A Windy Friday for Brown Room's Backwards Day

Working with Clay and Other Materials

The children of the Brown Room have been very busy preparing to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of St. John's Preschool. Today, we used photographs of St. John's as inspiration while we worked with clay and other materials. Ellie looked at one of the photographs and described what she saw: That the bell and the windows and the door. I’m cutting some pieces for a house. That’s the baby bell clock.
Ellie and Emma used the wire to cut the clay alongside Ragnar.
Ellie: I cut a piece out.
Emma: I want some clay. I want some clay. I want some clay.
Ragnar: It's a little one. Can you cut me a bigger one? 
Ellie: Here (handing Ragnar more clay).
Ragnar: Whoa! She give me a bigger piece!

Ragnar's eye was drawn to the display of materials which included wire of various gauges, other pieces of metal and wood. 
Ragnar: I’m gonna get a hundred (pieces of wire). This could be a desk (picking up a triangular prism shaped block). 
As Ragnar created his school with clay, wire and wooden blocks, he pointed to the top of the obelisk block and explained: The bell’s inside. Up here.
Ellie: I’m using some more pieces That be the gate. I’m scooping this clay with my scoop, scooping fingers. I make some lines. 

Louisa: Cutting the clay. It's a cutting wire (as she pulled the wire back and forth). What happened? It (a hunk of clay) come out. I got it (the clay) off.  I pulled it.
​I pulled my hands and then I do this and then it opens and there it comes out.  I need to cut this piece, because it's too big!

The sand pit and the building area were also busy today in the outdoor classroom.  
Ramsey: We're building shark protected treasure.
Isabelle: Bury it.
Charlton: I got a big stone. Let's bury it. 
​Ellie: I digging that rock up Charlton. I'm finished my work.
​Seon: I want to play. 

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Our 1st Mystery Reader Was...

Early in the day, we announced that a mystery reader would be joining us during snack. As we drew closer to snack, the anticipation grew and children began hypothesizing about who the mystery reader could be. 
Ragnar: Maybe it’s Jordan. (Jordan, one of our Early Birds and KW teachers has been on paternity leave so the children haven’t seen him lately). 
Ford: It could be Elena's mom. 
Ramsey: My baby sister Lena.
Ellie: It could be Ramsey's big sister Nora. 
Charlton: Maybe it’s my mom.
Charlton was the closest and was surprised when his mom showed up on zoom, joined by his Uncle Belton, who shared two books about Charlton’s favorite sea creatures, blue whales and sharks. Eliza shared that Charlton loves whales “because it’s my (Charlton’s) symbol.”

Looking Ahead to Next Week