4th and 5th graders did a wonderful job defining the difference between a disagreement, rude moment, mean moment, bullying behavior, and how we stand up for others! Please enjoy this lengthy yet talented acting video 🙂 We hope you all have an amazing summer break!!

“Which debate is that?” you might ask. Well, actually, it’s lots of different debates. Every week a new question arrives in our school magazine The Week Jr. and is posted on the library bulletin board. Fifth graders are invited to choose a question and offer their opinion with supporting ideas. Here are some of their thoughts on some of these questions so far:

Should we bring back extinct species?

The consensus at this point has been NO. Harper imagined that “Dinosaurs milling around and stomping on things would be very destructive” with Louie echoing a similar concern that “some animals are so dangerous that they could kill people” while Ruby thought we ought to “focus on protecting the endangered animals right now.”

Should we stop singing at movie musicals?

A big YES – as in PLEASE STOP – on this one. Fatima is clear that “it ruins the movie” and Alyce agreed that it is “unfair to the people who paid to hear professional people sing.” She suggested that singers “watch the musical on a streaming service.”

Should pets be allowed on the furniture?

Everyone seems to agree that YES is the answer here. Parker pointed out that this makes it so “you can pet them while watching TV.” Otherwise, Celia argued, “you would have to lay on the cold ground and then that defeats the purpose of having furniture.”

Is it ok to have a messy bedroom?

Ruby argued that “everyone has their own way of knowing where stuff is.” Harper pointed out the importance of feeling a sense of control and “by having the decision if you want a messy or clean room, that is somewhere to feel your control of something.” Bree observed that “most people don’t have motivation to clean and should get robots to clean.” And thinking of robots…

Should robots work in restaurants?

On this question, students were divided. Elliott thought this would provide a “cool experience” but pointed out the robots would need to be “under control.” Snerika argued that robots would be “more efficient” and that “they could be programmed to be told food allergies” but then Celia worried there could be “a malfunction in the robot and they put nuts in a person’s food.”

Stay tuned for updates – or swing by the library to read ALL the responses!