A Stitch in Time...

A STITCH IN TIME SAVES NINE!

(THAT'S 7 + 2 IN OUR BEAR CUB COMMUNITY...)

The children were so excited about learning to sew buttons... "My grandmother sews! I saw my dad sew a button on his shirt! My mom knows how to sew..." were a few of the comments heard as children came to our "sewing circle" at the table. Each child chose the shape and color of the two holed plastic button desired, then the shade of felt, and finally the hue of thread to use for the project. We used darning needles, which are thicker, easier to grasp, and not as sharp as sewing needles. As each child learned how to go "up and down" through the holes in the button, the thrill settled into deepened concentration. This was challenging work!

We felt pleased, and so very proud, when our efforts were successful!

There was another flurry of activity in the Creation Station, with more construction and stories to record! It is often interesting to observe how one child may start a project and that action suddenly ignites the passion of several others to visualize, plan and build while creating a story around their individual ideas. As we teachers ask open ended questions, our Bear Cubs really have no awareness of how care-full-y we are watching and listening. The children are gaining further skills in math, science, problem solving, language expression, creative writing, as well as fine motor and sensory development. This is part of the wonderful surprise that remains "hidden" to unaware adults: Leaps of development of the body and brain are integrated into every hands-on idea the children experiment with as they work with dedication on their latest creations!

We're working with the concept of fractions in a totally sensory manner...

We think about our friend who moved last weekend, and wonder about what he is doing...

We think about him living on Lake Michigan, which remains a powerful image...

"Here are the waves on Lake Michigan and see the boat? That's me and (names other class friends and family members) riding on the boat. There's a rainbow (blue and purple arches---top right.) The purple circle is Nana and Papa's beachhouse and the yellow one on the other side of the lake is a tall building in Milwaukee. We're all going to visit A.'s family on the boat. We're going to play, all of us together, and have a picnic in Milwaukee! Then we'll all go back on the boat to Nana and Papa's house. A and J will come, too, and they'll stay with us." An elaborate plan, mapped out and "documented" using the imagery of magnetic shapes!

It's always a good time to count candles to place on birthday cakes... You never know when we might need to celebrate!

"How many more candles do we have left? How many cakes still need more candles? Do we have enough candles?---- Oh great! We have one extra!" Lots of math problems to solve... and together we can figure them out!

"Let's sing Happy Birthday to You... Now blow!"

Sorting by shape seems more challenging than sorting by color...

Our last Friday goodbye photo together!
(minus one Bear Cub on holiday hibernation!)

It's already fun for us to look back at the photos from last week... We think that we're going to write our Milwaukee friend a letter next week!

Bear Hugs to friends near and far,

Judith

Farewell to a Friend

We Bid a Friend Farewell --- to a Fare Thee Well!

We had so many activities to do in order to bid our friend farewell! We had to make plenty of time between the more structured moments to have plenty of opportunities for creative spontaneity. On Monday morning an engaging mystery developed in the imaginations of the children... The "magic crystal" was missing... Who had taken it? Where was it?

We hunted throughout the classroom and interviewed classmates. The crow became the main suspect. We inspect the crow intently with our homemade binoculars...

We don't see the crow carrying the crystal, but we certainly realize how clever those old crows can be. Some of us work undercover in the tipi, guarding the other crystals (the blue geometric solids) and doing phone recognizance. The mystery deepens...
To be continued in installments! (Can you "bear" the suspense?)



Meanwhile, another surprise comes to us from a friend, who has sewn us a bear!
(And he didn't even know that beginning to sew is in the lesson plan for next week!)
Of course, we all admire our newest bear cub, take turns hugging and holding it, and thanking our friend for working so hard to make it with his very own heart and hands, stitching together...

Speaking of hearts and hands together, we make a book for our friend who is moving away. Every child tells something that they appreciate about him, which is written on the page, then illustrates their thought. On the facing page, we glue a photo of each child.


Our friend who is leaving makes a page, too! He says, "It's fun playing with my friends at school!"

We make a copy of the book so that we can send the original with our friend and keep the copy for our class to enjoy.

Together, we made wrapping paper by doing handprints.

Looks easy, doesn't it?

Still think it looks easy?

It's all in a day's work when one works with four and five year olds!

The world of the imagination is compelling!

We can sort translucent buttons by color or shape... they glow on the light table!

Deciding which attribute to categorize is part of the process. Touching and sorting these beautiful, smooth buttons offers us experiences that encourage language, math, science, fine motor skills and sensory development. We focus intently on this mesmerizing activity, as well as the one below, thus lengthening our attention spans.

We added the wooden Connectagons this week, which reinforce similar areas as mentioned above. There are lots of opportunities to explore, experiment and discover when working individually or collaboratively...

Now that many of us are learning to write using invented spelling, we feel so free to express our wishes. When we want to leave our project out, we write signs that say "Please Save," and then sign our names. Other children like to come by and "read" our signs!

We are learning that our own written words have meaning and power...

That feels GREAT!

More collaboration with lots of practical problem solving, discussion and negotiation (below)... Notice the differing building styles on the left and the right (above.)

Can you can see the mathematical concepts being visualized, created and synthesized?

We have worked hard and we want to save this!

In P.E., we are learning and practicing more gaits... here is a "side slide," an alternative type of "slide show," (above)

skipping,

and dancing like a spiraling snowflake.

What joy!

It is with some sadness and many good wishes that we say farewell to our good friends. I realize that in my four years at Seabury, I've always had a Woods child in my class---and I love "having a family," brothers and sisters, as part of our class community over a period of years! We will all miss them... Just to give you a "heads up," the children decided that when the family comes back to the NW for a visit, we're all going to get together. I told them that's called "a reunion." They are all looking forward to our first class reunion! In the meantime, K and K have made summer plans to boat from Nana and Papa's lakeshore house in Michigan, across placid little Lake Michigan, to A. and J.'s house in Milwaukee, so that they can have a play time together. I hope that they take turns with the paddles, water skis and inner tubes and send us lots of photos!

Bear hugs, laughter and a lingering tear,

Judith

Seattle Children's Theater and Museum

A Whale of a Day!

On Tuesday we went to the Seattle Children's Theater to see their delightful production of "Lyle the Crocodile." (sorry, no photos allowed...) Lots of singing and dancing to the accompaniment of a live musical quartet, along with a humorous plot and great acting kept our interest level high! Our favorite character? Lyle, who never uttered one word during the entire performance. His body language and facial expressions said it all!

After lunch at the Center House, we went to the Children's Museum, where we were greeted by orca whales...

and Bryant, who filled us in on the "Museum Rules."

We stepped into a magical world, as big as our imaginations...

Up on the mountain,

we might peek out of a nurse log,

commune with long eared "forest folk,"

or find a cozy place to rest in the rocky crags.

Perhaps we'll descend by free form glissading down a glacier,

then set up a base camp.

When our bodies are tired from our mountain explorations, we'll let simple machines do the work for us! We like the pulleys,

and having a clear view of cause and effect with motion and gravity.

Inclined planes are fun to explore,

as is the wonder of air suction and vacuums!

Collaboration brings new ideas and discoveries!

Experimenting with cause and effect of blowing air allows for a quiet moment and rapt attention.

Still, loading the ramp with balls and cranking the pulley is ever popular...

Hey matey! How many ways can we travel the world?
Let's try a sailing vessel!Remember to don your life jacket,

as all together we sail the seven seas!

We could take a motorcycle-cab through the big cities,

or a land rover over the vast savannahs,

perhaps returning to our country on a big ship!

There are so may places to eat as we travel... Sushi, anyone?

Or we'll shop for our own ingredients to make dinner

and invite friends



for a sleepover! (Or a giggle-fest!)

Welcome to Clifford's World,

where everyone is a friend of the big red dog!

We find more levers, pulleys and inclined planes to explore,

and find that we "have a bone to pick!"

Then out through a magical portal...

May I pick you a flower?

We had a rollicking good time!

As we prepare to leave, we're ready to tackle free climbing... An experienced Idaho mountaineer named Tamara shows us how...

We use our problem solving skills (and discover that rock climbing in a fancy skirt poses certain challenges!)

This is really a stretch for us, literally and figuratively!

The words to that old Beatles song take on new meaning...

"I get high with a little help from my friends."

Hooray! Our friend in the fancy skirt got up!

Now how do we get down?

As we stepped out of the museum, we were met with an incredible sight...

This flag is traveling the country and will return to New York City for the 10th anniversary of 9/11 this September. Though the children were unaware of the circumstances that would bring this occasion to Seattle, they picked up on the somber tone and became very quiet as I took photos. We reminded them to look closely at this flag, as it is likely the largest United States flag that they will ever see.


A photo gallery of the flag can be found at: seattletimes.com/photography

So far it has been to 46 cities in 18 states. What a privilege to witness this moment!

Judith