Our Old Friend Summer

It's All Here...
The week gone past has been filled with sun, warmth, and the the feeling that our long lost friend, summer, is here to stay. The children have been in the thick of the changes that surround them in their play: from the leafier trees and pleasant shade to the reintroduction of water play, or presence of insects (some friendlier than others; consensus seems to have been built that black flies are a definitive foe). Here are just a few moments to savor from our recent time on the back playground:

Water, water everywhere: A run through the sprinkler is a pretty quintessential summer memory for many of us. Here at school we've been strapping on our water shoes and expertly giving that sprinkler a go. Now, I'm here to say, there is a method to the sprinkler that the children are beginning to master. In the excitement and joy of the cool water, along with closed eyes and lots of children, collisions and slips and trips can be a regular occurrence. But with a little guidance, the kids are starting to show good judgement, patience and empathy. We are realizing that we really can't all go at once, and that taking turns really is the best way to do it. Even in moments of high excitement and happy screams, the children have been showing real self control; watching the area and waiting until they are clear to go. Life lessons from a little yellow sprinkler? You bet. 

Along with the sprinkler, we've been filling buckets of water for lots of projects like making mud pies and sand castles, transporting water, "painting," and other experiements. On Wednesday, several children in the Pre-K banded together to move a very heavy wagon filled with water out of the sandbox. The wagon was filled quite high, and the children hoped to move it down to the bottom of the hill. In addition to the weight, the children had to figure out how to get the wagon over the rock edge of the sandbox. At first they tried lifting it, using all their might, counting together, "1, 2, 3...LIFT IT!" but, alas, this did not work. After a few minutes of this, a few of them spotted the small blue sandbox slide and created a ramp to push the wagon up and over the rocks. A few children pushed from the back while others dragged from the front, while other still situated themselves near the wheels to guide them over. And, what do you know, they got it out. Then came the runaway wagon that seemed to travel down the hill far faster than any of them anticipated. They somehow managed to stop it, and then happily played together with their own hard earned stockpile of water. 

On Friday, a child from Toddler I discovered a laundry detergent jug and was completely enthralled with the spigot attached to the end. Filling the jug and using the spigot was endlessly interesting to him. Upon refilling the jug with the hose, we discovered that by making a tight seal, we could cause the pressure to build and a small geyser to erupt from the jug. Needless to say, this created a new dimension to playing with this container, and lots of wet, giggling kids. 

We've been rescuing caterpillars from precarious situations: "Sam, look, he's crawling to the spider web! He will get stuck!" While some of us prefer to collect them as special treats for at home chicken coops. Handling bugs is another part of the experience of outdoor play in summer. Conversations quickly develop around gentleness, and just how much we can impact the environment around us by the choices we make. When a small oak branch was torn from one of the trees, it was important for us to stop and slow down to talk about how we treat all living things.

And lastly, we've had just a little more time to play a little less actively. Not too long ago, it was far too cold to plop down for more than a few minutes at a time. Now, we can sit and stay and become absorbed in the task of building a fairy house, reading and rereading and rereading Caps for Sale, or soaking in some rays on the comfort of a warm rock.

Ah summer, welcome back, we have a lot to learn from you. 

Farewell Holli and Family
This week we say goodbye to Holli and and her daughter. We have thoroughly enjoyed having them both at MVS over the past two years and will miss them greatly. J brings such happiness, energy, and passion into the classroom everyday. Holli has been a dedicated and caring teacher and has been an integral part of our Pre-K class. We will all miss them so much and we wish them luck on their move to Maine!

Classroom Happenings
Infant I: We welcomed a new baby to our room this week and we've spent time introducing him to the other children and getting to know him better. We had a mellow week with a few less children, which allowed for even more one on one interactions between peers and babies with teachers. Speaking of those peer to peer interactions, these are flourishing. It's been wonderful to observe how the children in our room along with older children from Infant II interact, negotiate and play together. 

Infant II: It's been an active week for us, especially now that we've had time to cool off in the small pool. The children were fascinated by the hose and spraying water. They enjoyed wading and splashing together, and watching the movement of the water in pool as it went from still to not so still. We also used a variety of containers in the water, filling, dumping and scooping the water as we went. Indoors we did a large painting which is now hanging in the hallway. The painting was actually completed in the hallway as well; we used our toes and feet to spread the paint over the paper. We continue to work hard at applying our own sunscreen and putting on shoes to go outside. 

Toddler I: We made a few more bird feeders this week, although the squirrels seem to be enjoying them almost as much (if not more) than the birds. This week we saw an interest in sea creatures take shape. This started after seeing an octopus in another book we were reading. Now we've been investigating this topic and also asking questions about turtles, seals and other fish. We've been bringing a variety of books outdoors in the mornings to explore this topic. Many of these books are both longer and more complex, but have sparked questions from the children. Many of the photographs allow the children to share their observations with peers and teachers. Transportation continues to be another theme in our room, and has been for several weeks now. 

Preschool: This week we spent more time outside, there was a lot of pretend play being animal families, caring for one another, exploring different roles within the family dynamic. Our love of painting has continued. We have also explored different types of hole punches, focusing on our "hand muscles." We wove pipe cleaners into the holes we punched; have a look around the classroom and you will see them displayed. At circle we have been working on taking turns sharing aloud. The children have been listening and being quiet and patient while others are talking. This is not an easy skill, but definitely an important one that we all utilize everyday!

Pre-K: It's been a short but busy week. On Tuesday we walked to McCarthy's and enjoyed a little fruit salad on the patio. It was a wonderful community adventure...and the grown ups had a little delicious coffee too! On Wednesday it was off to the library for books about frogs. We'll have another trip next week before story hour takes a summer hiatus. Also on Wednesday, our Kindergarten bound students visited the 5th graders at SES as it was their big rocket launch day. You may remember that back in April we did our own rocket experiments as well. Watching the launch was very, very exciting. On Thursday, it was all about pickles. We brought our materials outdoors and started chopping. This activity was set up so the children could come and go as they pleased, so if you don't see a jar in the fridge with your child's name on it, fear not, they will have more opportunities to make pickles next week. Thanks to everyone who contributed. And on Friday, we sent Holli off with many hugs and warm wishes. Will will miss her. 

 

Thanks for Reading
-Sam