FUESD holds second 'Portrait of a Graduate' meeting

On April 28, the Fallbrook Union Elementary School District held the second in a series of Zoom meetings in order to discuss what skills the community believes eighth grade students need to possess in order to achieve success.

The meeting was led by Stephen Fuji and Erica Siddle from Battelle for Kids, a non-profit dedicated to helping school districts all over the country transform their school systems for success. Battelle for Kids has helped to identify goals for school districts and help the schools adapt to the changes of the 21st century to better serve the students.

The meeting was attended by staff, students, parents, and community members. All attendees had the opportunity to speak their mind and talk about what strengths they believed were important for eighth graders to possess at graduation. For example, some attendees valued empathy in the classroom while others valued collaboration or adaptability.

The goal of these meetings is to discuss the competencies students need to thrive now and in their futures. The attendees were also able to discuss their hopes and dreams for the students, and what they want to come out of the meetings.

One hope Fuji has is that through combining rigorous academic content and a positive mindset, the students will be able to achieve a deeper, more cohesive learning experience.

"A deeper learning is in everyone's reach," said Fuji.

By combining the visions of FUESD staff, students, parents, and other supporters, the school district hopes to be able to teach students the skills needed to achieve deeper learning in the community which will help them to be more successful in future endeavors.

There will be a third "Portrait of a Graduate" meeting scheduled at a later date to continue the process of transforming the school district.