Dear Family,
Grade 1, Theme Four
We have come to the fourth theme of Fully Alive, our family life program. Because the partnership of home, church, and school is so important, this letter is written to let you know what we talk about in class, and to offer some ideas for your involvement.
About Theme Four
Theme Four of Fully Alive is called “Growing in Commitment.” Each one of us is challenged to grow in commitment to God and to each other. This is part of what it means to be fully human. The best way for children to learn about commitment is to grow up in a loving and committed family. Knowing that they can rely on the commitment of others helps children learn to be dependable, to keep their word, and to make wise choices.
In Theme Four we will
• examine how we depend on our families, and what it means to be dependable • discover that promise is a special word that has to be used with care
• explore how we make choices and the meaning of consequences
Working together at school and at home
• In our classroom, we will be learning about being dependable, and how each person makes a contribution. Even young children can contribute at home with small chores — putting away toys, helping set the table, feeding the family pet. Let your child know that you rely on her or his help.
• Children often think that promise is a magic word. In our classroom, we will be talking about using this word with care. At home, you can encourage your child to save the word promise for something he or she has thought about and is sure can be done.
• We will also be discussing choices and their consequences. Young children need lots of opportunities to make simple choices — which t-shirt, what kind of sandwich — and to experience the consequences. Learning to make choices and to be aware of possible consequences is a long process. You can help by encouraging your child to think before choosing and to consider the possible consequences.