“There’s Mail Inside!” — Leon
Once the children in the Dandelion group collaborated on an initial idea for the West Wing , we started with a few sturdy cardboard boxes — some bigger, some smaller — that Cindy from the Cilantros had found for us.
Cary: I think we need the big [one] for the mailbox.
Marcel: Yeah, the big.
Eddie: Big and big and big!
Emma: No, that [smaller] one. The big one is too big.
Cary: I want the big one.
Emma: No!
Cary: Yes!
Emma: No!
Dana: Well, let’s think about what we need for our mailbox. What types of things need to fit inside?
Emma: Notes for the Cilantros.
Cary: And notes for the Dandelions.
Dana: How big are the notes that we send?
Marcel: Not too big. They are paper.
Eddie, using his hands to demonstrate: Like this.
Dana: It looks like those sizes of notes would fit in either box. Let’s look at the space where we decided to put our mailbox and see which fits the best.
Marcel carried the large box over to the counter and placed it on top. The box fit width and lengthwise — but we realized that it was so tall that we couldn’t open up the cabinets above.
Marcel: Let’s try the small.
Cary: I can do it. Here. It fits!
Emma: See, I told you. The small one works the best.
Eddie: Okay!
Next, we needed to create the doors that could open and close.
Dana: Which side of the mailbox will we make the doors?
Cary, pointing to the long sides that were parallel to the counter: These!
Dana: How will we open and close them?
Eddie: I can’t reach! It doesn’t open!
Emma: This [plexiglass divider] is in the way.
Marcel, pointing to the shorter sides on the end: Maybe these will work.
Eddie: Yes! Those work!
The group realized that they had to make a change in their original design to fit the space. With this adjustment in mind, we got to work cutting the doors. The Dandelions had practiced with the handsaws before, so the children put on safety glasses and took turns sawing the cardboard.
Later that week, another small group met in the Mini Studio to decide how to finish the mailbox.
Evyn: Maybe we can paint it.
Emma: Maybe we can paint it purple. That’s my favorite color, you know.
Evyn: I know that!
Dana: You know, I remember yesterday after rest time, Silvana, Leo, and Wiley were telling us how much the Cilantros love the color purple too.
Emma: And maybe Emme too! Maybe Emme loves purple.
Evyn: And maybe Copper.
Emma: And maybe all of the Cilantros.
Evyn: Let’s paint it purple!
Leon: Yeah!
Ana: Can I paint too?
Evyn: Yes, Ana, you can!
We first applied a layer of Gesso to the box, before mixing different shades of purple with acrylic paints. We tested out a couple of different recipes for purple: blue and red make purple; blue and red and white make light purple; blue and red and black make dark purple.
Once the paint was dry, we took the box outside and placed it on the counter between the Cilantro group and the Dandelion group.
Eddie: Cilantros! There’s a mailbox!
Marcel: Here!
Leo: Look!
Eddie: Here! Here it is!
Spencer: It’s a mailbox.
Wiley: Thank you!
Leo, opening and closing the door: Is there mail?
Cindy: I don’t see any mail in there right now, but we can check again later.
The children in the West Wing check the mailbox each day, discovering all of the notes and drawings that are being sent back and forth.
Leon: There’s mail inside! Cary, [this one is] for you.
Cary: And this one is for Olivia. Olivia, a note for you!
As the children continue to send notes back and forth through the mailbox, we wonder how this method of communication will help them make new connections and develop new relationships. What messages will they send? What questions will the notes ask? And, in answering them, what will we learn about each other?