Community Traditions
Any school that is almost 100 years old must have some ongoing traditions. Here are some of Community's:
Family Style Lunches:
Every day all children eat in the Community Center. Lunch is served family style, seven students to a table, with one adult, who serves food, talks with the children, gently reinforces good manners and encourages them to try at least a bite of all the different kinds of food being served.
6th Grade Responsibilities:
Sixth Grade is a very important year at Community, one that children look forward to from the time they arrive. Sixth graders become the models for the rest of the school, and take that responsibility very seriously. Other charges include: helping with daily dismissal; raising and lowering the flag every day; running Thursday assemblies; providing extra help for special events, such as Open House; and substituting at lunch tables to help serve younger students.
Public Speaking:
One of Community's strengths is the focus on public speaking. From the very youngest grades, children receive frequent opportunities to speak in front of others in both small and large groups. Students often speak in front of their classmates to deliver oral reports. Once a month at lunchtime, all students with birthdays that month stand and announce their birthdate. Each Thursday morning is a schoolwide assembly, run by sixth graders, with one or two classes speaking or performing something they have been studying. All these experiences lead to confident, capable speakers.
Multi-Age Family Groupings:
Each year, Community School creates small cross-grade groups of students who meet regularly to interact and do projects together. "Families" are generally made up of one student from each grade, SK through Sixth, and one or two teachers. Activities may include sharing a favorite story, designing placemats for a homeless shelter, creating Valentines for social service agencies, or collecting canned goods for a local food pantry.