Thanks to all who came out for our family hike and picnic yesterday! I hope everyone enjoyed it. A few of you commented that it was fun to watch the children play together since you don't get to see it too much at school; I felt the same way watching you all as families. You parents really are super heroes in the millions of ways that you care for, support, and love your children–bravo for being your incredible selves, and thank you for having us along on this journey.
Recently we've been talking about a new book called 13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don't Do: Raising Self-Assured Children and Training their Brains for a Life of Happiness, Meaning, and Success by psychologist Amy Morin. Mental strength seems to be similar to resiliency for the brain; in an interview with the Washington Post she stated: "There are three parts. One is regulating your thoughts so you think realistically. Not overly negative but not overly positive. If I’m too confident I might not study; if I’m overly negative, I might think I’ll never pass, so why try. The second part is being aware of our emotions and how they affect how we perceive things, and knowing I can get a handle on things. The third is taking positive action. That might mean 'If something is frightening to do, I’m going to do it anyway or ask for help.'"
How can parents foster mental strength in their children? Morin described the 13 things not to do here but at the core there is a view of childhood as a time that mirrors the realities of life and an authentic respect for children's natural strength and resiliency. She also encouraged parents to live a life that reflects their values and recognize that they are modeling those values for their children, and to approach discipline from a teaching perspective because ultimately the goal is not obedient children but children who have developed self-discipline. It's a lot to ponder but an interesting perspective.
Thanks for reading,
Megan
News and Reminders
There is a Facebook group called "Mountain Village School Parents' Group" for updates about community events, lost and founds, social events, shared snack ideas, etc. If you're not already in it feel free to ask to join.
It's time to start sending in hats and mittens! Some of our children are outside early and late in the day when it's getting pretty cool. The Infant, Toddler and Preschool I classes ask that parents send mittens rather than gloves, unless your child is able to put on his/her gloves independently.
We've added a calendar to the blog for MVS events and closures. To view it you can click "More..." at the top right of this page, then select "Calendar."
Classroom Updates
Infant I
This week we settled into our new routines and rhythms as we fondly bid farewell to Carly D., to whom we are so grateful for the time she spent with us. Several of our children are on the cusp of rolling consecutively, crawling, or walking, so we've been supporting them through the frustration of not quite being able to do something they really want to do and in some cases holding our breath and moving in close as they courageously test their emergent skills. We took part in some novel outside experiences including exploring the back play yard and napping outside in the sunshine. The pumpkin was also an object of interest as a texture to explore and a balancing prop.
Infant II
We have been spending extra time outside this week. Going outside right when the children arrive seems to really benefit them later in the morning. At the beginning of the week, we tried having snack outside because the weather was beautiful and the children didn't want to come inside. We have never tried that before with our young children and weren't sure how it would go, but it actually went great! Most of our children had no problem sitting on the grass and eating. We have done lots of painting this week. We talked a lot about fall and focused on using fall colors in our paintings. You can check out some of the new art on the walls. We also cut open a mini pumpkin and played with the seeds. The children enjoyed exploring the seeds' slimy texture. We then played with them in the water table. Finally, we've been reading the MVS Friday book All the World frequently; the children love all the details in the pictures.
Toddlers
We have had boundless energy this week, so we are grateful to get outside first thing in the morning. We gathered many crab apples (our favorite thing!) for a painting project. We rolled and bounced the crab apples in a large box to create wonderful lines with red, orange, and yellow paint. We also worked together as a team to shake the big box, which got our arm and hand muscles going. We enjoyed many books this week and we have really enjoyed reading outside in the mornings. Mouse's First Fall and Goodnight Vermont were especially popular.
Preschool I
We've been working hard to respect the children's interests this week. When one child requested a "bassinet", Shannon E. repurposed a basket to provide one. The children have also continued to ask after acorns. Shannon E. went on a hike in search of oak trees and collected a whole bunch of them, which the children scooped, dumped, examined with magnifying glasses, and sorted by color ("This one's green, this one's red"). Shannon T. set up process painting with large sheets of paper, paint, and "natural brushes"–pine branches, pine cones, and leaves. We've really been enjoying natural materials both inside and out.
Preschool II
This week in PS2 we made magic, we made applesauce, and we made up a game of Home Run Kickball. We have been enjoying a chapter book where the friends Mouse and Mole went to a magic show and then used the magic words they learned ("abracadabra", "eeny-meeny-miney-mo") to make magic happen in nature around them. We used our sticks as wands to help clean up the toys in both the front and back play yards. Also like magic we used an apple peeler/slicer/core remover to make our very own applesauce for snack this week. On Wednesday we had another great morning at story hour with books about elephants, eggs, and eagles. Finally, we made up Home Run Kickball at the ball fields with a soccer ball and ten friends practicing their best kicks and racing around the bases–it was a home run!
PreK
This week preschool worked on two different types of projects. Inside, we began building our model of Fly's Tree-house using objects found in our classroom and brought in from home. We are using math skills like counting and measuring; developing spacial relationship skills and thinking symbolically. Later, we will add characters to play dramatically and link back to the book Diary of a Spider. Hopefully, interest in mapping will build and children will want to create 3D models of other spaces like our school, playground and even the town of Stowe. Our other big project this week was using natural elements to create resist designs on the T-shirts we brought from home. We worked on this one outside on the playground generating lots of interest in all classrooms! Next week we can explore the idea of resist art further utilizing the sun. Our field trip to ECHO was, of course, another highlight of the week for those on the trip. I cannot say enough about this little children's museum. The activities were all exceptional. Teachers will be attending at training at ECHO next week to learn more about the space and how we can make the most of our visits. We will be heading back next month and should be able to go once a month through the month of April. Additionally we will be taking trips to Shelburne Farms, the mountain, and anywhere else our imaginations (and trusty MVS bus) can think to go! Please jot your ideas for field trips on the board outside our classroom.
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