This year students are working to explore each of the five Journey of a Highlander competencies: adaptive learners, communication, creative and critical thinkers, empathy, and responsible collaborators. Throughout the month of October, students in fifth-grade have focused on empathy. On Tuesdays, our morning meetings have consisted of discussing empathy and the importance of understanding others’ feelings, opinions, and experiences. Classes discussed how to recognize emotions in others and ways to show empathy for others throughout the school day.

Students celebrated the autumn season by creating individual “empathy” trees where they identified ways to show empathy for others while at school. These empathy trees have been displayed on students' lockers for the month of October to serve as a reminder of the importance of showing empathy and caring for the interest of others in our daily lives.