Lower School Students Show Courage at Friday Afternoon Meeting

“This FAM was important because we were talking about Martin Luther King Jr.,” said Pavit R. '36. “He wasn’t getting treated well, so we wanted to learn more about him.”

For over twenty years, FAM has been a Bush tradition, giving students an opportunity to express what they’ve absorbed in their primary classes and practice speaking in front of a crowd.
 

“FAM community time is valuable to the Lower School for many reasons,” said Second Grade Teacher Saadia Genc. “One especially meaningful aspect of FAM is that it is completely student-led. There are no adults introducing the students, sharing the content, or offering a reflection at the end. Instead, the presenting students welcome the Lower School, share their program, and close by thanking the community for attending. This structure fosters a strong sense of ownership and pride from start to finish.
 

“Also, it's an opportunity for students of all grades to inspire one another through their creativity, the content they share, and their courage, and for everyone to leave feeling a bit more inspired and more connected as a community,” Saadia added. “These days, if we can create opportunities for inspiration and connection, that's everything.”

Each grade is assigned a specific month to present at FAM, with Fifth Grade taking the lead, followed by the younger grades.
 

“The FAMs showcase what students are learning in their curriculum and often highlight standout lessons, such as Fourth Grade’s experiential unit on Mount St. Helen’s,” said Second Grade Teacher Cecily Metzger.
 

At this month’s MLK Jr.-centered FAM, students shared what they discovered after reading the award-winning classic Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. They discussed figures from the Civil Rights movement, including Rosa Parks and Thurgood Marshall. To conclude the informative FAM, Second Grade students shared their own hopes and dreams for the future, taking inspiration from MLK Jr.’s famous I Have a Dream Speech. A couple of the heartfelt hopes were:

“I have a dream that all immigrants should stay, no matter where they come from,” shared Gus R. '36. “This dream is important to me because not all of my family is from here. I can make this dream come true by handing out posters and writing about how immigrants help make our communities a better place to be.”

 

Sylvie S. '36 shared, “I have a dream that more people will use Ridwell Recycling. Ridwell is an organization that recycles things we can’t put into the recycling bin. This dream is important to me because it will help prevent people from sending things to the landfill when they can be recycled or reused. I can make this dream come true by talking to people about Ridwell.”

FAM is an excellent way for students to build the courage to speak confidently in front of audiences of various age groups, while providing parents a glimpse into what their children are being taught in the classroom. Although public speaking can be a new and tense experience for the Lower School student, they’re more empowered to speak publicly in the months to come.
 

“I am in awe of the students' ability to present at FAM,” Cecily said. “I’ve shared with them that when I was growing up and even now, I would be scared to stand up and speak in front of the entire Lower School student body and parents. At this age, we really try to encourage them to be more independent."