Council is a long-running tradition at Walgrove Elementary. It is a practice of creating community and connection with one another (and new insights and growth for ourselves) as we sit in a circle to “listen from the heart” to our friends and “speak from the heart” to them. Many teachers at Walgrove use Council circles in a variety of ways in their classrooms, and, at Walgrove, we also offer a voluntary lunchtime Council for students every Friday. This is facilitated by parent volunteer Susan Derby, with support of teacher Ms. Rose—both have experience with and training from nonprofit organization Ojai Foundation regarding the practice of Council. The Friday lunchtime Councils are offered to 4th and 5th grade students almost every week, while 2nd and 3rd grade students are invited to join the group every other week. We have many “regulars,” and some students who drop in once in a while; all are welcome, and no one is ever pressured to commit (we all know how valuable lunchtime and recess are!). If your child attends the Friday Council or has attended, we hope that she or he finds it to be an enriching end to their school week! And if your child is Council-curious, please let them know they are welcome to check it out anytime. And for interested parents, a great 8-minute video from the Ojai Foundation about Council in the school setting can be found here.

Council meets weekly on Fridays.