We made Picasso style face collages and will start learning facial features in Spanish next week!
Although our week was very short, it was still incredibly productive! It's amazing how many rich ideas and conversations we were able to capture from your children this week. Everyone's verbal capabilities are really blossoming and taking flight. It will only strengthen and increase in precision and depth as the months continue.
We read constantly, and repeat books over and over for better comprehension and opportunity for questions and answers!
We were also so happy to welcome a new friend to our 2A class this week: Jayce! He has warmed right up to his new friends, and we have been happy to have him join us in our adventures. Welcome to Ashley and Javid, too, his parents.
Exercising our Democratic Voice
Two important votes happened this week during our circle time. First, we took a very important vote on whether to turn our kitchen into a pizzeria, or into an ice cream shop. It was an admittedly difficult choice, but right now the vote is swaying toward ice cream shop. We still have a few friends who need to place their vote. But since it's looking like ice cream will win either way, Mitzi and Rachel have been finding some really exciting items to add to our shop- we can't wait to see how this play evolves next week!
Our second vote was equally challenging- we have a real passion for vehicles in the 2A class, and we narrowed it down to four different vehicles to choose between to start really exploring in depth. The choices were: school bus, airplanes, NYC subways, or ice cream trucks. Not surprisingly, ice cream trucks are in the lead, but the official vote count will be in next week. (We also have a really fun surprise coming- an ice cream truck tent that we can get inside! Even if ice cream truck doesn't win the vote, it will go well with our shop!)
Dylan had a hard time making his choice, he kept repeating all of them until he finally settled for Subways.
Community Building
Our pre-k friends came for a visit to our classroom today. Before their arrival they had a discussion about what exactly they wanted to teach us. What they came up with was: how to dress up in a costume and have a dance party. We partnered everyone up and made sure to add costumes to whoever wanted one. We danced with scarves and the pre-k friends shared some of their favorite music with us. Then we were able to share our favorite- "freeze dance." After our party, Pre-K shared some snack with us. We can't wait to continue this relationship with the pre-k group! (And Morgan was so excited to see her brother, James!).
Painting
This week we were exposed to many different forms of painting. We painted on canvas with tempera paint, we used "water paint" on poster board, and we also painted on saran wrap that was wrapped around the base of our sand table. The amount of focus and attention that is happening while we paint is really amazing! We are making marks with intention. Each line and dot is placed purposefully. Although we don't always know how to describe what it is we are making or doing, we can see that there is a rhyme and reason behind the actions.
Specialists
- Soccer with Coach Jojo: we are sticking with the same routine; we introduce small soccer balls and make sure we are using our feet, then we use large soccer balls, then small cones, and then large cones. At the end of the our soccer time, we line up on a rainbow and everyone takes turns kicking the ball into the net.
- Cooking with Diane: This week we used a variety of herbs to season some rice. We took turns smelling each spice and sprinkling some on before the rice was cooked. Yum!
- Cooking with Mitzi: Oatmeal smoothies were on the docket for the week. We mixed: milk, yogurt, oatmeal and raisins and blended them together. Friends who don't normally taste our cooking projects LOVED it!
Light & Shadow
"My hair is black, my hair! Your turn, Rachel! Your hair is black!" - Nina
Another new project we are embarking upon is that of light and shadow. This week we introduced a light projector into the classroom and gym that we were SO excited to explore. More on this is coming soon- we are just in the preliminary stages of exploration!
Thank you!
Thanks, Tara, for coming and reading with us this week! We loved your book choices, and the yummy cookies we shared as you read "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie!"
Have an amazing weekend! Please bring back permission slips for Eataly as soon as you can.
Upcoming:
Friday, March 2nd- School Closed for Staff Development
Tuesday, March 6th- School Picture Days
Thursday, March 15th- Parent teacher conferences (No children in school)
Week of March 19th- Literacy Week & Author Study
Friday, March 30- Sunday, April 8th - BMS Closed for Spring Break