Our objective, which we always will pursue, is to create an amiable environment, where children, families, and teachers feel at ease. . . at home. Loris Malaguzzi Do nothing without meaning. To live is to find the meaning of life. Carlina Rinaldi It was a night long overdue and it was great to…
Persona dolls offer the children opportunities to act out real life incidents and experiment with role playing. In the East Wing classroom, we have introduced dolls named Hector, Jane, Jill, and Sylvester and given them background stories. We use these characters during morning and afternoon circle time to play out common encounters and to encourage…
COFFEE WITH ROLEEN AT THE MESSINA HOUSEHOLD 4/16 As the group gathered in a room overlooking the beach, pecking at the amazing line-up Kristen laid out before us—fresh squeezed orange juice, frittata, strawberries–conversation turned to the bane of modern family existence: technology. “Help, we have a situation,” a parent lamented. “My child has a tantrum…
Happy New Year, Friends. I hope you’re having a wonderful holiday filled with enough down days to really reenergize youselves as we look ahead in our plan for good things to happen in the new year. On Tuesday, the children will be back to school and into the routines that, in many ways, settle us…
The children are working through most of our wood stores: stacking, angling, shimming, joining and wedging everything they see at the woodworking table. If you have any scrap wood left from an old project, please drop it off with Sam in the Front Yard. If you’ve got some interesting wood scraps you want to give new…
Last year Tamy wrote: Establishing New Traditions While Honoring Old Ones By Tamy Cohen (mom of Sadie morning WW and daughter of Barbara “Bapa” Polland You’ve raised an issue that is a topic in our home this year also. Our daughter, Sadie, is now starting to ask Santa questions.
I was sent a fantastic “Ask Roleen” question about Hannukah vs. Santa this time last year and reached for two of my Jewish ECE colleagues for response. Sadie Jade’s mom, Tamy, followed up with her version of the story which adds another dimension. Here it is again for you to enjoy. Don’t forget you have…
I had just arrived back to my motel last Friday night after a long 8 hour day consulting with a group of 50 directors, teachers, and ECE college professors in Monterey about the Values of the Reggio Approach. Checking my e-mail, I clicked onto NSWParents to view the latest blog entries. It was filled with…
Dear Roleen, My child is going to a kindergarten next year that none of his NSW friends will be attending. What should I be doing to get him ready for the transition? Signed, A Little Worried Dear Worried, Change really brings up a lot of feelings. . . for all of us. . . and…
Dear Roleen, My daughter loves to suck her thumb. Ever since we went to the dentist a few months ago, and he discussed with us the need to stop, she has been sucking her thumb even more. The pediatrician recommended a reward system to encourage her to stop (a calendar with stickers), which didn’t fly. I know it…