Today we brought the obstacle course equipment out to make our Backwards Day more exciting and challenging (in a fun way).  We got our bodies moving as we jumped across the hula hoops, stepped on carpet squares, crawled through the red tunnel, balanced on the balance beam, rock climbing, and playing catch with the dodgeballs.  Among these activities were several rounds of hide-and-seek!

In this video, Palmer asks Ada to hold his hand while he walks across the balance beam.  They take turns helping one another across.

Today we ventured into sewing, something we have only tried once only briefly earlier in the year.  Coming back to this skill in the second half of the year, we talked for a while about how to use the needle to go in and out, how to apply beads to the thread, and how to make sure you pull all the way through the fabric until you reach the end of the thread.  When Palmer heard about the beads, he said, "I'll go get some beads just in case anybody needs some."  He brought the jar over to the table and we began looking through them.  Evelyn quickly found that not all beads have holes, and not all the holes are large enough for the needle to pass through.  We only spent a little time on it today and we'll plan to come back to it next week before spring break!

The magnetic chalkboard is often an area that we walk past while going to the bathroom, so we don't often get to spend quality time there.  We had some time to explore these materials on Thursday in small groups.  Watch as different children approach this area with different curiosities and strategies.  It reminds teachers of the values we have at St. Johns...

JOY... (Olivia finding delight in the magnets falling down; Cannon smiling after a ball successfully flies off the ramp)

CREATIVITY... (Ada making the "longest ever" row of letters and numbers; Wolf's idea to shift the tube vertically )

EXPLORATION... (Wolf finding the string and making a plan to wrap it around something; Palmer looking inside some of the stretchy tubes; Evelyn throwing the orange balls in the basketball hoop)
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RELATIONSHIPS... (Evelyn and Cannon picking up the tube that had fallen down together; Olivia helping Ada with her row of letters and numbers; Cannon saying "You can play too!")

Today we celebrated Palmer's school birthday! His actual birthday is this Sunday. Even though there were only 6 friends at school, we enjoyed the celebration.  Palmer's parents joined us too. Cristian read the first half of "Stanley the Mailman" and Jennie read the second half. Palmer loves Stanley books and even read some of the pages himself! After the book, we looked at photos from when Palmer was younger. In one photo he's a newborn and is wearing a Terps sweatshirt that had belonged to his mom. There was also a photo from his 1st birthday when he got a trash truck from his grandma. Anyone who knows Palmer knows how much he LOVES vehicles. There was also a photo from his second birthday (see below) and one from the beach. Palmer will celebrate his birthday this weekend at the beach with his family. 
Ada gave Palmer his gift. It was created by Emilia, Lane and Fletcher. They thought a lot about what they know about Palmer and added 4 knobs to represent the 4 wheels of a truck, circular pieces to represent cookies as well as eggshells,  sparkles and some party beads. Palmer walked around the candle and we sang to him. Later at snack we enjoyed brownies. And we all fit around one table because the group was so small! But even with a small group, it was a special day! 

Grace announced that she was having a picnic!  When her friends heard, they hurried over to help spread the picnic blanket.  Then, they began to prepare different kinds of food and bring it over to this blanket.  Palmer brought chicken nuggets, Wolf made pudding, Grace prepared pancakes and lettuce, and Emilia provided coffee, tea, and cookies.

A sampling of photos the children took. (They like close-ups and are still learning how to hold the camera's steady.)

The children are practicing serving themselves snack. It takes patience and precision.

With every new skill the children learn in the studio, there is almost always the element of perseverance.   When children paint their clay with underglaze, it can be tempting to just paint a little and then be done.  Teachers have been encouraging children who began glazing last week to come back and add to the same work, maybe more than once, so their work can really feel finished.  At the end of the year, when it's time to look through portfolios with their parents, children will feel so proud of all the hard work they accomplished.

The Rainey Room friends shared a bit of their family tradition learning with us today. Charlie's family celebrates Mardi Gras so the Rainey Room brought in beads to share with us. It was a fun way to start our Tuesday!

We were busy thinking about how to welcome back Wolf, who will return to school tomorrow after 6 weeks in Kenya. The children made watercolor paintings and created arrangements with blocks and natural materials which we will show Wolf tomorrow. We are looking forward to having him back and sharing stories.

Maren worked hard to make a beautiful arrangement which she then covered with fabric so that it would be a surprise.  Lane made 2 bunnies out of blocks and was sure to add fur and eyes. Grace, Emilia and Maren also created a zoo.

We continued glazing our pottery.  First we are painting with colorful underglaze.
Next, we will add shiny overglaze.  Then the pieces will be ready to be fired in the kiln. 

Seventh grade student, Jack Lapham, from The Field School, has been completing a 2 week internship at St. John's.  Last week he spent Tuesday and Friday with the Brown Room and he was back again today. The children loved playing with him! Today in class he helped with watercolor painting and also read a book. Outside he pushed friends on the swing and make hide-and-seek extra exciting! Thanks for spending time with us Jack!