With an intention of reconnecting our easel work to the observations of nature in the Front Yard, I sat back and watched to see what the children remembered about mixing colors with palette knives on palette paper to match the color of their photos of nature. Clemmy: I will need red and yellow. Teacher Katherine:…
Snack and flowers from home are a wonderful way to share yourself with friends. It’s a connector to the comforts of home and to the new friends at school. Children sit with Roxanne to make the snack menu and decide how many of what item should be on the menu. They practice their drawing and…
At Reflection Meetings, we are talking with the West Wing children after our visits to the East Wing. We’re wondering about the feelings that come up as we visit and play in this new area. Lily: Happy because it’s different. And a little bit scared. Estelle: A little scared. Arrow: Excited to move to…
Back in April, we learned that Greyson’s family was moving to Texas in June and we started thinking about saying goodbye. Teacher Amy: At the end of June, our friend Greyson is moving to Texas. The teachers were wondering if you would like to work on a surprise goodbye gift for him to take to…
Welcoming is one of our core values. As the time for the New West-Wingers to have their play dates approached, we began to reflect with the children about some ways to make someone feel welcome. Teacher Adriana: I wonder how we can support the new West Wingers and their families to feel welcome in our…
Following up on “I NOTICED SOME OF THE BRANCHES ARE DYING.” – MILA We came up with the best words to invite Michael Jimenez to support us with our big tree in the Front Yard. The children’s next step was to actually write the letter. They took turns writing. Some of the children were challenged…
Hello East Wing Families, This week we will begin visiting Beethoven Elementary School in small groups to familiarize ourselves with the upcoming graduation ceremony. During these small visits, we will tour the auditorium, check out the kindergarten yard, and practice being on stage. Starting the week of June 25th, we will begin graduation rehearsals…
We meet in the Communication Center and read the story written by the other group of children the previous day. The story isn’t complete and as a group, we plan to add to the story and support the resolution of a conflict between the family and the wolf. After hearing the story, Coco had…
We have strong dramatic players in the West Wing and the teachers are making a conscientious effort to reflect on the children’s play with them to support the recognition that dramatic play is a form of storytelling. As we capture their play in words, we highlight the power of words to hold memories and emotions.…
“Connecting a Community” was presented by Cindy and Jennifer at East Wing, Parent-Presentation Night last Wednesday. This presentation revealed teacher observations and intentions for bringing a classroom community together in an empathic awareness. Through videos and photos of the evidence of this work playing out daily, the parents who came reflected on how they saw the…