HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAC!

12/12/2017

Today was Mac's 5th birthday!! Mac's mommy, daddy and sister came in to celebrate with us. We started by looking at some pictures of Mac throughout the years. Tasha told the story of Mac's adoption five years ago, when Mac came out of his birth mommy's tummy. Tasha explained how Mac was a gift to their family, and they were so, so happy to have him! She said, Mac grew in his mommy's tummy then joined their family and grew in their hearts. One picture (shown below) showed O'Malley giving her new brother Mac a big kiss when he was just a tiny baby. Some other pictures showed Mac at the beach, and at his house near his favorite place - the swing. We got to see the first picture Mac ever took with a camera - a photo of Buzz Lightyear!! And we talked about some of the things Mac loves... Bulldozers, trucks, beetles, and bugs.

Then, Mac's birthday committee gave him the presents they made for him: A Triceratops with three Ninjagos! One Ninjago is standing up in a forest, and the other two are riding on the back of the dinosaur. Later in the day Mac turned to Rose and said, "I love my present. I love what you made me."

Mac walked around the candle five times with his sister O'Malley. He blew out the candle and made a wish. We're so lucky to know you, Mac! Happy birthday!

Sound and Slinky exploration...

Children are continuing to find things that make noise. Yesterday, while discussing the triangle (musical instrument Hadley brought in) Bruno recalled that it's the vibrations from hitting the triangle that create a sound.

Today, the children responded to the sounds made by a slinky. In construction, they made hypotheses of how they needed to build to help the slinky go downwards. While arranging the hollow blocks, they tested building both wide and narrow stairs. They closed their eyes and listened closely to the slinky while it moved.

Jay: I'm gonna test it.
Rose: Look at the sound the slinky does.
Lila: It's like two hamster cages.
Maya: Like a maraca.

As the group moved beyond the sounds of the slinky, they made sounds with some of the sound-making objects that they've already collected. Mac noticed the differences in sounds when he banged a metal spoon on a glass jar, then a plastic tube. The group discussed with a teacher how sounds can have a pitch that is higher or lower.

Finally, Lila and Rose worked on clipboards to plan for an instrument they would like to make. Lila drew a "heart tambourine with musical notes" (below, right). Rose drew a flute and a drum, which correspond to the notes floating above (below, left). "It's a note that tells you which song to play," she said.