Esti and her parents like to go on bike rides and have tea parties.

Emilia makes green salsa for chilaquiles with her mom, but she has to drink a lot of water when she does because “it’s a little spicy.” Gaia and her family like to do “beautiful dances.” And Riz and his family play tennis together and like to watch soccer. All these things are facts that these 3PreK students told their classmates during their recent family sharing time.

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Family sharing is a new activity this year in Alise Anderson and Melinda Canfield’s classroom. The idea behind it is to build a sense of community among the students as they embark on their school careers and begin social interactions outside of the home.

“Sometimes community is just this word people use. But when you're really trying to form a community, the basis of that must be an understanding and sharing of one another,” said Alise. “By introducing us to their families, the kids get a sense of each other, and the community doesn’t feel forced, but rather thoughtful and meaningful.”

Watching the kids realize they have more things in common than a classroom is incredible.—Alise Anderson, 3PreK lead teacher

The structure of the activity is simple: The student introduces the family members they have brought in or allows them to introduce themselves. Then the children take turns asking questions. The queries are also relatively simple, about activities the family enjoys doing together, or foods they like to eat, if they have pets, or what games they like to play. As the answers come out, children listening in the circle are encouraged to give signs if they also like the same things or have shared the same experiences.

“Watching the kids realize they have more things in common than a classroom is incredible,” said Alise. “You see them warm up to each other and also understand themselves and their own identities better.”

While the questions may be simple, the answers are not. They open doors to the broad range of experiences and backgrounds of the families that make up Rowland Hall. Many families choose to share their cultural heritage and customs they observe at home. Emilia’s parents, Zyanya and Matthew, brought in books about Mexico City and California and told the class that the family speaks Spanish at home. Riz’s parents, Radhika and Rajiv, spoke about how their family celebrates Diwali and explained the different foods they eat during that time.

“I wanted him to take pride in that and help him know more about his own culture, and I wanted other students to know about it too,” said Radhika. “It was an opportunity to discuss our heritage because that's a part of him.”

Family sharing time isn’t just about getting to know each other. It’s a hands-on lesson in communication. “There is definitely a social-emotional component,” said Alise. “They are learning how to listen, they are learning how to ask questions, and they are learning how to interact.”

Having parents there for support can make it easier for the children to interact and learn these lessons, especially if they may feel unsure at first. “Emilia is very observant. She likes to observe before she takes action,” said Zyanya. “Before we went in, she said she wanted us to introduce ourselves. Once friends started asking questions, she opened up and took over the conversation, which was a big surprise.”

The ideas of talking and listening were the origin of the family sharing activity. This summer, Alise attended the Better Together conference, a professional development event put on by Rowland Hall centered around the idea of creating and sustaining a sense of belonging in schools.

“Sometimes in the world, we are very divided, and jump to conclusions or assume things about people. There's really not a lot of listening happening,” Alise said. “I came back and thought about how I can make a change in my classroom and create a space where conversation happens by learning how to ask questions, and equally learning how to listen to the response.”

Alise and Melinda modeled the type of listening and responding the students would be doing by being the first people to bring their families into the classroom early in the school year. It was a bit of an experiment as neither knew how the students would respond, or if they would even participate. But the results were exactly what they wanted.

He was so excited ... and that made it more special for me as well. I think he was very proud and excited when we were there.—Radhika, mother of 3PreK student Riz

“That experience was enlightening because when my wife came in and I introduced her, I felt giddy doing it,” Alise said. “Then, when we were having dinner that night, we were talking about it, and it felt so special. And then imagining the children getting that, it was this lovely thing.”

It is indeed a lovely thing for the children. “I didn’t know if I could be there because I had to work,” said Riz’s mother, Radhika. “But he was so excited that he wanted me to attend, and that made it more special for me as well. I think he was very proud and excited when we were there.”

The students are also excited to bring home facts about their classmates to share with their families. “Emilia would share with us that so-and-so’s family came and brought their baby brother,” Zyanya said. “I think it’s been important for her to know the families of her classmates and also have the experience of doing it too.”

The parents grow their knowledge of the makeup of the class, too, beyond what their children tell them. Melinda has put photos and quotes from each family sharing on the class SeeSaw page so the families can learn more about each other. And the parents additionally benefit by being able to spend time in the classroom.

“We didn’t jump right into it, so we got to see a glimpse of what happens at circle time in the classroom,” said Zyanya. “I appreciated being able to hear the songs and see the kids go through their daily ritual and how they interact with each other.”

Family sharing is more than a classroom activity; it’s a reminder that every story, meal, and song shared brings students closer together. In learning to listen with curiosity and kindness, they’re discovering that real connection grows through the simple act of sharing who we are.

All from a handful of simple questions.

Belonging