Dear Families:
This year the fifth grade will be evaluating personal responsibility in a number of ways. To kick off the conversation, we asked our students to think about how personal responsibility has evolved with age.
For example, when students were in first grade, they may have needed help packing their backpack, tying their shoes, or opening a water bottle. But, by fifth grade, they may be more than capable of completing those tasks independently and have possibly started to take on more challenging tasks.
Through small group lessons and a grade-level activity, we created an idea of what this should look like now, and/or what students should be working toward as they begin their preparation for middle school. Later this spring, we look forward to sharing with you how fifth graders’ ideas about personal responsibility have evolved.
Please feel free to discuss this further with your child, and, if appropriate, discuss ways to help your child grow their level of responsibility. This is a great opportunity to collaborate on this process, as building independence is a process!
Sincerely,
Jessica Greene, Jamie Jaffe, Meghan Curran, Erin O’Donnell, and Andrew Deane
School Counselor + Fifth Grade Team
Sample Answers Grade 5 students shared during our activity:
Grade 1: Adult woke you up in the morning
Grade 5: Use an alarm clock
Grade 1: Adult helped pack your bag for the day
Grade 5: Pack your own bag and own snack
Grade 1: Teacher checked that you turned in homework
Grade 5: Bring your own homework back and place a reminder on your desk if you need help
Grade 1: Teacher reminded you to bring your iPad and other items from class to class
Grade 5: Bring the right materials each day. Write a checklist or note to help you with this.
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