroom meetings are time for students to share information about what is going on in school and an opportunity for the counselor to deliver information about the character word/theme of the month. The theme of the months for the 2006-2007 school year is as follows:

September: Good Manners	October: Responsibility	November: Gratitude
December: Kindness	January: Goal Setting	February: Friendship
March: Courage	April: Perseverance	May: Honesty
June: Personal Wellness

Class Meetings provide students with the opportunity to participate in a group exchange of ideas in a respectful, caring atmosphere. To prepare for the meetings students assemble in circle so that anyone and everyone can be seen and heard. Guidelines are simple and reviewed at the beginning of each meeting. They are: 

• Raise your hand when you have something to say
• Respect one another by not interrupting. Interrupting means talking or whispering to a neighbor, leaving the circle without permission or speaking when you have not been called on.
• Keep your hands and feet to yourself.

By following these guidelines we establish a safe place to express thoughts and feelings and engage each student in the learning process.

The following are some of the main purposes for which class meetings are useful.

Class Meetings:

·        assist in personal growth

·        help students resolve conflict

·        help improve academics

·        unify the class

·        serve as a classroom management tool

·        offer a forum for recognizing and celebrating class accomplishments

·        provide an occasion for enjoying each other’s company

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