September brings new faces to every room at Rise Above. Some children moved up to a new class. Some are walking through our doors for the first time. Our project for the month is I Am Unique, and it gives every child a warm way to meet the friends they will spend the year with.
The month starts with each child. Teachers ask what a child loves, who lives in their house, and what makes them light up. Children draw their families and trace their own hands. Saying out loud what they love gives every child something to share.
Then the sharing turns into connection. Teachers make room for the moments when children discover something they have in common, because that is how a first friendship takes hold.
Strong relationships are the real work of September. Children are learning the names of new classmates, the rhythm of a new room, and the teachers who will care for them all year. A child who has a friend glad to see them at the door starts the whole year on steadier ground.
Our teachers follow the children’s lead with this project. One room may build a family tree together. Another may map the neighborhood, or share the greetings children hear at home. The direction depends on what our children get curious about, and every path circles back to knowing one another.
At home, you can join in. Ask your child to name one thing a new friend is good at. Talk about who they sat beside today. Tell the story of the day your child was born.
