Life's a Beach!
The weather finally warmed and the whole school was able to spend our annual day at Dash Point State Park! Bear Cubs had a nutritious and delicious snack before making "Sailing Circles" to run down the beach with as the ribbons rippled in the breeze...
We enjoyed welcoming a new friend who will be in our class next year!
But we could hear the water calling to us, and we answered with curiosity and joy!
Exploration was compelling...
As we tested our self confidence by taking on a big challenge!
Crossing this log, over the shallow flowing stream, became an individual feat of the day for many children.
This child received the "Surprise of the Day" award... He crossed the log to midstream, then spotted this piece of algae on the rock below. He carefully put his foot down on the rock and reached for it (see photo, below.) After examining it, he flung his leg back over the log and overcompensated. SPLASH! Down he went off the opposite side of the log and into the shallow flowing stream, sand and pebbles underneath his body. The stream of tears flowed as easily as the water bubbling by... Nothing hurt, just the shock of falling into cold water and getting wet from head to toe. After hugs and reassurances, he stayed "safe" out on the sand for awhile, digging and working, while his clothes dried out with the warmth of the sun. We were so proud of him when he spontaneously returned to the log to go for a more "successful" experience (second photo.) Afterward, I quietly reinforced how much courage it takes to get back up and try again (especially when not so long ago a minuscule owie was an event that took a long time to recover from.) We celebrate the gigantic leaps of growth, so evident at this time of year, we see in every child within our Bear Cub community!
We loved how each child figured out what he or she was comfortable with, and no one was pressured by anyone to try to cross or not. For the youngest member of our class, simply putting a tummy and arms against the log was enough!
A former Bear Cub, now in the first grade, helped a friend cross the rocks in the stream. He wasn't asked... he just saw the need and came forward. This is the spirit of community that I hope will stay with all of the Bear Cubs as they move on...
A mom and teacher, her younger daughter, and two life-long learners!
Talk about challenge... This child spent several hours throughout the day figuring out how to move from rock to rock in the stream. It took great concentration and coordination!
Thank you to the Parent Booster Club and a former Seabury family's Subway shop for providing lots of big sandwiches for inspired appetites!
Another highlight near the end of the day as the children discovered how good it feels to be covered in sand... they became s-o-o relaxed. This provides the body with deep pressure that is calming, and each child wanted to have several turns to be covered with the warm sand.
Inevitably toes wiggle and a foot emerges...
Now we Bear Cubs cover the older friend who helped us...
And we laugh as we watch her break free!
By the end of the day, we are sandy from head to nose to toes, and LOVING it!
And the next day, some of us are ready for Round 2, as we shovel our new "clean" sand into our sand box on a beautiful Saturday!
Thanks to all of you for doing your parts to make our sand filled days such wonder- full experiences! We look forward to a week of "digging deeply" to discover the joys of our sand box. Thanks again to PBC for the sandbox and the sand, to Nathan and Grandpa for putting the sandbox together, to Melissa for researching local sources of "clean sand" and making the arrangements for delivery. A dump truck of thanks to our hardworking crew of "diligent diggers" for working together with plastic beach shovels and pails, wheelbarrows and seriously heavy duty shovels, to move a yard of sand from driveway to sandbox! We celebrate our community!
Bear Hugs,
Judith
