It was a fun night on Venice Blvd. this week. Roleen, Kris, Amy, Cindy and Jessica set up the front yard to welcome the public into New School-West for the Mar Vista Art Walk. This season, we decided to display our work on self-portraits. We create self-portraits with children each year in an effort to…
Journals
“I know this kid.” – Josephine
The West Wing children are starting to have appointments in the Front Yard this week. The children are eager to work in this wonderful outdoor classroom. The teachers have been working with small groups and introducing the different areas available within this space. Also, it is a communal space where we meet children from the East Wing.…
“Maybe if we make it out of clay…” -Dashiell
To encourage community building among the children, we usually begin our appointments by asking a question and getting them to express their ideas so they can listen to one another. Theo G.: It’s a machine Dashiell: When the bugs go all the way up here, it turns into Pac Man Bea: Can you do it?…
“Let’s make it go in a loop!” – Sol
Since last year, this group of children has shown a huge interest in testing the different ways an object travels. They have formed relationships that make collaboration inviting. Here, they are trying to figure out how a ball can travel through a loop. Sol: Let’s make it go in a loop! Cooper: Ok, I…
“This is the forest.” -Remy
In the West Wing, strips of paper were laid out without adhesives (tape or glue) as an invitation to explore together, allowing players to change the story as it evolved at the Communication Center. As strips were squeezed, rolled, twisted, torn, and bent, aspects of the story took shape. Remy: This is the forest. Archer:…
“It’s not moving.” -Julien
Last year, the current East Wing children investigated how motion, force, and incline interacted in their racetracks and boobytraps. As they tested race cars, they noticed how easily they moved down the ramps yet struggled to move up varying slopes. During reflection meeting, they described the obstacle they encountered. The discussion with peers elicited feedback which…
“Your fingers are really good carving tools.” -Emmaline
In the East Wing, we have brought the clay out. I wanted to see how the children would use the clay they are familiar with if they had only their hands as their tools. Working in groups of six I observed how the children interacted with the clay as well as supported them with added,…
“Oh, I’m so tired of peeling this orange!” -Isla
Sammy Lou brought Pirate Booty and mandarin oranges for Community Snack last week. Everyone was delighted with their choices. And sometimes, delight and friendship are all we need to push us through our challenges. Isla: Oh, I’m so tired of peeling this orange! Maddie: I can peel for you! I’m a fast peeler. M.J.: I’m a fast…
“It looks like a waterfall from Isla to me.” -Everly
“Pass the line to a partner”. With this simple and open ended invitation, a group of children sat down in the West Wing with charcoal and a large piece of paper to play a game. Archer: A curly line is like a path. Ozzie: First you go straight then bonk, bonk. It makes a zig-zag…
In the beginning of the year, we are mainly focused on connecting children with each other in relationship. To do this through materials and with intent, we introduce water, liquid food coloring, and droppers to the children as an avenue to explore the different hues and values of color in an open-ended way. The children squeeze, pour, combine, and measure as they observe other’s discoveries and share their own as a basis for making connections with each other. This introduction is our beginning to exploring with paint mediums such as tempera, acrylics, and watercolor. As researchers, the teachers are wondering how children might connect color with their life experiences. How will those experiences influence the connections we make with one another and as a group? -Cindy, Atelierista
