OLDER CLASS:
I would like to depart this week from my regular bulletin writing format to give that time to talking about only two things – The 3rd New York Trip and my emotions meeting set for Thursday night. Given one of the most miserable days possible as far as the weather was concerned I think we all experienced a “miracle” on Tuesday because we had a wonderful trip together. The class is to be commended for making the most of a very rainy day and being completely involved and enjoying everything that we did that day. The art that we saw in the subway was amazing and some allowed us to be interactive with it by standing in a life-sized group of people and “trying on” hats that were part of a mural display. The animals at The Natural History Museum subway stop on 81st were almost as good as a trip to the museum! I did have to shorten my route but we still saw an enormous variety of art. Tim said, “I now have a new respect and feeling about the subways.” The subways also provided us with a few uniquely New York moments such as a lady falling asleep and leaning on B, and Superman with an unusual backpack lump under his cape showing up in one car doing balloon creations. We did surface in the middle of our subway journey at The Time Warner Building to get some fresh air. We walked 11 blocks from that center to our next subway station again happy to be in the underground and out of the rain. Our trip to the Pearl River Trading Co. Store was a big success with everyone having 2.50 to spend, and graduates got to pick out their graduation kimonos. Our “restaurant” which offered the 40+ courses in a buffet format for 4.75 was a real find. The food was good and plentiful and the entertainment provided by Jackie Chan on the TV was interesting to say the least! We arrived back at Penn Station earlier than we ever have on any previous trip because we were all getting tired. Tim said he was amazed at how the class just enjoyed sitting there and being a part of the group. He said as a teacher he had taken 100s of students on trips and that these people were really special in how well they got along and entertained themselves as we waited for the train. Of course we had Krispy Kreme doughnuts and for the first time Shop-Rite cookies on the trip. We also had seaweed as an energy booster for our subway journey. Thank you to Tim, Kevin, Robin, and Sara for being such great chaperones.
Tomorrow is my last meeting in the three part series – Academics, Social Development, and Emotional Development. At this meeting we will be talking about emotion and physical development of preadolescent and adolescent. The students are very excited to see how parents do on one of the activities I gave them yesterday. We will also spend time talking about how important it is for all of these areas to be in balance. Even if you have missed one or two of the other meetings I would love to see you at this last one.
Well, I have to change my original plan, and I have two more things to tell you. One is welcome to J a new student into my class as of Wednesday and the second thing is that today we celebrated Pi Day with cookies and pie. We measured diameters, radii, and circumferences, and paid tribute to the day.
MIDDLE CLASS:
The children are creating very impressive Doodle for Google. Tomorrow is the deadline for all entry forms to be returned.
Our wintersowing workshop was cancelled but please send in your milk jugs as we will either reschedule or do the activity at school. We have started on the beginning phase of creating art for the garden. We have looked at some inspirational pieces and the children came up with amazing ideas for things to make. We will begin collecting “junk” to use in making weather proof sculptures for the back yard. I have asked the children to look for interesting bits of stuff that could be recycled into an art piece.
Today we worked in math groups and updated math packets for the children who needed it. We are working on Fibonacci books which will include photos, poetry, math and drawing/painting.
The children are also excited about starting Helen’s play. They will be working on memorizing their scripts, designing simple costumes and blocking out scenes.
I am collecting past art projects for our upcoming art show and would like to know if anyone has their masks from the Little Red play that they could loan us
YOUNGER CLASS:
We have had a great week working on our habitat project, enjoying the great weather we had early in the week (which now feels like a distant memory), working on a number of journals, math, reading, and music. Yesterday I asked my class to write a specific journal listing all the parts of the habitat project they have completed and the pieces they haven’t completed. We talked about the value of being able to create lists for various projects, both at home and at school, and how organizing what one has to do to complete a project is a valuable tool to know how to do. We continually talk about our own individual responsibilities to get work completed within a timely fashion and in a way that can be shared with others. I am always amazed by how well even the youngest members of my class can manage their own time when given the right tools.
On Monday and Tuesday this week we enjoyed having a visitor in our class. She is 5 years old and is hoping to come to the school next year as a “second year” in the Little Class. We will be having 2 more visitors next week. I am very excited about all the possible students for next year.
MUSIC WITH HELEN:
This week we made egg shakers in the younger class and talked about how different materials give us different results, and we used them in song. In the Middle Class we read through both of the fables we will produce at the end of the school year, and next week we will focus on the songs.