This semester we have seen so many sweet friendships bud, bloom and bring confidence, a sense of belonging and true happiness to so many of your children. Learning how to communicate with peers, how to navigate conflict, speak up, initiate play, integrate into a group or find our voice within the circle are no small things.
A sense of belonging and being seen doesn’t require a bunch of friends; it often requires just one or two friends that let us be ourselves. If we want to work towards collaborative and project-based learning, it requires this essential social-emotional learning that Woolly Bears are practicing each day.
We see this happen in small acts every day:
- A friend noticing a child alone and inviting them to build a worm palace.
- A friend holding another’s hand when they are scared to cross the stream
- A friend gifting a drawing to a new friend as an expression of love
- A dandelion handed to a friend just because they think they’re special
In this year-plus of pandemic and isolation, the value of friendship and connection, especially for kids, is a precious gift.
We could go on about all the fun things and projects we did this week but today it really feels most important to share about the biggest lesson of this week: friendship!
—JJ, Julie, and the Forest K counselors
May 14, 2021