Wrapping Up Our Week and Heading Into Autumn

"It's fall!" -Georgia (As said with elation while jumping at the sight of a falling leaf.) 

"It's different (dancing) out here. The mulch kicks under your feet," Eliza commented, following our first outdoor morning meeting. We have thoroughly been enjoying the weather outside during our outdoor times, offering opportunities to work with additional, specific materials especially on our Tuesday and Thursday backwards days.

Pictured above, the small group of children pull off a piece of clay to begin pinching it for a "pinch pot" along with other ideas. "I roll it like this to make a ball," Gracie said today, holding up the spherical piece of clay she had worked by rolling her palm over it, against the table surface. Other children also rolled the clay in a back and forth motion rather than rotational motion to transform their piece of clay into a coil rather than a ball. On Tuesday (pictured at right), two children had the idea to construct dogs out of clay. 

Pictured below, was a table with wire and materials to add to the wire such as beads and cloth with the challenge to create a space between each added material by twisting or turning the wire so that they didn't touch. "How about I twist it together to make it longer." -Adaline Familiar techniques were practiced while some new techniques were discovered such as using a pointed object to perforate the cloth to allow the wire to thread through the finer weave of the fabric. "So first, let me show you, I have to poke it in..." explained Gracie, followed by inserting a piece of wire. 

While some children have been playing and digging in our new, white sand, and other children are playing the "fire fighter" game, pirates, or chase,  a game of "family" is being acted out by some children through pretend play (above).
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On Wednesday, a handful of children went to the entry way to observe and reflect upon the family objects that are being contributed to the entryway wall. The purpose of this school wide intention is "So we get to know what people like to do," ​shared Will.

Some more observation, exploration, and discoveries occurred when some of the children, together, they turned over a tree stump. "There's a worm!" they exclaimed. "I want to hold it," Win and other children said, gradually taking turns passing off the small earth worm or millipede. "What's that yellow stuff?" Georgia asked pointing and referring to the lichen like matter. Along with the earth worm and millipedes there were many, tiny white aphid like insects and eventually a teeny tiny snail was spotted. "Can we keep it?!" Caroline asked with a tenderly persuasive plea. Turns then were taken to carefully hold the small piece of mulch hosting the tiny snail with information to hold only the wood so as not to harm or disturb the delicate structure of the snail, which is different than the worm. About the worm or possibly the snail too, Georgia said, "They're even more gentle. They're even more gentle than I thought."

​"We can add them (the dance poses) to our Get Up and Dance" announced Will while Elyse read and turned the pages of a book titled, Dance. The children moved their bodies in different ways aiming to achieve the pose and balance as they worked to  hold the pose. 

"We're making  messages for friends," Eliza said. Our arrival period has been active in making messages for each other. (below)

​​"My bag needs a picture of me," Henri said, reasoning that it would help him find his cubby bag.  Supporting this,  photo cubby bag tags were made. Today, before leaving Christopher asked, "What the pictures for?" He (and later Zoe) joined Melanie, helping her attach the tags to the black straps by sliding the tip of zip-tie through the slot and pulling through to lock it. Inquisitive about the process, Christopher asked, "What's a slot?" ​

Happy Autumnal Equinox and Enjoy Your Weekend!