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In-service: Hot, humid, productive
As I write this the teachers are busy finishing up all the final projects of the two day in-service here at school. On Thursday morning, we talked about the core components of our philosophy. We broke out into small groups and worked hard to tease out concepts related to building children's autonomy, becoming better observers, and making our practice an intentional one from how we chose the materials in our classrooms to the specific language we use when interacting with the children. We also spent time on vital projects such as cleaning and re-organizing classrooms, tidying the playground, and watching webinars on topics connected to our Early Head Start partnership. 

Our handy painters were hard at work on painting the downstairs hallway! Thanks to Pete and Zeth. 

Moreover, staff worked hard to build and revise their Individual Professional Development Plans. These plans root educators in their professional practice and serve as a tool for reflection and re-evaluation. We use these documents as "living documents;" they change and grow as our own needs and needs of the children evolve. The staff split up into upstairs and downstairs groups to talk about specifics related to their curriculum and philosophy as well. 

It was a very hot and very busy two days, but we hope you see the results of all the planning and hard work. We look forward to seeing you on Monday. 

Classroom Happenings
Infant I: We had a very mellow week with several children out for travel and vacation, this led to more one on one interaction. We read a lot of books, and played on the floor. We are working on how to play independently as well as with our peers. Also we are focusing on letting our infants be initiators, explorers, and self learners. 

Infant II: The new blocks and tote outside were a hit this week. The older children spent a lot of time sitting in the grass building houses and towers. We have a small plastic car we have all loved playing with. This has caused a bit on conflict, but it's great to watching the children try to work through this. We've also been cooling off a lot in the water and are plenty interested in pouring and dumping the water.

Preschool I: We have a new dress up station which has made the clothes and hats more visible. The children are definitely going to this area more to check out what is there and then using it in their independent play. Books we've been exploring this week include Press Here, an interactive book that has been helping us with taking turns. We continue to use the words, "May I use that?" or, "May I use that when you're done?" as a way to share our classroom resources.

Preschool II: This week we worked with Unifix cubes, both counting them and creating/copying patterns. We have made plenty of trips to Florida and New Jersey. And when not travelling, we could be found using watercolors, coloring outside or working on our puzzles. We've had lots of fun with the Pre-K class and had many social interactions with the older children, which have been SO valuable. At first the younger children seemed a little unsure of how to navigate those interactions, but their patience and persistence led to some great learning. A hair salon also took shape outside where hair was shampooed, braided and styled. 

Pre-K: Small groups this week led to lots of focused, extended play with some new social dynamics emerging as children returned from vacation while others began transitioning into our class. Interactions with different peers introduce new ideas and new challenges to everyone, and we are excited to watch how the group will continue to evolve as we move toward September. This week we also spent time talking about cleaning up: tidying up after ourselves when we are ready to move on to a new activity, putting things back in the right place, and respecting our classroom environment by keeping it clean. Some of our in-service time has been spent on classroom re-organization and we hope to spend the next few weeks maintaining our focus on classroom cleanliness.

Thanks for Reading
-Sam

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