“Community is the internalization of the other as a value, enabling the construction of common values and shared meanings. The conscious choice of a common destiny, sharing knowledge and understandings, fears and hopes.” –Children, Spaces, Relations
Jessica observed Cookie making a paper chain in the back patio this week: 12/7/10. Thinking the children would enjoy learning this skill, Jessica asked her to share it at the gathering circle in the East Wing.
Cookie: “I remember from last year in the West Wing we had them. I cut paper and bent them and then taped the paper together.”
Sadie B.: “We can use it for decorations for the Holiday Show!”
Owen: “I’m going to make a pattern: white, yellow, dark pink, light pink…”
Sadie B.: “I’m going to make a pattern with dark pink and light pink.”
Lucy C.: “We can attach them together.”
Laurel: “We attach them together and then it will be a long chain.”
Cookie: “Don’t forget to attach mine!”
After awhile the children are talking about how long it is. Jessica asks: “I
wonder how many there are?” Sadie Jade and Lua start counting.
Sadie Jade and Lua: “1,2,3,4…..26,27,28,29” (small pause and Laurel joins in)
Laurel: “30,31,32,33” (now all 3 girls are counting together)
Laurel: “65. There are 65.”
Sadie Jade: “It’s like a bracelet.”
Owen: “Bracelet for a giant.”
Laurel: “Come on! Let’s make more.”
Owen: “I got green paper. We need green for Christmas tree color.”
Sadie B.: “I got pink.”
Laurel: “I need tape. Who could get me tape?”
Lucy C.: “Here you go.” (handing Laurel some tape)
After a few more minutes they look at it on the floor and notice a
shape. They do some adjusting.
Laurel and Lua: “It looks like a heart.”
Laurel goes to the door and asks Yoli to look.
Yoli: “Wow! You have all been doing a lot of work.”
Laurel: “Yeah! We did it together. We want it to hang across the
room so when the parents see it they say, ‘Wow! Look at the big chain
our kids made at the communication center.”
Lua: “It feels so good to work together.”
It’s an easy connect to view the classic paper chain as a delicate link to one another. Following this dialogue, I am reminded by the eagerness of the children to join together in pursuit of a common goal of our whole school’s uniqueness. Making relationships through languages (verbal, material, and kinesthetic) is as much learned from the children as the children learn it from us. It’s our environment, your parent involvement, the relationships with community, staff and teachers that weave together to support this hopeful and highly regarded gift of community. Happy Holidays, Friends. It does feel so good to work together. -Kris