Sixth Graders Discover the Power of Connection

9/30/2022

With nearly a month of school under their belts, the sixth grade class is off to a joyful start.

Taking bonding and connecting to a whole new level, the students participated in a series of community building, values-based activities as a whole grade, in their four separate advisories and then also in mixed quintets throughout the grade.

Sixth Grade Dean and middle school performing arts teacher Katie Meadows explained, “We started our journey as a class by asking the questions: “Who are we? Who do we want to be? How will our values guide the choices we make this year?” Assisting her during the activities and workshops were sixth grade advisors Jennifer Rathkopf, Mark Tamucci, Brittany Farrar and Dan Russo.

One of the students’ favorite moments was the silent birthday line-up, an activity where students had to line up in their birthday month order on Graduation Terrace but without speaking.

Hunter Smith ’29 found it fun and helpful.“Some people used random hand signals (to communicate) and we had to figure it out. It was kind of like charades,” he said. “It was hard to do but it was a bonding experience.”

During the “Who are we?” workshop, a curious Lorenzo Zapata ’29 enjoyed learning fellow classmates’ stories. “I got to know a new kid named Rohan and I found out he was really smart and nice and fun to be with.”

During the skit performances, Avi Kinon ’29 spoke about her group’s collaborative take on the importance of “kindness” as a value. “I really liked working with my other classmates because there were so many ideas to bring to the table and everyone was excited about it,” she said.

Ellie Sykes ’29 recognized the importance of making meaningful connections. “When you get to a new school, everything is kind of scary,” she said. “With these activities you could meet new people easily.”

Meadows was proud of how the sixth grade family walked into the gatherings with an open heart and an open mind. “I was impressed by how the students and collaborating faculty courageously jumped into the deep end of the pool with this important community building work!”