Spring seems to be hitting it's stride this week. All of us have been enjoying time spent outdoors and observing the discoveries the children are making about their changing surroundings. Songbirds, butterflies, buds and blooms have made for some magic this week...
Classroom Happenings
Infant I: We've been absorbing all around us through our senses. We're listening to the sounds of the birds, as well as the noises from trucks on the street or planes in the sky. We carefully look to spot these things when we hear their sounds. We have been touching anything and everything outside, and have been tasting the grass, dirt, water, and hay.
We also played quite a bit on the wood pallets; we pretended they were boats and rocked back and forth, singing along as we went. We have been practicing using gentle hands with peers, especially when they are younger and smaller than us.
Infant II: This week we welcomed a child into our classroom from Infant I. The transition has been seamless and we couldn't be happier. Indoors we enjoyed painting with some high viscosity paints, a very engaging sensory and artistic experience for the children. We used our hands and the brushes to work with the paint. We've been focusing on cleaning once we are done using something and transferring this skill to all parts of our day, inside and out. And of course, we loved the warm weather and the opportunity to spent long stretches of time outdoors. We continue to visit our peers "out back."
Toddler I: We're living in a land of butterflies and birds. We've been carefully watching our caterpillars as they change and grow. During snacks this week, the cup has made it's way to the table, the children observe, ask questions, and make "I wonder" statements. On Wednesday we noticed one of the caterpillars had fallen from the top of the cup and the children wondered why it had fallen. They concluded that the caterpillar inside the chrysalis was likely not a caterpillar at all, but something else entirely like a lion or bear. Although this conversation started on the silly side, one child wondered if the chrysalis had fallen because it was "too big." Now the lion and bear talk makes sense... This week we also explored more on the topic of birds, working again with our guidebook, and constructing bird feeders. They are placed around the playground to watch our visiting feathered friends.
We have also been very into learning about all forms of transportation and using those methods to take trips all around the playground.
Pre-School (formerly Toddler II): Now we are three. We are officially the pre-school room, and as such we are doing big things: welcoming classmates from Toddler I and taking them through our routines, transitioning students into the Pre-K room, and working together in a number of different ways to ensure our days go smoothly. One of the ways we are thinking about teamwork and community is through working together to clean up our spaces (we ALL pitch in), following directions, prepping snack together, and treating our materials with respect. That teamwork has also been present through our gardening projects, as more plants made their way into larger spaces and fresh soil. We all kept each other very aware of just how gently we needed to handle the plants.
Pre-K: We've been having all sorts of fun outdoors and exploring places both familiar and new. We spent a couple of days in the forest and enjoyed having circle there and sharing stories.
On Wednesday we headed into town to hear violinist David Lister and pianist Renana Gutman at the Stowe Community Church.
After taking in some culture, we spent time in town picnicking and of course, frolicking in the sun.
Thanks for Reading
-Sam
Classroom Happenings
Infant I: We've been absorbing all around us through our senses. We're listening to the sounds of the birds, as well as the noises from trucks on the street or planes in the sky. We carefully look to spot these things when we hear their sounds. We have been touching anything and everything outside, and have been tasting the grass, dirt, water, and hay.
We also played quite a bit on the wood pallets; we pretended they were boats and rocked back and forth, singing along as we went. We have been practicing using gentle hands with peers, especially when they are younger and smaller than us.
Infant II: This week we welcomed a child into our classroom from Infant I. The transition has been seamless and we couldn't be happier. Indoors we enjoyed painting with some high viscosity paints, a very engaging sensory and artistic experience for the children. We used our hands and the brushes to work with the paint. We've been focusing on cleaning once we are done using something and transferring this skill to all parts of our day, inside and out. And of course, we loved the warm weather and the opportunity to spent long stretches of time outdoors. We continue to visit our peers "out back."
Toddler I: We're living in a land of butterflies and birds. We've been carefully watching our caterpillars as they change and grow. During snacks this week, the cup has made it's way to the table, the children observe, ask questions, and make "I wonder" statements. On Wednesday we noticed one of the caterpillars had fallen from the top of the cup and the children wondered why it had fallen. They concluded that the caterpillar inside the chrysalis was likely not a caterpillar at all, but something else entirely like a lion or bear. Although this conversation started on the silly side, one child wondered if the chrysalis had fallen because it was "too big." Now the lion and bear talk makes sense... This week we also explored more on the topic of birds, working again with our guidebook, and constructing bird feeders. They are placed around the playground to watch our visiting feathered friends.
We have also been very into learning about all forms of transportation and using those methods to take trips all around the playground.
Pre-School (formerly Toddler II): Now we are three. We are officially the pre-school room, and as such we are doing big things: welcoming classmates from Toddler I and taking them through our routines, transitioning students into the Pre-K room, and working together in a number of different ways to ensure our days go smoothly. One of the ways we are thinking about teamwork and community is through working together to clean up our spaces (we ALL pitch in), following directions, prepping snack together, and treating our materials with respect. That teamwork has also been present through our gardening projects, as more plants made their way into larger spaces and fresh soil. We all kept each other very aware of just how gently we needed to handle the plants.
Sarah spent two days out of the classroom this week involved in the Early Childhood Leadership Institute through the Snelling Center. She's excited to get back to the classroom on Monday.
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| "We made little flags." |
On Wednesday we headed into town to hear violinist David Lister and pianist Renana Gutman at the Stowe Community Church.
After taking in some culture, we spent time in town picnicking and of course, frolicking in the sun.
We also watched the rock wall being built over at the elementary school, and some of these observations have lead to some really interesting questions about the age of the buildings we see in town and what they were before what they are now. The older children especially have been wondering about this topic, so a visit to the historical society is in our future.
Thanks for Reading
-Sam
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