“Good Morning, Everybody.” “Good Morning, Jim.”

And so, the circle begins. Each member of the class has an opportunity to greet the members of the circle, no one is skipped, resulting in all being welcomed for the day. This is one of the many ways to begin the First Community Circle.

Why a greeting? One of the goals of Community Circle is to acknowledge each person in the room, each and every day creating community within the class. It also allows teachers to get to know each student and forge stronger connections.

But a circle to just say hello? Of course not; following the greeting the circle then participates in a “share”. Only a few months into the school year, the shares are relatively simple: favorite color, favorite food, one thing you do in your spare time. As the year progresses these shares will become more complex allowing our students to create stronger connections with their classmates.

The share is followed by an activity. While these may seem like games, they are actually well-constructed exercises that encourage cooperation between peers, taking turns, and self-control, all skills that can be applied in the classroom.

The final component of the circle is the daily message; this is important information the children need for the day ahead.

As important as academic content is, meeting the intellectual, social, and emotional needs of our students is equally important. Learning how to cooperate, communicate, listen, and demonstrate self-control are all part of being a successful, contributing member of our classrooms both socially and academically.

Our goal is to ensure each member of our community feels included and valued the moment they walk on campus; a connected community is a vibrant community.

This article originally appeared in the 2019 Moravian Academy Fall Journal.