Connecting Through Movement and Words

This September, students in Early Childhood began building connections across ages and cultures, learning with and from one another through dance and reading.

Connecting Across Grades: Book Buddies

The Book Buddy program kicked off this fall, pairing students in Early Childhood and Middle School for reading sessions every other week to foster community and mentorship. For our youngest students, the program brings excitement to their reading and literacy work, as well as forms special relationships between the youngest and oldest students at our 86 campus. For our middle schoolers, being a reading buddy builds a sense of responsibility for others and gives them the opportunity to be role models for our early childhood students. The relationships between the students extend beyond the biweekly meetings, and middle schoolers have opportunities throughout the year to take on additional leadership roles and strengthen their connections in EC through service projects and events like the Holiday Fair.

Connecting Across Cultures: Bharatanatyam Dance

As part of their dance curriculum, first graders welcomed Malini Srinivasan, a third-generation Bharatanatyam artist and the founder of the Gitanjali Dance School. She has earned critical acclaim as a soloist and has presented Bharatanatyam (classical Indian dance) to audiences across the U.S., India, and Europe. A longtime collaborator with Grace, Malini introduces students to India’s classical dance tradition to students through presentations and interactive workshops. This first-hand engagement with this important aspect of Indian culture sets the stage—literally and figuratively—for a deeper and more meaningful experience for students’ classroom study of India.