And they're off...

Potluck and PTO
It was great to see so many of you at our potluck and inaugural PTO meeting last week. our next PTO meeting is scheduled for October 13th at 7pm. 

Fall Fundraiser and Gathering

2015's fundraiser included this impromptu dance party. 

If you came out to last year's fundraiser, you'll remember the food, fun, and serious dance moves. We're looking to repeat the success of last year's par-tay. We will hold our 2016 event on November 5th from 2-5 pm, so save the date! This is a great way to shake off stick season, connect with other MVS families and of course contribute to upcoming projects here at school. More details will be coming soon!

School Closed on Friday 10/14
The annual VAEYC Conference is coming up and we will be closed on the 14th for our staff to attend. Some of you may have had an incorrect calendar reflecting the date and we apologize for the error. We will be closed on the 14th for this in-service time and open on 10/21. Thank you. 

The Marshmallow Test, Part I
Last weekend, both Sarah and Sam found themselves listening to NPR's "Radiolab." Maybe you were too. The program focused on well-known experiment by psychologist Walter Mischel. (Listen to the program here). The experiment and it's findings are not new, the focus is on will power, delayed gratification and ultimately self-control. Children in the study are offered a marshmallow and they can choose to eat it right away, or wait for an undisclosed amount of time for the tester to return with another marshmallow...that is, if the children have not eaten their original marshmallow. Here's what this test might look like:

I love this video for the fact that this test was clearly performed on Halloween, one has to wonder if this skewed the results. Anyhow, the mulling over and back and forth in the children is just so wonderful to watch. I can only imagine how I look when pondering a difficult decision. Mischel's study has been duplicated numerous times, and there has been significant further research into how the initial test group of children progressed into adulthood. Here, in some follow-up from the APA, results of tracking the subjects down years later shows, "the differences in willpower largely held up over the decades." In other words, the willpower the children had at age 4, was not so far off from the willpower they had at 44. 

This gets at something we focus a lot of time and energy on here at school, and that's developing what's called executive function skills. 

We've written about these skills before and how self control and the ability to regulate one's own emotions, even as a young person really points to better academic outcomes, stronger personal relationships, and success in the workplace. As the video above indicates, these skills of the mind are "built, not born." And that's a major part of the work that high quality early childhood programs focus on every day. Next week, we'll look further into the importance of these skills and how to strengthen and build children's capacity for stronger executive function. For more on the experiment and what the outcomes mean, have a look at another good article from The Atlantic. It also includes an interview with Mischel as well. Stay tuned for part II next week. 

Classroom Happenings
Infant I: This week the focus has been getting the youngest children into a consistent eating and sleeping routine. We are really working hard to keep things predictable for them so they are comfortable and and can adjust to the rhythm of the classroom. Among the older children, we have observed an increase in communication. Example of this include waving hello and goodbye, saying "hi," tugging at their jackets to tell us they want to go outdoors, crawling to the highchairs when hungry and handing adults books when they want to read. We've also been enjoying lots of beautiful, warm fall days. However, we are finding the early mornings and late afternoons a bit chilly, so please do send along extra layers, socks, warm shoes so that we can continue our play outside of the classroom.

Infant II: We are still exploring all things gross motor as we hone our skills on the stumps, tunnel, rocks and balancing board outside. We seem to love any and every obstacle. An added challenge to this has been wearing boots, it's been tricky to keep them on our feet as we move around. Another part of our outdoor play this week has been caring for the plastic baby dolls. We have been changing diapers, getting them dressed and undressed, brushing their hair, rocking them, and giving plenty of hugs and kisses. Some new favorites in book land have been Moo, Moo What are You? The children enjoy pointing and name each new animal and the sounds they make. Also of interest is the book How Big is a Pig? We spend time counting each animal as well as the insects and other animals on the pages that aren't named in the story. We also would like to remind families to send jackets along. Thanks!

Toddler Room: Imaginative play has really taken off. We saw examples of this last week, but we are also noticing a lot of play with the baby dolls as well. Indoors we are putting them in the highchairs to feed them, wrap them in blankets and have short conversations with them. We have been working hard on consistency in our routines this week. This has come specifically in follow through regarding jobs and classroom responsibilities. More language is coming out among the children as well with many back and forth conversations with one another; of course this is a useful social skill on many fronts, especially in times of frustration.

Preschool I: It's been a musical week in our room, but not just in the room, outside of it too. We've been starting our day by splitting the larger group into two smaller groups. This has allowed for more time outside and a calmer start to the day. The outdoor group has been frantically requesting that we sing and use the musical instruments to act out the book We're Going on a Bear Hunt. It seems to be our current morning ritual. Our music unit began with practicing careful listening. We worked on this skill by trying to differentiate the sounds of two instruments (sometimes with our eyes closed). By Thursday, the group seems to have a solid hold on the treble clef vs. the bass clef and the way the notes sound in each. We also began singing the basic major scale to the children this week as well to show the way notes change as they climb higher or go lower. Our books have featured musical instruments, or have been sung, and on Thursday we read Zin Zin Zin A Violin! to introduce the concept of an orchestra. Our social focus this week has been on kind and gentle interactions with one another and our classroom environment. We have been talking about the way we care for each other, even when we are frustrated.

Preschool 2: We've had more talk about doctors, thinking about why we go and what the doctor's role is while we are there. Some responses have included: "To look in our ears and eyes." And, "To make us feel better." We even have a lab coat with buttons. A great challenge that many of the children have now mastered.

It's October, and we have several birthdays this month. We have marked up our calendar in preparation. Most mornings we are starting off with puzzles. In fact several mornings this week the children have opted to all come to the table to work on puzzles.

Some of them have even completed every puzzle that we have here at school. In this activity there has been a lot of support for peers as we learn new skills and guide one another through figuring out how to make the pieces fit. Our pumpkins Polly, Prudence and Petunia are still very loved. They are covered at every nap time (this week there were even comfy pillows) and sprayed with our sleeping spray. We have been discussing just what to do with this pumpkins, and we're thinking about cooking the two smaller pie pumpkins. We're on the search for some god recipes, so let us know if you have one.

Pre-K: We've been venturing out into the community in small groups with Kate's group primarily exploring some of the wooded trails near by. They even found wild grapes to test out, sour, but delicious. Jen's group has been practicing walking in town. One aspect of this has been working on manners with strangers out in the community. Especially true as town becomes more crowded during "leaf peeping" season. All of us are focused on our behaviors in the hallway, specifically keeping our things neat and tidy (parents you can help us with this by limiting the number of shoes your child keeps here at school) and waiting patiently for other while they get ready. We are using strategies to help us wait such as counting, singing quietly and reading. On Thursday the group took a trip to the Rec Path and checked out some of the art that went up over the summer. The class favorite was the green ear exhibit.

Also Seen at MVS

Thanks for Reading
-Sam