Wish List
At last week's parent potluck, we posted a school "wish list" for supplies and materials for the children's projects and big ideas. It's listed below if you find yourself doing some weekend cleaning or garage sailing.
Additionally, another big wish we have is help with fundraising to send the MVS staff to a variety of valuable professional development opportunities throughout the course of the year. In the coming weeks, we will be adding a section to our website where families and community members can view the specific courses or trainings we are saving up for. From there, we hope that this section will enable viewers to donate directly, or assist us in raising the funds needed to attend. We will keep you posted, and thanks again for your continued support!
We could use....
Small tables for art
Small benches or stools
Used boat sails
A work bench
Aprons or smocks
Baskets (any and all sizes)
Large rocks
Soil: potting/compost
Planters, window boxes
Screwdrivers
Hammers
Screws and nails
Vices/clamps
Hand drill
Blocks of wood (leftover/scraps)
Milk crates
Digital camera
Video camera
Tubes, pipes, gutters, etc.
Funnels
Have another idea? Let us know!
Redirection: Just Say No?
This month you may have noticed the belief statement that's been posted in the main hallway (downstairs, to left of the first door). If you haven't taken a moment to give it a read, we hope you will! These guiding principles get to the heart of why we do what we do here at Mountain Village School. Today we'll focus specifically on one component of that statement: "We believe that children are competent and capable."
This is a pretty broad category, and we could go any number of directions in discussing the vast capabilities of young children. In fact, we've hit on this topic before in regards to children getting dressed on their own, choosing snacks for themselves, cleaning and helping with chores and the like. But, there are many ways of looking at capability, and fostering that capability means taking some time to reflect on the ways we interact with children.
One of the popular methods that many adults use to help guide children through challenges or social conflicts is the concept of "redirection." In short, redirection is essentially a way to pull the child away from that which is causing conflict or upset feelings and re-route them. In a word, it can be about using a distraction. And here's the truth: We have all done this.
Picture this: A family is out enjoying a beautiful early summer day at the playground. The smallest family member, age 2, is romping around and having a blast. The toddler finds themselves in the sandbox near another child who is playing with a dump truck. Upon seeing the dump truck, that little 2 year old seems to magically morph into a different person altogether; tugging the truck away from the other child with all her might, insisting, "Mine, mine" and shouting at the top of her little lungs. Mom quickly runs over, and enthusiastically says, "Hey! Guess what I just saw?!? A real garbage truck around the corner! Come on, let's go see!" Parent and child skip away to see the garbage truck, and a crisis is averted! No tears, no hitting, no biting...the day is saved. Well... maybe not so much.
The problem with the above scenario is that in the redirection, there was a lot of missed opportunity. The skipping off to see the garbage truck was effective, but only in doing one thing: Avoiding that one tiny problem in that one tiny moment. Imagine again, sitting at your desk at work, mulling over a difficult project. You're getting nowhere, you feel a little hopeless, and there is no way you're going to make your deadline. Your head droops into your clammy hands. Wouldn't it be great if your boss swooped in and shouted, "Hey! Forget about all that and come check out the garbage truck outside!!! It's so stinky, you'll love it." It's just not how the world works, and you would have come no closer to an actual solution to your problem...plus I don't know many adults who enjoy a stinky garbage truck, but I digress. No distractor comes in to save us from the daily challenges we encounter as adults, so why is it that we use this tactic with children? For the most part, we likely do it because it's easy and efficient. But, redirection does not instill confidence in a child's capability to work through a difficult situation, nor does it allow for the development of skills like emotional intelligence, self regulation, perspective taking, etc.
Janet Lansbury, whose work we've referenced here in the newsletter before, is the author of several books, including Elevating Child Care and No Bad Kids, has quite a lot to say on the matter of redirection. Lansbury tells us that redirection wastes opportunities for our children to learn from conflict. Additionally, when we redirect a child, we generally don't guide or coach them through the reasons why the choice they were making was inappropriate, or remind them of the expectations. Furthermore, redirection does not promote a sense of "being present" or aware of the situation that was unfolding.
Building and trusting in a child's capability, means slowing down and calmly addressing issues and conflict as they arise. And that's not a simple thing to do! It takes time, patience and empathy, all while perhaps feeling a little overwhelmed, confused, or even embarrassed. (Eeek! My child is the one at Shaw's having a total fit!) But when we stop for long enough to run through the the what and why of a situation with a child, it helps them make connections and build understanding. And maybe most importantly, it shows your love and the respect you have for their competency and capability.
To read more on redirection and approaches that better serve children, check out Janet Lansbury's blog here.
Win some "Let's Grow Kids" Swag
Be on the lookout this week at school for a chance to win a "Let's Grow Kids" t-shirt, stickers, buttons and more. (Seriously folks, this is one mighty nice t-shirt). There will be a short and sweet quiz you'll find near the entrances this week. Most correct answers wins!
Classroom Happenings
Infant I: We have a lot of developing movement in the Infant I room. Many of the babies are now rolling themselves onto their bellies, but feel a little uncomfortable and unsure of just how to get back over to their backs. Instead of simply "adjusting" the babies, the teachers are allowing the children the space to learn this skill on their own, and supporting them when they become frustrated. Another concept the kids are working on is using gentle touches when approaching a classmate.
Infant II: A wonderful week and a lot of fun! Last week we explored yellow paint with our bodies, and this week it was a blue/green mix. Not only was the color different, but the texture was significantly different: more chalky and almost paste-like. The sensory feeling was very interesting to the children. They painted with their hands, toes and bellies and even mixed and shook the colors by themselves. The warm weather has also led to some wonderful wardrobe choices, such as bathing suites and rain boots, which seem to be two of the children's favorite things. This week many of the kids have starting investigating the potty. The class is talking about the potty, and thus far over half of the class has tried sitting on the potty.
Toddler I: Toddler I was very excited to welcome a new student to the room as it says farewell to two students moving along to Toddler II. This week it has been all about rocks and bugs. The class recently read Hey Little Ant, a story about a child who wanted to squish an ant. Outdoors, the kids have been watching and touching caterpillars, ants and beetles and moths. Rocks have been used for all kinds of imaginative play, including making macaroni and cheese. The class has also enjoyed the new setup of the play structure in their classroom.
Toddler II: A new room configuration meant lots of exploration in the classroom. Scarves in the music area meant some fort building, where the children crawled, sat, and tested out the "roof" with different objects for sturdiness. They all seemed to enjoy when the roof caved in. During circle time the class is working on politely waving and saying hello when the others greet them.
Pre-K: Jen has truly enjoyed getting to connect with all of you through parent-teacher conferences in the past two weeks. It was wonderful to spend more time with parents to share and discuss the strengths, struggles, hopes and dreams of both you and the children. The Pre-K kids have been gardening in the front yard's raised beds. They will continue to learn about seeds and plants in the coming weeks.
As Seen at MVS
Thanks for Reading
Enjoy the summer sun out there! -Sam
At last week's parent potluck, we posted a school "wish list" for supplies and materials for the children's projects and big ideas. It's listed below if you find yourself doing some weekend cleaning or garage sailing.
Additionally, another big wish we have is help with fundraising to send the MVS staff to a variety of valuable professional development opportunities throughout the course of the year. In the coming weeks, we will be adding a section to our website where families and community members can view the specific courses or trainings we are saving up for. From there, we hope that this section will enable viewers to donate directly, or assist us in raising the funds needed to attend. We will keep you posted, and thanks again for your continued support!
We could use....
Small tables for art
Small benches or stools
Used boat sails
A work bench
Aprons or smocks
Baskets (any and all sizes)
Large rocks
Soil: potting/compost
Planters, window boxes
Screwdrivers
Hammers
Screws and nails
Vices/clamps
Hand drill
Blocks of wood (leftover/scraps)
Milk crates
Digital camera
Video camera
Tubes, pipes, gutters, etc.
Funnels
Have another idea? Let us know!
Redirection: Just Say No?
This month you may have noticed the belief statement that's been posted in the main hallway (downstairs, to left of the first door). If you haven't taken a moment to give it a read, we hope you will! These guiding principles get to the heart of why we do what we do here at Mountain Village School. Today we'll focus specifically on one component of that statement: "We believe that children are competent and capable."
This is a pretty broad category, and we could go any number of directions in discussing the vast capabilities of young children. In fact, we've hit on this topic before in regards to children getting dressed on their own, choosing snacks for themselves, cleaning and helping with chores and the like. But, there are many ways of looking at capability, and fostering that capability means taking some time to reflect on the ways we interact with children.
One of the popular methods that many adults use to help guide children through challenges or social conflicts is the concept of "redirection." In short, redirection is essentially a way to pull the child away from that which is causing conflict or upset feelings and re-route them. In a word, it can be about using a distraction. And here's the truth: We have all done this.
Picture this: A family is out enjoying a beautiful early summer day at the playground. The smallest family member, age 2, is romping around and having a blast. The toddler finds themselves in the sandbox near another child who is playing with a dump truck. Upon seeing the dump truck, that little 2 year old seems to magically morph into a different person altogether; tugging the truck away from the other child with all her might, insisting, "Mine, mine" and shouting at the top of her little lungs. Mom quickly runs over, and enthusiastically says, "Hey! Guess what I just saw?!? A real garbage truck around the corner! Come on, let's go see!" Parent and child skip away to see the garbage truck, and a crisis is averted! No tears, no hitting, no biting...the day is saved. Well... maybe not so much.
The problem with the above scenario is that in the redirection, there was a lot of missed opportunity. The skipping off to see the garbage truck was effective, but only in doing one thing: Avoiding that one tiny problem in that one tiny moment. Imagine again, sitting at your desk at work, mulling over a difficult project. You're getting nowhere, you feel a little hopeless, and there is no way you're going to make your deadline. Your head droops into your clammy hands. Wouldn't it be great if your boss swooped in and shouted, "Hey! Forget about all that and come check out the garbage truck outside!!! It's so stinky, you'll love it." It's just not how the world works, and you would have come no closer to an actual solution to your problem...plus I don't know many adults who enjoy a stinky garbage truck, but I digress. No distractor comes in to save us from the daily challenges we encounter as adults, so why is it that we use this tactic with children? For the most part, we likely do it because it's easy and efficient. But, redirection does not instill confidence in a child's capability to work through a difficult situation, nor does it allow for the development of skills like emotional intelligence, self regulation, perspective taking, etc.
Janet Lansbury, whose work we've referenced here in the newsletter before, is the author of several books, including Elevating Child Care and No Bad Kids, has quite a lot to say on the matter of redirection. Lansbury tells us that redirection wastes opportunities for our children to learn from conflict. Additionally, when we redirect a child, we generally don't guide or coach them through the reasons why the choice they were making was inappropriate, or remind them of the expectations. Furthermore, redirection does not promote a sense of "being present" or aware of the situation that was unfolding.
Building and trusting in a child's capability, means slowing down and calmly addressing issues and conflict as they arise. And that's not a simple thing to do! It takes time, patience and empathy, all while perhaps feeling a little overwhelmed, confused, or even embarrassed. (Eeek! My child is the one at Shaw's having a total fit!) But when we stop for long enough to run through the the what and why of a situation with a child, it helps them make connections and build understanding. And maybe most importantly, it shows your love and the respect you have for their competency and capability.
To read more on redirection and approaches that better serve children, check out Janet Lansbury's blog here.
Win some "Let's Grow Kids" Swag
Be on the lookout this week at school for a chance to win a "Let's Grow Kids" t-shirt, stickers, buttons and more. (Seriously folks, this is one mighty nice t-shirt). There will be a short and sweet quiz you'll find near the entrances this week. Most correct answers wins!
Classroom Happenings
Infant I: We have a lot of developing movement in the Infant I room. Many of the babies are now rolling themselves onto their bellies, but feel a little uncomfortable and unsure of just how to get back over to their backs. Instead of simply "adjusting" the babies, the teachers are allowing the children the space to learn this skill on their own, and supporting them when they become frustrated. Another concept the kids are working on is using gentle touches when approaching a classmate.
Infant II: A wonderful week and a lot of fun! Last week we explored yellow paint with our bodies, and this week it was a blue/green mix. Not only was the color different, but the texture was significantly different: more chalky and almost paste-like. The sensory feeling was very interesting to the children. They painted with their hands, toes and bellies and even mixed and shook the colors by themselves. The warm weather has also led to some wonderful wardrobe choices, such as bathing suites and rain boots, which seem to be two of the children's favorite things. This week many of the kids have starting investigating the potty. The class is talking about the potty, and thus far over half of the class has tried sitting on the potty.
Toddler I: Toddler I was very excited to welcome a new student to the room as it says farewell to two students moving along to Toddler II. This week it has been all about rocks and bugs. The class recently read Hey Little Ant, a story about a child who wanted to squish an ant. Outdoors, the kids have been watching and touching caterpillars, ants and beetles and moths. Rocks have been used for all kinds of imaginative play, including making macaroni and cheese. The class has also enjoyed the new setup of the play structure in their classroom.
Toddler II: A new room configuration meant lots of exploration in the classroom. Scarves in the music area meant some fort building, where the children crawled, sat, and tested out the "roof" with different objects for sturdiness. They all seemed to enjoy when the roof caved in. During circle time the class is working on politely waving and saying hello when the others greet them.
Pre-K: Jen has truly enjoyed getting to connect with all of you through parent-teacher conferences in the past two weeks. It was wonderful to spend more time with parents to share and discuss the strengths, struggles, hopes and dreams of both you and the children. The Pre-K kids have been gardening in the front yard's raised beds. They will continue to learn about seeds and plants in the coming weeks.
As Seen at MVS
Enjoy the summer sun out there! -Sam