Week 2 documentation: Aug 24-28
The East Wing children are returning to school with memories of their West Wing schedule. We are now working on learning a new routine and, with this in mind, we asked the children, “What is the same and what’s different about our return to school?”
Aloe Veras:
Presley: We used to eat out there all together (in the middle courtyard). We have new materials too, like the stamps.
Uma: Remember, I used to bring community snack?
Poppy: Everything is different at school now.
August: Because of the virus, that’s why it is different. Like the classroom, like we now have a wall in the middle.
Santi: Yes, but we can still see the friends.
Levi: We are not in the West Wing anymore. We are not all together yet. We are the East Wing.
Mia: We have backpacks now, and we have facemasks.
Hudson: I walk in with my backpack, and put my backpack on the X and wash my hands and put my backpack in my cubby.
Presley: We didn’t used to bring a backpack and now we have our backpacks. I like mine so much.
Mia: When we were in the West Wing, only Poppy used to have a backpack.
Presley: In the West Wing, we didn’t wear masks.
Basils:
Everly: All the teachers, Cynthia, Adriana, Susan and Amy, we moved from that classroom (the West Wing) to this class (the East Wing) but there are two classes on this side.
Susan: Do you remember what that classroom is called?
Tallulah: The West Wing.
Keaton: Now we’re in the East Wing.
Penny: First when I came to my school, my mommy and daddy got to check out the school. They told me the name of it, and I went to it, and it was all the teachers. Susan and Cynthia and Adriana and Amy and now there’s just two teachers.
Tallulah: We don’t have a snack menu because we bring our own snack.
Mira: My mommy made two snacks for me in my lunch bag.
Golda: We go through a different door to get to the New School-West.
Everly: That group goes through the other door (alley) and we come through this one (front yard).
Mars: This classroom has new cubbies.
A schedule gives us safety in routine, a reference point to re-center ourselves, and a tool we can use to feel empowered to know what is coming next. As we build routine in these first weeks with the children, we hope they gain a sense of security and predictability as the schedule becomes familiar. We also hope this will allow them to focus on being present in the moment. By sending home a copy of the schedule, the children can revisit it with you and share their new routine with its differences and similarities to the old one.
Reminders for Next week!!!:
- With the West Wing children starting next week, we will be strictly adhering to designated drop off and pick up times.
- Basils on Venice 8:00-8:30
- Aloes in the Alley 8:30-9:00
- Please make sure to send your child’s emergency bag to school. If you’ve sent it already, thank you! This includes a change of clothes, a family photo and note about staying with the teacher until you come, and a flashlight with separate batteries.
- Remember to send your child’s things in their backpacks to be taken home and cleaned daily. This includes extra clothes, masks that fit or are adjustable (at least 6), a wet bag, filled water bottle, sunscreen (that can be applied on their own).