And they're off...

And so autumn comes, as we new it surely would. We've been spoiled by unexpected warmth and sunshine, but today, in the second day of this new season, a bit of a cold, rainy awakening. We welcomed it with adventure, exploration and plenty of time outside, just as we always do!

Upcoming Potluck and PTA Formation
We have a parent potluck scheduled for next Thursday, September 29th at 6:00 pm. We have someone coming to teach us all about essential oils. She is an expert on the topic and has been teaching workshops to inform parents, teachers, and caregivers all about the benefits of essential oils.

After the workshop we'll host our first Parent Association Meeting starting at 7:00. We will meet to decide on a schedule and organize committees. This initial meeting is expected to last 20 - 30 minutes.

A gentle reminder to please leave your children at home and bring a light snack to share. See you then!

Classroom Happenings
Infant I: We welcomed two new children to the classroom this week and they are adjusting quite well to their new surroundings. The other children love getting to know new people, but especially new people their own age. We observed lots of gross motors skill development, with infants climbing and crawling more than ever before. Our new pumpkin, "Patty" was a big hit with a few of the children who liked feeling the bumpy texture and banging on it to make a number of different sounds. 

Infant II: The children have been very focused on their own language lately. They have been working hard to mimic words, sentences and phrases. They seem to be paying extra attention to the mouths of adults to watch the shape of words as they are spoken. We enjoyed some sensory play in the outdoor table with purple oobleck. Some of us liked to watch it be poured, others enjoyed scraping it from the table and feeling it drip off their fingers. Others of us did not like the feel and felt frustrated at how difficult it was to remove from our hands. On Friday we will carve into our pumpkin (Pig Pen) for some more sensory exploration.

Toddler Room: Call us social butterflies. We have been very interested in socializing, specifically asking for hugs with both signs and words. This is great to see as we have been really working on establishing positive social relationships in the classroom. The kind and nurturing nature of these relationships seems to be very rewarding for the kids. A big highlight of the week for us was listening to a recording of African drumming. The children loved the feeling of the beat. When they listening they bopped up and down, bending at the knees. They swayed back and forth, really feel the music in their bodies. 

Preschool I: Although we continue to count chipmunks and crows "just for fun" instead of for official graphing purposes, we have moved on this week to discussions and projects that focus on the changing seasons. This week we counted down to fall and celebrated on Thursday by welcoming Pablo the pumpkin into the room. We've learned some new vocabulary, including words like autumn, harvest and chlorophyll. We did two larger scale art projects in the mornings where we spread out with large cardboard pieces on the floor and used our hands and brushes to paint. We've had the painting up in our room to bring some of the fall color inside, several of us point to it and reference it during circle conversations about fall. We have also had a renewed interest in all types of play with dolls, caring for them, feeding them, diapering them, keeping them "warm" and so on. This kind of play has been really valuable to our room as it builds empathy, compassion and kindness. And, gets us to occasionally put down our trucks. Socially, we are working on using specific words to explain our needs. Instead of a simple "no" we're building to clearer communication such as, "No, I'm not finished at the table." AND, after several walks over the past few weeks, we have finally learned the name of the "tiger cat" in the neighborhood we walk in. It's Dylan the tiger cat. 

Preschool II:  This week we moved on from rhythm sticks to drums. We have focused on following a rhythm. We have also worked on fast vs. slow, loud vs. quiet, and stopping quickly. It has been very successful and fun. We read Ferdinand the Bull, and the children had very empathetic responses to Ferdinand. They were concerned about him not wanting to fight or be poked and instigated. After reading it we found ourselves talking about it through the day. The next day at circle the children wanted to read it again. It spurred a discussion about how we are different and sometimes it's okay to be alone and have a quiet space. Finally, there has been a serious interest in being doctors.

It started outside using a small stick to heal and fix one another. Inside there were broken bones and cuts that needed mending. Also, several shots were given. We started a doctor's office with a lot of gauze and syringes. We made a list of additional tools needed that we are working on gathering. Sarah was gone at her leadership institute Thursday and Friday and returns on Monday. She will have one additional day away in October before completion of the program.


Pre-K: The group continues to be fascinated with fire fighting. We are building up our selection of fire fighting props. 

We've also been exploring magnets in our sensory table, investigating objects that stick to magnets and objects that don't (and why). Soon we will change over the sensory table to create a pendulum sand art station. We have been breaking into two groups most days, traveling in small groups to Campfire Forest and/or other destinations. This week one group headed back to the library for the first story time of the new school year. Plans for the next few weeks include investigating pumpkins, apples and different types of seeds. We will also be following children's interests in 'demolition' by creating a classroom wrecking ball.

Also Seen at MVS

Reading to Maizy. She's a real bibliophile.

Thanks for Reading
-Sam