Tolerance through Education Initiative
Welcome to School: Helping Kids Belong
About the Program
The Program Goals
Welcome to School: Helping Kids Belong is a program specifically designed to be presented in today's third-grade classrooms by a lawyer. The goals of the program are:
- To help make elementary schools safe and welcoming for students.
- To tap the vision and energy of lawyers interested in helping to create such schools.
- To promote the positive community profile of the American Bar Association while enhancing the quality of life for a school community.
Why A Program for Third-Grade Students?
Third grade is a strong social benchmark for many students. Third-graders like to know and understand the rules and ideas that order their world. They enjoy thinking, talking about and solving social issues. Most important is the emergence of the idea of "community." For many third-graders, the concepts of truth, right, wrong and especially fairness that were once abstract, now find "real world" context in the social life and challenges of a classroom, learning groups, team games and sports, home, and community life
Welcome to School: Helping Kids Belong is a match for the skills and interests of typical third-graders. The program takes advantage of the respite before the storm of physical changes that will soon be upon them. The ideas of respect, consideration and kindness that are taught now will help them negotiate the challenges that lie ahead in the final years of childhood and the early years of adolescence.
As a result of the program students will:
- develop a value for a classroom and school environment that is welcoming and respectful of fellow students.
- explore norms and influences that affect belonging at school.
- generate and practice words, actions and strategies that promote a classroom and school environment where all students feel welcome and respected.
- promote respectful relationships with peers.
What is the Role of the Lawyer/Facilitator?
The Lawyer/Facilitator is one of the key elements of the program design. He/she will serve as a role model for students by demonstrating:
- willingness to be a learning and community resource for students and teachers.
- commitment to helping create welcoming and respectful schools for students.
- interest in establishing a relationship with students based on trust and respect.
- thoughts, attitudes and actions of a respectful person.
- promotion of the civil rights of all human beings.
What's in the Program?
The Facilitator's Guide contains the three classroom lessons, integration notes for presenting and debriefing the video clips, and an appendix that contains tools and strategies for successfully presenting the program. It is strongly recommended that you review these appendix materials to help you effectively work with your third-grade audience.
The Program Video serves as a trigger and model for classroom discussion. It carries the thematic thread of the program and helps to move the activities at a quick and engaging pace. The video also presents scenarios related to the lesson themes that challenge students to collaborate and problem-solve regarding the issues of belonging and showing respect for others.
"The Child In Me" CD is a recording of the Program Video theme song. The CD also contains a track with only the music and can be used for other creative classroom projects by both students and teachers.
"The Child In Me" sheet music is also provided.
