We welcomed Marley on ground this week in the Cilantro group! In our morning meeting the children, went around and introduced themselves to Marley. As teacher Silvana spelled out Marley’s name, a few children connected that they too have the same letters in their name. The teachers shared with the group that Marley showed interest in the sea animals at the beach area, the purple shiny treasures from the composition shelf, and the keys in the House Area. Marley revealed his favorite color by showing the friends the new colored LED lights in the Magnet Corner, orange! We discussed how in the beginning of the school year, some of us started New School-West without knowing each other. Now we have formed friendships. Marley then went around and gifted each Cilantro a special stone wrapped in a small white baggy, solidifying the beginning of new relationships.
In the Middle Courtyard, we have been collecting scrap papers in our recycle bin. Last week, the children began shredding them into separate bowls, added water, and created several colors of paper pulp. This week, they were introduced to a few new tools to extend the experience; turkey basters for spreading the pulp, rolling pins for flattening, and shammies for squeezing our excess water. After some work, they created a large oval sheet. The children noticed how delicate this stage is and are excited to see what it will feel like when the pulp dries.
The Cilantro group has found the garden to be a place for a peaceful retreat in our busy day. Since our first encounter planting our cilantro seeds, the children have made quite a connection to the small corner of the school and seek it out during our appointments in the sand area. At first, their wonders were about the scents of the plants and we would spend time gently rubbing leaves and testing all the aromas, with the mint and lemon grass being their favorites. After checking out our vermiculture bin, the group was thrilled at the prospect of holding the worms and soon began to search the garden for other living creatures. Recently, the children have been tending a few beds and planting veggie seeds. Having had the pleasure of tasting cilantro leaves and seeds, mint, and a few ripe strawberries, they want their planted seeds to grow for all of New-School West to enjoy. To let the other groups know what has been planted, and where, the children have been using sculpey clay and wood to create signs for the garden. After a lot of sculpting, drilling, and sawing, we have completed a few signs and were able to place them in their beds this week. There is still work to be done and you can check out the progress as you walk past the garden along the fence on May St. Thanks to Ramon, Oona’s dad, for cutting wooden pieces that worked perfectly for the signs the children made.
When the children frequent the garden, they often share their curiosity of the Front Yard and eye the structure. Cindy noticed that on one of our Sand Area days, there is a portion of the morning when the Woodchip Area is empty. She connected with the Aloe Vera and Dandelion pods to coordinate a time to see if we could visit. The next day, we surprised the children and invited them all to explore uncharted territory. Many of the children tested their climbing skills on the triangular rope ladder that hangs from a tree. They extended connections when they pulled each other up on the slide and as they climbed onto the tires attached to the side of the play structure. One of their favorite parts of the Wood Chip Area was the suspended hammock. The children negotiated their turn to swing in it and quickly learned that climbing in and out of the hammock was a bit harder than it looked!
Birthday!
The Cilantros continue to celebrate birthdays and party, party, party! We celebrated Colette’s 4th birthday with a pizza party! The children linked pink and yellow love loops and attached their small ID pictures to show their connections to Colette. Card making is a way for children to express their love. Their birthday creations have been so creative! With endless opportunities to explore materials, the children are more intentional about how to design and pursue their plans. A new design has been to cut hearts in half so full hearts can have more than one color. For Colette, pink and green were combined because, as she’s mentioned, “my family is Greene.”
Birthdays are special times for many of us. A time for us to stop and receive loving and caring attention. They are a chance to fill us up. We invited all of the Cilantros to share a favorite memory that they have of Colette.
Aminata: I like playing house with you and I love it when you’re on the bike and you pull me on the scooter.
Copper: I like playing with you at New School-West.
Emme: You make me feel better when I am sad.
Jack: I like it when you take care of me in the House Area. I’m the big brother and you’re the mom. You put the blanket on me when I’m sick.
Leo: I like playing bad guys with you in the Sand Area.
Oona: I like to play baby dragons with you in the loft.
Wesley: I like swinging with you on the monkey bars in the Sand Area.
Wiley: I like building castles and a city for bears in the Building Space.
Cindy: I enjoy doing morning exercise with you and dancing the Hokey Pokey.
Julia: I love seeing all the different costume pieces you combine to wear while playing in the Middle Courtyard.
Silvana: I love your strength and how you link your friends together on the bike chain.
The celebration of Colette’s birthday continued on when we projected Colette’s parents, Dominique and Ryan, on the wall for a special read aloud of the crowd favorite, After The Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again). Afterwards, a second viewing was revealed. The children were stunned! Dominique organized a surprise recording of someone extra special to Colette, her aunt Gigi! She read one of their favorite books they like reading together, Madeline.
In the New School-West tradition of sharing a birthday book with the community, the Greene family generously donated two birthday books to add to our New School- West Library — You Matter and 111 Trees. A special photo and nameplate were put in the book to remember the occasion. Thanks to Colette’s family for planning an amazing day! Our hearts and tummies are full!
Attached are both recordings of Colette’s parents and her aunt Gigi.
Enjoy the Peek At The Week’s photos!
