Sense of Belonging
Sense of Belonging is the sense of being accepted, valued, included and encouraged by others – teachers and peers – in the academic classroom setting. Fulton teachers teach this skill through Student Success Skills lessons using Rethink Ed.
Family Activity
Families can join in on building the skills of students by engaging in activities listed in Rethink Ed (StudentSuccessSkillsActivityAccess-viaRethinkEd.pdf) or any of the below activities:
- Create a Family Mission Statement Together: As a family, discuss and write down values that represent your household. This can include words like "respect," "kindness," "support," or "inclusion." Encourage your child to share what values are most important to them and why.
- Identify Belonging Moments: Ask your child to think of times when they felt accepted, valued, or encouraged by others at school. Discuss what happened, who was involved, and how it made them feel. For example, a time when a friend helped with homework or when they received positive feedback from a teacher.
- Role-Play Positive Interactions: Role-play various scenarios to practice skills that build a sense of belonging, like introducing themselves, inviting someone to sit with them, or offering help to a peer. This gives them confidence to foster inclusive interactions in school.
- Weekly "Belonging Check-In": Make it a weekly habit to check in with your child about how they're feeling in terms of belonging at school. Ask questions like, "Did you feel included in any new way this week?" or "Is there someone at school you’d like to get to know better?" This encourages your child to be more mindful of their own sense of belonging and ways they can create belonging for others.