During the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic, one big area of change was the focus on keeping within our smaller "pods" of students and staff. While this worked to keep us healthier, and in school, the social interaction and community feeling of the building was impacted.
As a way to improve our feeling of community, build stronger peer-to-peer and student-to-staff relationships, and have fun at school-Harrison has implemented "Husky Half-Hour."
The idea of a smaller group of students with a lead staff member is often times seen in middle and high schools as part of an advisory group. The staff member is often times not the classroom teacher a student sees daily, but can be any member of the school staff. This gives students another trusted adult to turn to when needed. Our first year has been a success!
Each week, students from across grade levels go to a specific room to meet with their Husky Group. This allows for students of all grade levels to interact, building relationships, and work together to accomplish a task. Some times, there are building wide activities that each group does-like building gingerbread houses. Other times, there is a theme: kindness, respect, etc., and activities to support the topic. Sometimes, it is just to visit and get to know each other.
Here are what students have said they appreciate about Husky Half-Hour this year:
- Getting to be outside more!
- Coloring, playing games, making things!
- Building gingerbread houses for the contest.
- Playing uno, trash, and other new games.
- Time with a different teacher.
- Talking and getting to know other groups of people
- Extra art time!!
- Doing crafts and origami.
- Working together.
- Making up team names
Staff also shared that they enjoyed getting to know students who they haven't taught yet, or who had taught in the past. They love how when walking down the hallway, staff and students can say, "Hello" other people who they might not normally interact with. What a great way to build community!
We plan to continue Husky Half-Hour next year. Keeping groups the same, but with the new batch of third graders joining us, as the former 6th graders have moved to the middle school. This will allow relationships to continue to grow over the years.
Above-Husky groups outside playing a variety of games
Above- A Husky group builds a structure off of the nature trail
Above-Two husky groups explore the nature trail on a beautiful spring day!