Project Overview

Kindergarten students built upon their knowledge of identity and community helpers by engaging in a project focused on getting to know and showing appreciation for members of the BB&N community.

The children made a list of BB&N staff members whom they felt were not always noticed, thanked, or recognized for their hard work. The list included bus drivers, nurses, maintenance staff, administrative assistants, and much more. Having learned about the concept of people packages earlier in the school year, the students understood that it was most important to get to know who these members of our school community were on the inside. They explored and discussed what it means to interview someone, watched examples of professional interviews, and conducted practice interviews with surprise guests.

After developing their interview skills, the students each selected a BB&N staff member to personally interview. Next, they carefully crafted interview questions designed to help us learn more about these staff members, their role in our school community, and their interests and passions outside of work. Once the interviews were completed, the students decided to create an appreciation gallery to celebrate these important members of the BB&N community. Having studied and created self-portraits in the fall, the children used their prior experience, as well as a multiple draft process with peer and teacher feedback, to create portraits of and carefully written biographies about their interviewees.

The project culminated with a gallery opening, where the parents, students, staff, administrators, and teachers came together to honor and thank these special members of the BB&N community. The community members featured in the gallery expressed that this project made them feel more appreciated, and they were touched that more people now knew their names and stopped to ask them questions about their lives.