Each year the nursery students get partnered with an eighth grade “big kid” buddy. Throughout the year, the older students pair up with the younger ones for a variety of activities, like building a gingerbread house together or sharing story time.
“The JK students were thrilled to have a chance to reconnect with their buddies,” says Lower Division Director Nicole Johnson. “These relationships are meaningful. Every year, the eighth graders set a beautiful example as mentors for the younger students, and these friendships will certainly last past graduation.”
Technology has played a crucial role in maintaining these traditions and fostering a sense of community between the grades, while staying safe. Though this year the nursery and eighth grade students could not gather for their annual gingerbread house project, they instead connected over Google Meet and shared a festive snack and stories in their respective classrooms. They also have held virtual “dance parties” on holidays and during Community Time.