Community is built through shared experiences and the recognition of yourself in others. To begin the year together, the EW teachers proposed a question to the group of children and adults. The answers were then transcribed by volunteer parents or the teachers. The process includes identification of self by attaching your photo to your response. Here is our process:
- We find our photo and glue it to the 3×5 card.
- We tell our stories for transcription by a parent or teacher.
- We attach it to the wall to remind us of the experience.
After the stories have lived on the wall for a while, we gather all together in an afternoon meeting and play a guessing game by reading them and seeing how well we know each other. We plan to continue this throughout the year.
The parents and teachers asked children: “Tell us about your Summer.”
Lola: I went to Orlando. I went in the pool. I practiced when I was a baby.
Mason: I went on an airplane to San Francisco. Jet Blue airplane.
Crosby: I played so many games with my Mommy and my Ipad.
Lily: I went to this hotel that has a pool and the game place and win prizes.
Luscia: I went to a game room and played a game with a jar with candy. I got lots of fun and I get to stay in the hotel and it was fun.
Caitlin: Playing with lots of games with my friends and swimming in the pool.
Listening to the summertime experiences caught the children’s memories like wildfire, ‘pool, games, pool and game, game, game and pool’. We anticipate deepening connections through shared experiences in our daily work and we hope the children will grow closer in community as they design games and build pools from unexpected materials. Will they remember their Summer fun and imagine themselves into each other’s memories?