Paper PossibilitiesPaper exploration continued this week. Many children are thinking about printing and creating letters for our documentation. Perhaps it was inventible that children began to see letters in their paper folding. Will - It looks like an "E." While working.... Ford - I'm a master at this! This and that...
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Sewing a Letter for our CW TitleAlphabet ChartThe CW children are also creating an alphabet chart with all the extra letters they created out of various materials. Ava wanted to sew an "F" and Bailee sew an "S", and Gracie sew her letter "G". Noticing letters in Nature
Making Letters with Wood BlocksWhit, Bailee, and Rawls had so much fun figuring out together how to make letters with wood blocks . The letter CAs the CW children go back and forth between the hallway and the Tucker room to look at our documentation and alphabet chart, Charlton decided that he wanted to paint the letter "C" of Children for our "Children's Workshop" title. Meanwhile in the Atelier, The CW friends still love to draw together around the table, and use the microscope. On Thursday, in the Construction Area, Whit, Ford, and Jack Built an elaborate 6 rooms building with a pool for their lovies. Whit - We had guards in the building. Ford - And sadly the guards died. Whit - We had funerals, but one guard survived, only one. Ford - And his name was Snake! On Friday: Rawls - I am making a pizzeria, and there delicious salmon. Whit - Today we have 11 rooms. Ford - It's a zoo house. If the bad guys go through here, they get scanned. Whit - And the bad guys bounce into my house, and my dog bite them, and they go to jail! This week the table setters were: Gracie and Fay, Rawls and Pierce, Ava and Jack, Will and Isabelle. Goodbye Seon! We love you and we will miss you so much!Paper PossibilitiesWe use paper in so many ways at St. John's. The quality and quantity of paper that we have on hand is impressive. This week, we have had parent volunteers organizing a small portion of our collection for an upcoming alumni worksop. Many thanks to Roxanne, Katie, Shigeno, and Zoe for supporting our work in this way!
This week, children have been been folding, rolling, and otherwise manipulating strips of paper. These individual pieces are glued together in small boxes or on bases. This work will probably continue all week. While working: Seon - It's time to roll! It's like a colorful sushi roll. Eliza - I'm going to get a wider one (paper), so there's more room (for the glue). Lillian - So much stickiness! Gracie - My hands are so gluey. Seon - That's part of the fun! Will - Mine is so cool because it's a bridge. Construction for Critters
On Wednesday, A Construction ChallengeToday children were asked to build a structure that had four separate rooms or pens for animals. Children greeted this challenge with a certain amount of hesitation. They didn't seem sure that they could do it. Charlton - It's a zoo mansion. So Much Sunshine!We are enjoying these sunny, warm days in our outdoor classroom! A Community CenterpieceOne characteristic of the CW children is that they are excellent table setters and really know how to create a centerpiece! Recently, they worked on a special centerpiece for the unhoused guests that are eating dinner at St. John's. Molly and Sarah Maitre provided chili, the Brown Room made muffins, Tucker Room decorated with additional centerpieces, Ben Werschkul and Katie Alberts brought in cornbread, and Jackie Coombe and Katherine Boone provided dessert. At 4:00 Molly, Cece, and Sarah served the food.
Can we make a letter with sticks and wire?Challenge accepted!
It wasn't even tricky for me! - Zari Zari - I wasn't thinking about a letter, I was just twisting. I connected another stick, then it made a T! Fay - I didn't have it in my head, and I just made something. A random "A". My mom and Karen don't know what random means! because I just asked them and they said they don't know. I also made a random "T." Ava - I made the letter A with sticks, then I wrap the sticks with wire! Bailee - I made the letter B. I made the two bumps with wire attach to the stick. I made also made a small "b". Seon and Ellie made the Letter D out of wire and crystal beads. Construction AreaIn Construction Area Whit and Charlton built New York City. Charlton - I have an idea for construction. I have an iron Man, so we can build New York City. Whit - And I can have a park for my bunny. Both boys begin to build tall buildings. Charlton - This building is as tall as me. Whit and Charlton get stools to build taller. Whit - Mine is a little tall. Charlton - I'm making an elevator. Whit - I am making walls. Charlton - (adding a block) Here 's the tallest part. Whit walks around to inspect the building. Whit - Charlton, that's a little not stable... one block is a little off. Charlton - This is the Avengers' tower. Whit - This is the Hoppy Tower, because my bunny lives there. ❤️ MessagesThis week our table setters were: Adaline and Whit, Lillian and Eliza, Charlton and Bailee, and Cal.Riding on the back of a crocodile, like our favorite song!The Love of Letters!Throughout the day, we see children thinking about letters and printing in a variety of ways. Their joy as they create words or names is evident. Children use these names and words to label their work and to send messages, making fun discoveries along the way. Ellie - Cece's name is a pattern. C - E -C -E!
Crystals!When children were generating the list of materials that could be included in our title, Whit suggested crystals. In the next week (or so), crystals will be an option for one of the letters. In the meantime, we decided to make some crystals of our own! Because the process involved heating water, Jill referred to it as "cooking." Seon - This is not normal cooking! We have crystals! We were surprised and delighted to find that our crystals grew overnight. We spent time looking at them, touching them and checking them out with the digital microscope! Construction: The Year of the DragonAs we begin the year of the dragon, we included dragons in our construction area. Initially, teacher's thought that dragons would be the only animals in these structures. Some children clearly wanted to include their beloved stuffed animals, so they soon joined the dragons. After all.... Whit - This is a place for everyone. A quick look at everything else...
Creating the CHILDREN'S WORKSHOP TitleCharlton - I worked on an "A" but I didn't finish it yet. Eliza - We were working on letters. Ford - I didn't finish the D, but I did half of it. Rawls - I was going to do needle felting but I did small world. Ellie - I was poking an "E" Jack - I was needle felting. But first I drew a picture of my family. Then I used some colors to do needle felting on a "J" Isabelle - First I drew a design, then I did needle felting on "I" Ford - I didn't finish mine! Charlton - I finished my " A" (for Avangers) and my black. Zari made a beautiful "Z" . She also added a sun, a flower, and a bee. Our Table Setters this week and last week were: Fay and Jack, Seon and Gracie, Ford and Ava, Zari and Ellie, Eliza and Bailee, Pierce and Isabelle, and Will.The Beautiful Crystal Curtain that CW made is up and Running !Construction AreaWe made a graveyard! Whit - It started as a graveyard. It was snowing on the graveyard. Bailee - Our animals lived there. My dog was a tiny bet scared! Excursion to Volta Park on a Beautiful Day!
So Many Materials!
Everything else....
Scenes and Stories From ConstructionFor much of the year, our construction building have included environments for stuffed animals. We have noticed that children are developing interesting and engaging stories as they build and play!
Cake CookingChildren made a Yogurt-Lemon Cake for tonight! We hope to see you there!
The Making of a Crystal and Metal CurtainDuring our CW staff meeting with Jen and Molly, Jen asked us if the CW children could create a crystal and metal curtain to put above the door that leads to our playground. The purpose of this crystal, metal, and mirrors curtain is to "hopefully" create magnificent rainbows when the sun hits it in the morning! The CW children were delighted to create it by using wire, crystal beads, metals, and mirrors. We also introduced a technique call "The no touch game" where children had to wrap their wire around a nail to create a swirl between each materials. Using wire this way demonstrates how capable children are. We noticed persistence, fine motor skills, good eye-hand coordination, creativity, motivation, and Joy of having creating a beautiful piece that enhance our school environment. Also happening in the Atelier: The CW children love to gather in the atelier to draw and socialize after lunch! We also have a new science table and "cool invention " areas to explore. Our Table Setters this week were: Ava and Seon, Whit and Cal, Adaline and Charlton, Will and Rawls.Unusual warm weather + small group = an excursion to our favorite Volta Park ! Have a great weekend.
How many materials?We're working on a new title to our hallway documentation. Yesterday we presented our idea to the children. We gathered them to look at a series of letters on the large construction table. Ford - It probably says something. Probably "Children's Workshop." (He's right!) Jill - We want to to do each letter out of a new material. Seon got us started by drawing the "S." Can you think of 17 materials we can use for the rest of the letters? Ford - We can sew. Gracie - We can cut the letters. Zari - We could make a letter out of wire. Adaline and Will- We could make one out of clay. Ellie - We can make one out of metal. Ford - Wood. Seon - We could make a letter out of pencils. Eliza - Or out of trees. Adaline - We can build a letter. Ellie - Or paint a letter. Ford - Watercolors. Whit - Markers. Charlton - We can use needle felting. Ford - Or pinecones or shells. Charlton - You can make a "C" out of papers and glue the papers. Brigitte - What do we call gluing papers? Ford and Charlton - Collage! Whit - We could use shoelaces. Ellie - Or make a letter out of nails. Whit - Crystals. Charlton - Shadow projection. Will - Weaving. Gracie - Chalk. Adaline - We could use earrings. We have already generated more than enough ideas! After the discussion, children practiced making letters with their bodies, which is another possibility. These possibilities demonstrate children's knowledge of and competence with the variety of materials available at our school. We can't wait to introduce all these experience in the coming weeks. Tuesday in ConstructionBuilding homes for stuffed animals continues to be popular in the afternoons. Everything else...
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May 2024
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