Tuesday: |
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Look who visited Wolf while he was painting... the guinea fowl he was raising in an incubator on the farm! They've grown up!
Everyone has a different painting set-up. Some are inside, some are outside. Alexandra has an easel, while Oliver and Greta paint together on the tabletop. Maren has a sketchpad where she likes to paint, while Wolf B paints on wood.
 |  |  Alexandra showed a recent painting project and said, "We used it to wrap my Papa's present." |
 Maren said, "I'm trying to only paint around that gem right there." |  Oliver said, "I always like to make rainbows." |  Cannon said, "White and purple make pink" as he mixed colors. |
 Fletcher: "I mixed brown. So much dirt. Grass, grass, grass." |  |
Playdoh, like clay, allows for imaginary concepts to merge with discoveries in technique. Ellie mixed the different colors of playdoh to create a confetti aesthetic, then used a plastic egg to punch a hole in the center. Later in transformed into an arch-shape.
 Ellie: "I put an egg in here and it made this shape." |  "Look at this crown. I mixed it with colors." |
Some children used tools, while others built with their hands.
 Olivia showed a special hair cutting set she has for her playdoh. She said, "You just put playdoh in and push out of these. Playdoh hair comes out. It's a salon and barber shop." |  Emilia shared the cookie cutters she was going to use. She said "I made fresh homemade playdoh. If you want to make it SO green or SO blue or SO yellow, you put in a whole bottle of coloring." |
 Wolf M said, "I'm gonna make a baseball team. I'm gonna make the players of it, three players." Soon after he said, "We're making a dinosaur to watch the players play baseball." The story continued a little later, "The baseball game is teared down. A meteor teared it down. There's a big huge dump of it." |  Grace said, "I have hundreds and hundreds of playdoh." She made this stack of pancakes and said, "Yum yum yum" as she pretended to munch on it. |
 |  Gigi said, "I made a snowman, This is a button eye. And a scarf. These are arms, and a body." |
Wednesday:
🌼 Happy Birthday, Emilia! 🌎
 For Emilia's school birthday, we were lucky enough to watch a beautiful slideshow of pictures from Emilia's five years of life. Lane watched the pictures from last summer and said, "I remember her birthday, it was so fun! She looks just like herself." |  While Emilia wore a birthday princess tiara, her dad read "Dragons Love Tacos" for the class, and showed a "Calvin and Hobbes" comic book that Alex and Emilia like to read together. |
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| Her brother Alex, as well as her mom, dad, and her Lola Mi and grandpa were all there to watch her walk around the candle. The class presented their gifts of the letter "E"! (see slideshow) We love you Emilia! Happy 5th birthday!! | |
Thursday:
St. John's Bingo 📸
 | Thanks for joining us for our last round of bingo. When Lane saw the pictures from earlier in the year, she said, "I love hopscotch. I'm missing it. I wish we could go back to school and just buy it." She remembered the day we went outside to Hyde-Addison. "And we thought we were going to draw rainbow hopscotch in this whole state." Later she said, "Doctor area! I miss doctor area. I miss our who classroom. I wish I could just drive there by myself and play there." |
Friday:
☀️Happy Birthday, Wolfie B! 🐺
Wolfie and his mom, dad, sister Cedar, and nanny Aga all gathered with us to celebrate his 5th birthday. Together we watched a special slideshow all about Wolfie's five birthdays from five years of life. Wolfie read us two stories that he likes - one was about dinosaurs, and one was about the planets of our solar system. His family brought a birthday banana for the occasion with five candles, which he walked around five times.
As an added bonus, Wolf showed us a snake that they found out in the yard, and a bunny rabbit that they are taking care of at the farm.
As an added bonus, Wolf showed us a snake that they found out in the yard, and a bunny rabbit that they are taking care of at the farm.
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 Happy 5th Birthday Wolfie!! We love you!! | Wolfie's friends made him the letter W for his birthday. Take a look at their gifts below. |
Sharing is Caring
Since March, every day, children have an opportunity to share important artifacts and stories from their life with the class. For example, Fletcher shared a bird feeder this week that he made with a recycled plastic carton! He and his mom showed us the incredible amount of thought that went into the project, like adding tape to keep out pesky squirrels.
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We love when children share information about their relationship with nature, especially at a time when spending time outdoors is so important for our wellbeing.
Gigi shared recently: "There's a special snack you can take on hikes. Sunflower kernels and raisins and chocolate chips."
Wolfie M shared today: "Zaza and I are going to catch lightning bugs tonight. I have a net and a jar for them to go in. The top has holes so they can breathe."
Gigi shared recently: "There's a special snack you can take on hikes. Sunflower kernels and raisins and chocolate chips."
Wolfie M shared today: "Zaza and I are going to catch lightning bugs tonight. I have a net and a jar for them to go in. The top has holes so they can breathe."
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We are always so delighted to meet new lovies. stuffies, toys, and other characters. And we're even more delighted when we get to see siblings!
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Transitioning into Summertime 😎
This will most likely be our last blog post for the Rainey Room year. From the bottom of our hearts, we just want to say we fully appreciate all the many hours you and your children have spent Zooming and Seesawing with us these past few months. Keeping in touch with you all has consistently brightened our days and inspired us.
Next week we'll begin to say our farewells for the summer...
We have a little summer research project we'll introduce to you next week so that when we reunite in the Tucker Room, we'll have something we can share with one another about our summer adventures.
Talk to you soon! Lots of Love,
Melanie & Brooke
Next week we'll begin to say our farewells for the summer...
- first with the Rainey Room End of Year Slideshow (June 1st at 10am),
- then with the school-wide Chapel (June 2nd at 10am).
- On Wednesday June 3rd from 10-11, we're hoping to see some of you in person from a distance, because we'll be delivering your portfolios from the front lawn of St. John's into your cars. If you can make it, we'll be thrilled to see you. (If not, that's okay! We can deliver it to your home at another day/time. Just get in touch with us.)
We have a little summer research project we'll introduce to you next week so that when we reunite in the Tucker Room, we'll have something we can share with one another about our summer adventures.
Talk to you soon! Lots of Love,
Melanie & Brooke
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Another busy week for the Rainey Room! We celebrated 2 birthdays: Wolf M and Fletcher. Grace introduced us to her new baby sister, Caroline. We also played games, and had play-doh and painting workshops. Here's an out-of-order recap of the week:
Tuesday: Happy Birthday Wolf M!
Wolf M's actual birthday is June 21st, but we celebrated on Tuesday. At first, Wolf was a bit shy about all the attention. Selina read a great book, "The Caterpillar and The Polliwog." Wolfie pointed out an illustration he enjoyed. But the definite highlight was watching Wolf's reaction to all the W's his friends made for him. His hobby horse went around the candle and Wolf blew it out. We made the most of the distant celebration!
(hover on the image to see who made it)
(hover on the image to see who made it)
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Grace's Baby Sister
Grace was very excited to let her friends see baby Caroline. She is very proud to have a new sister!
Lane was quick to offer advice:
Lane, "Is the baby crying?"
Grace, "No."
Lane, "Whenever she's crying does she interrupt you? You should use your headphones."
Lane was quick to offer advice:
Lane, "Is the baby crying?"
Grace, "No."
Lane, "Whenever she's crying does she interrupt you? You should use your headphones."
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Friday: Happy Birthday Fletcher!
We had a wonderful time celebrating Fletcher's school birthday! He will be 5 on August 1st. We saw a lovely slide show of Fletcher through the years and enjoyed the book, "Nibbles the Book Monster," which Fletcher loves! And what a lucky birthday boy, Fletcher got 3 Fs from Cannon and 2 from Gigi in addition to all the others.
Monday: Rare Animal Bingo
On Monday we played rare animal bingo. It was fun to expose the children to unfamiliar animals and share tidbits of information about them. We were SO GRATEFUL to have Jonathan jump on during Wolf's group to share some of his expertise about these animals! It was fascinating! Thank you Jonathan!!!!
Here are some facts Jonathan shared:
Platypus: One of 2 mammals on Earth that lays eggs. They use their bills to help hunt for fish.
Narwhal: It's not a horn, it's a tooth! The tooth always has a bit of an infection and bothers the narwhal.
Hedgehog: When they're scared they roll up into little balls so nothing can get them. They are almost always covered in fleas. Oliver said, "They go into their ball and then they are a scratchy ball."
Pangolin: Their tongue is as long as their body! They don't have teeth!
Elephant Shrew: They only live in Africa and they are more closely related to elephants than shrews (despite being so small). They found a new species of elephant shrew in Kenya.
Kiwi bird: They are birds that do not fly. Their feathers are more like fur. They lay eggs about the size of their body.
Tapir: 4 species in the world, 1 lives in Asia, the others in South America. They're closest relative is species like the horse.
Purple frog: It lives underground and only comes out during the monsoon season to find a mate.
Bilby: It lives in Australia has a pouch where it keeps the babies.
Marine Iguanas: They are unique because almost no reptiles live in the ocean. When they come out of the water they snort to get the salt water out of their nostrils.
Gorilla: Jonathan studied them for 2 years in the Rain Forest where he tracked and watched them all day. (!) A silverback male is 7 times the strength of a regular human.
Stag Beetle: There 1,200 species and they live underground most of the year, only coming out to find a mate. They can be about 5 inches long!
Red Tail Panda: They live in Nepal and India. They live in the trees and are endangered because they are hunted for their fur.
Colombian Dwarf Gecko: Geckos have special toes to grasp the wall and climb upside down.
Here are some facts Jonathan shared:
Platypus: One of 2 mammals on Earth that lays eggs. They use their bills to help hunt for fish.
Narwhal: It's not a horn, it's a tooth! The tooth always has a bit of an infection and bothers the narwhal.
Hedgehog: When they're scared they roll up into little balls so nothing can get them. They are almost always covered in fleas. Oliver said, "They go into their ball and then they are a scratchy ball."
Pangolin: Their tongue is as long as their body! They don't have teeth!
Elephant Shrew: They only live in Africa and they are more closely related to elephants than shrews (despite being so small). They found a new species of elephant shrew in Kenya.
Kiwi bird: They are birds that do not fly. Their feathers are more like fur. They lay eggs about the size of their body.
Tapir: 4 species in the world, 1 lives in Asia, the others in South America. They're closest relative is species like the horse.
Purple frog: It lives underground and only comes out during the monsoon season to find a mate.
Bilby: It lives in Australia has a pouch where it keeps the babies.
Marine Iguanas: They are unique because almost no reptiles live in the ocean. When they come out of the water they snort to get the salt water out of their nostrils.
Gorilla: Jonathan studied them for 2 years in the Rain Forest where he tracked and watched them all day. (!) A silverback male is 7 times the strength of a regular human.
Stag Beetle: There 1,200 species and they live underground most of the year, only coming out to find a mate. They can be about 5 inches long!
Red Tail Panda: They live in Nepal and India. They live in the trees and are endangered because they are hunted for their fur.
Colombian Dwarf Gecko: Geckos have special toes to grasp the wall and climb upside down.
Wednesday: Rainbows & Rain Clouds
On Wednesday we played a variation of Chutes & Ladders that Melanie had drawn for us. For this game we used a virtual spinner instead of dice. The children had lots of fun playing! Gigi was cracking up when Brooke kept having to ride the rain cloud back 3 spaces.
Here are some other quotes from the game:
Gigi, "Everything is just SO silly!"
Alexandra, "I was at the raincloud and then I went down and ended up at the raincloud again!"
When we told the children Melanie had drawn the game board Lane said, "She's SO good at drawing."
Wolf M noted, "The spinner looks like a merry-go-round."
His comment prompted Cannon to break into song, "Here we go round the merry-go-round, merry-go-round. Here we go round the merry-go-round, merry-go-round."
When it was Cannon's turn he said, "I'm going to straight to the baby ants." (which were drawn on the game)
When Grace finally got the strawberry at the end she said, "Yummy, yum, yum, yum!"
Here are some other quotes from the game:
Gigi, "Everything is just SO silly!"
Alexandra, "I was at the raincloud and then I went down and ended up at the raincloud again!"
When we told the children Melanie had drawn the game board Lane said, "She's SO good at drawing."
Wolf M noted, "The spinner looks like a merry-go-round."
His comment prompted Cannon to break into song, "Here we go round the merry-go-round, merry-go-round. Here we go round the merry-go-round, merry-go-round."
When it was Cannon's turn he said, "I'm going to straight to the baby ants." (which were drawn on the game)
When Grace finally got the strawberry at the end she said, "Yummy, yum, yum, yum!"
The Bunny Connection
Lane has a bunny named Babas. She often shows it to her friends during sharing time. But for some reason this week, other friends really connected....
Lane, "Babas' nose got brighter. Babas eats lots of pink cupcakes to have a pink nose!"
Grace, "We have the same bunny!"
Lane, "I have a plan. When the virus is done we can have a bunny play date!"
Wolf M, "I have 2 bunnies."
(And Wolf B showed us his bunnies as well!)
Lane, "Babas' nose got brighter. Babas eats lots of pink cupcakes to have a pink nose!"
Grace, "We have the same bunny!"
Lane, "I have a plan. When the virus is done we can have a bunny play date!"
Wolf M, "I have 2 bunnies."
(And Wolf B showed us his bunnies as well!)
Thursday: Play doh & Painting Workshops
🎀Happy 4th Birthday Ellie!🎀
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It was such a joy to celebrate Ellie's birthday today! We got to read two books with Ellie and her family: "Uni the Unicorn" and "Amelia Bedelia". Then we looked at some lovely family photos. Ellie said, "That's Grammy and daddy and me." Then Ellie walked around the candle 4 times. Finally, we saw some of the amazing presents her friends created for her!
👀I Spy With My Little Eye 👀
Our class experimented with playing I Spy over Zoom and discovered it was a great success. Cannon saw the first image and instantly said, "There’s even a dinosaur!" Each player described a mystery object which the group had to find. Grace said "I spy something blue with a snail shape in a circle" to describe a swirl design inside the glass.
Our class experimented with playing I Spy over Zoom and discovered it was a great success. Cannon saw the first image and instantly said, "There’s even a dinosaur!" Each player described a mystery object which the group had to find. Grace said "I spy something blue with a snail shape in a circle" to describe a swirl design inside the glass.
| Evelyn: I spy something red. Olivia: The string? Brooke: The lady bug? Olivia: The bubble thingy? Melanie: A button? Evelyn: It’s a button!! | Wolf M: I spy something black. Palmer: Is it a ball? Lane: Is it the metal? Cannon: Is it a black car? Grace: Is it the dinosaur? Wolf M: No. It is Mickey Mouse!!! |
| Wolf B: I spy something red. Emilia: A red racecar. Ellie: The red apple? Oliver: A red pickup truck. Maren: That red thing that's holding the unicorn. Oliver: Is it the red firetruck? Wolf B: Yes!! | Maren: I see something pink. Emilia: (whispers to dad) There's nothing pink. (To Maren) The pink dice? Maren: No. It's on the side where Melanie is. Emilia: The basketball. Maren: No. Emilia: This is a tricky one. Oliver: The pink "E"? The orange soccer ball? Maren: No. It's that pink thing - under it, there's a yellow block. It's right where the fireman's hat is. |  |
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| Fletcher: I spy... my little eye... something yellow. Evelyn: Is it the balloon? Olivia: Is it the glue? Evelyn: Is it the tool? Fletcher: Yes! | Cannon: I spy something green with white in its mouth. Wolf M: Is it the green bear? Is it the squirrel? Lane: Is it the penguin? Is it one of the persons? Grace: Is it that alligator sitting on the ball with the rubber band under the ball? Cannon: YES. I wanna get a toy like that. |  |
Workshop Stories
We had a lot of fun working on puzzles with you!
Children had a great conversation while sculpting play-doh together. Read more below...
Palmer: You can make a hamburger out of my play-doh. Lettuce, tomato, cheese, and some french fries. You can also make a waffle out of a plate.
Lane: I'm gonna start with purple. I'm making a rainbow. The white is going to be my clouds. Because I'm making a rainbow world.
Gigi: I'm dressed up as Annie.
Evelyn: I watched Annie! Do you wanna sing the song?
Gigi: (singing) It's a hard knock life for us.
Olivia: (To Isabelle) You make snowflakes and I'm gonna make the snowman.
Palmer: I have a couch for my porch. It came in a really big box. I built a castle out of it.
Gigi: I'm making a snowman and a worm house.
Palmer: Look at this awesome playdoh machine I have. It squishes playdoh into the shape I want it to be.
Lane: I'm trying to squish my playdoh all together. I'm gonna make puffy clouds.
Olivia: I'm making winter. Even I made this - and it's ice.
Gigi: This door leads out. (indicates worm house) The mama is snuggled watching her babies from a rock.
Emilia: My dad gave me an ice cream scooper. We're gonna have a restaurant and a bakery and it does deliveries. Me, PJ and Alex. It's called "the three cousins".
Lane: I just need one more thing. A star on top. It's my specialty.
Olivia: I have my chef coat on.
Emilia: (also wearing a white coat) We have a science kit and I'm a scientist.
Palmer: I have the Ghostbuster house and they're scientists.
Gigi: I'm gonna be a dentist when I grow up. And a hairdresser.
Lane: I'm gonna start with purple. I'm making a rainbow. The white is going to be my clouds. Because I'm making a rainbow world.
Gigi: I'm dressed up as Annie.
Evelyn: I watched Annie! Do you wanna sing the song?
Gigi: (singing) It's a hard knock life for us.
Olivia: (To Isabelle) You make snowflakes and I'm gonna make the snowman.
Palmer: I have a couch for my porch. It came in a really big box. I built a castle out of it.
Gigi: I'm making a snowman and a worm house.
Palmer: Look at this awesome playdoh machine I have. It squishes playdoh into the shape I want it to be.
Lane: I'm trying to squish my playdoh all together. I'm gonna make puffy clouds.
Olivia: I'm making winter. Even I made this - and it's ice.
Gigi: This door leads out. (indicates worm house) The mama is snuggled watching her babies from a rock.
Emilia: My dad gave me an ice cream scooper. We're gonna have a restaurant and a bakery and it does deliveries. Me, PJ and Alex. It's called "the three cousins".
Lane: I just need one more thing. A star on top. It's my specialty.
Olivia: I have my chef coat on.
Emilia: (also wearing a white coat) We have a science kit and I'm a scientist.
Palmer: I have the Ghostbuster house and they're scientists.
Gigi: I'm gonna be a dentist when I grow up. And a hairdresser.
Hearing Each Other's Voices
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| Cannon shows images from National Geographic that depict bees inside a "woodpecker house." He says, "See that little hole where my finger is? That's how they get in. The hornets sometimes eat the bees. But the bees can kill the hornet." | Oliver shows some mail he received from his friend Fletcher! He ran to fetch it, and when he got back, he said, "Last time Fletcher sent me a treasure map. You have to drive your finger all the way until you get to the X." |
We've been so pleased to see the Rainey Room children use the daily Zoom calls as a way to strengthen their connection to each other. We can't wait to talk again soon. Have a lovely weekend!
P.S. Congratulations to Grace's family who just welcome a new baby sister!
(Friday)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY PALMER!
Thank you for the wonderful creations that the children made for Palmer! He was feeling a bit shy today but will look them over at home when he's ready. If the one your child created is easily mailed, we encourage you to mail it. It was fun to hear one of his favorite Charlie Brown stories. Thanks for reading to us Jennie!
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Birthdays From a Distance...
Birthdays are a very important St. John's tradition and thus we want to try and make them as meaningful as possible for the children we are celebrating, despite the distance. In the upcoming weeks we have 5 more birthdays to celebrate: Ellie, Wolf M, Fletcher, Emilia and Wolf B. We appreciate your support in creating something for each birthday child and being on Zoom calls to be part of the celebrations.
(Thursday)
Drawing Workshop
Of her drawing, Lane noted, "The pink is lemonade. The black is a rock. The other colors are lava and the rock is hopping over the lava. The lemonade cools off the lava. And the lemonade turns to ice and you can ice skate."
Building Workshop
Fletcher built a tunnel.
Wolf M constructed a train track. He showed us his wobbly bridge and a tree with a squirrel on top!
Palmer built a police station.
Olivia build a playground.
Wolf M constructed a train track. He showed us his wobbly bridge and a tree with a squirrel on top!
Palmer built a police station.
Olivia build a playground.
(Wednesday)
Symbols Bingo
(Tuesday)
Drawing Workshop
Cannon used play-doh during the workshop and here's what he said about his creation:
These are the penguins. This is egg that's about to hatch out (indicating the egg on the feet of the adult penguin) and this is the other baby.
These are the penguins. This is egg that's about to hatch out (indicating the egg on the feet of the adult penguin) and this is the other baby.
Building Workshop
(Monday)
Emoji Bingo
Show & Tell Sharing
Olivia: My fairy house. It's still growing. It's gonna have flowers.
Wolf M's stuffed lion.
Maren's rapunzel hair that she made and has been using to play with her sister, Lily.
Wolf B's boat he made out of recycled materials.
Evelyn: I have a balloon from you.
Fletcher: (about his marble run) It's going down the sewer. It's like the toilet.
Ellie: My bike has red handle bars!
Grace: Remember the collage you guys made me? I like it. I keep it in my room everyday.
Emilia's potato head mask.
Cannon's dinosaur: See the blood?!
Lane's hamster house: I made a hamster house. It has moss and tin foil. There's paper for the hamster to sleep in. And I also have this tunnel for the babies.
Wolf M's Pepa Pig book: You see this pink drink? The pink drink is for the teeth to be nice and clean. You rinse it until it makes bubbles in your mouth and then you spit.
Oliver's super hero book.
Ford and Lily ride by during the call!
Wolf B shows us a frog he caught!
Wolf M's stuffed lion.
Maren's rapunzel hair that she made and has been using to play with her sister, Lily.
Wolf B's boat he made out of recycled materials.
Evelyn: I have a balloon from you.
Fletcher: (about his marble run) It's going down the sewer. It's like the toilet.
Ellie: My bike has red handle bars!
Grace: Remember the collage you guys made me? I like it. I keep it in my room everyday.
Emilia's potato head mask.
Cannon's dinosaur: See the blood?!
Lane's hamster house: I made a hamster house. It has moss and tin foil. There's paper for the hamster to sleep in. And I also have this tunnel for the babies.
Wolf M's Pepa Pig book: You see this pink drink? The pink drink is for the teeth to be nice and clean. You rinse it until it makes bubbles in your mouth and then you spit.
Oliver's super hero book.
Ford and Lily ride by during the call!
Wolf B shows us a frog he caught!
Storytelling Game: |  |
On Monday, we asked every child to bring a stuffed animal to meeting with them in order to could incorporate a variety of characters into one cohesive story. The story prompt was that a little blue dragon was lost and couldn't find his mommy. Each group had a different journey with a teacher acting as the dragon's voice.
Story 1: Going Back Home to a Cozy Treehouse
Melanie as Dragon: Where’s my mommy?
Wolf M: (as teddy bear) I’ll help you!
Cannon: (as alligator) Swim, swim, swim. Don’t worry, I will save you, don’t sink! And then they found the [mommy] dragon. [She was] In the woods, and she was sinking in a pond!
Grace: (as big fluffy dog) We go in the boat and we use our boat to get the mommy. I hold her and I scoop her up and I give her to the baby dragon.
Oliver: Maybe he could walk home to find his mommy. She get lost but she was thinking about something in a bird nest. Then she got out and found her baby dragon.
Melanie: How can they find their way through the spooky dark forest?
Lane: (Ba-Ba) The bunny has lights on its eyes. And Yaya has a map too.
Oliver: Maybe they could make a treehouse!
Grace: And a zipline! The treehouse is gonna be combined with a zipline!
Melanie: Do they have to climb a ladder up to their treehouse, to go to bed?
Oliver: No! Maybe they can just share a bed. My mom’s bed has two parts for my daddy and my mommy.
Melanie: Do you think they have a nice cozy fire?
Oliver: Yes, a little campfire. To get all that windy out. And will not blow the treehouse down.
Melanie: Wolfie, could your bear start a fire to help us roast some marshmallows?
Wolf M: YES! (his bear bounces up and down)
Cannon: Yeah, or s’mores! You find the marshmallow, and the chocolate and the crackers then you have a fire, then you roast it over the fire, then you eat it!
Oliver: They could have some marshmallows and eat it as dessert after their dinner. And they could have mac n’ cheese for dinner.
Melanie as Dragon: Where’s my mommy?
Wolf M: (as teddy bear) I’ll help you!
Cannon: (as alligator) Swim, swim, swim. Don’t worry, I will save you, don’t sink! And then they found the [mommy] dragon. [She was] In the woods, and she was sinking in a pond!
Grace: (as big fluffy dog) We go in the boat and we use our boat to get the mommy. I hold her and I scoop her up and I give her to the baby dragon.
Oliver: Maybe he could walk home to find his mommy. She get lost but she was thinking about something in a bird nest. Then she got out and found her baby dragon.
Melanie: How can they find their way through the spooky dark forest?
Lane: (Ba-Ba) The bunny has lights on its eyes. And Yaya has a map too.
Oliver: Maybe they could make a treehouse!
Grace: And a zipline! The treehouse is gonna be combined with a zipline!
Melanie: Do they have to climb a ladder up to their treehouse, to go to bed?
Oliver: No! Maybe they can just share a bed. My mom’s bed has two parts for my daddy and my mommy.
Melanie: Do you think they have a nice cozy fire?
Oliver: Yes, a little campfire. To get all that windy out. And will not blow the treehouse down.
Melanie: Wolfie, could your bear start a fire to help us roast some marshmallows?
Wolf M: YES! (his bear bounces up and down)
Cannon: Yeah, or s’mores! You find the marshmallow, and the chocolate and the crackers then you have a fire, then you roast it over the fire, then you eat it!
Oliver: They could have some marshmallows and eat it as dessert after their dinner. And they could have mac n’ cheese for dinner.
Story 2: Corduroy Helps the Baby Dragon Walk Through the Spooky Cave
Dragon: I’m getting so tired, I need to take a rest.
Fletcher: Maybe you could cuddle in this. (Gets out a pink backpack) There’s a zipper in it.
Dragon: (the next morning) I think it’s time for me to go through the spooky cave.
Fletcher: Don’t worry – Mr. Teddy will come with you! The cave is his home. I know how to get to the other side. You follow the wall.
Dragon: Do we need a flashlight?
Fletcher: Yes I have a flashlight. Let me run back home and get the flashlight and you don’t go away, I’ll just get the flashlight. (he runs to get one, and we begin walking in the cave)
Dragon: Hey I think I see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Fletcher: Yay we’re almost there!
Dragon: Wait I hear something – (Melanie: gobble gobble gobble)
Fletcher: I think it’s just a turkey.
Dragon: Oh, good – we’re out in the sunshine now and do you see what I see? A big giant praying mantis.
Fletcher: (shocked face)
Dragon: And it’s hungry! I better run!
Fletcher: (smiles) I think it’s a nice one.
Dragon: I’m getting so tired, I need to take a rest.
Fletcher: Maybe you could cuddle in this. (Gets out a pink backpack) There’s a zipper in it.
Dragon: (the next morning) I think it’s time for me to go through the spooky cave.
Fletcher: Don’t worry – Mr. Teddy will come with you! The cave is his home. I know how to get to the other side. You follow the wall.
Dragon: Do we need a flashlight?
Fletcher: Yes I have a flashlight. Let me run back home and get the flashlight and you don’t go away, I’ll just get the flashlight. (he runs to get one, and we begin walking in the cave)
Dragon: Hey I think I see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Fletcher: Yay we’re almost there!
Dragon: Wait I hear something – (Melanie: gobble gobble gobble)
Fletcher: I think it’s just a turkey.
Dragon: Oh, good – we’re out in the sunshine now and do you see what I see? A big giant praying mantis.
Fletcher: (shocked face)
Dragon: And it’s hungry! I better run!
Fletcher: (smiles) I think it’s a nice one.
Story 3: Lobster Fights the Bad Dragon in the Garden
Melanie: (as dragon) I'm lost and I can't find my mommy anywhere!
Emilia: Then the dragon got on the pony and they walked a very far way. And then finally they got to the dragon’s home, and the dragon lived right next to his mommy. She was guarding the plants and sitting ‘cause the baby dragon was lost, but she was lost in a woods, and it was a very far woods away but they walked a very far way back home.
Maren: Then, the little dragon got lost again. And the husky came and got it and the dragon hopped on his back and they rode back, and then the husky gave the dragon to his mom, and then the baby dragon was planting and the mom was guarding. The husky is going back where it lives.
Ellie: The kitty found the garden ‘cause they needed some help ‘cause the rhinocerous was messing up the plants so one day the baby escaped again and got lost so they kitty cat helped him to find his mommy.
Evelyn: The unicorn planted the watering.
(Wolfie is showing a blue paper dragon that he brought to meeting)
Melanie: Is that a nice dragon or a mean one?
Wolf B: Mean one! (smiling)
Melanie: Oh no! Is he going to light all the flowers on fire?
Wolf B: Yes. (a paper lobster appears next to him)
Melanie: Is the lobster going to come to the rescue?
(Wolfie and his mom begin a dragon/lobster battle! Melanie requests help from other animals)
Emilia: NEIGH NEIGH NEIGH NEIGH! (the pony fights the dragon)
Melanie: We’re going to need to put this dragon in jail.
Wolf B: He’s too heavy!
Emilia: My pony can lift up a whole house even.
Maren: Husky’s not that strong to do it.
Wolf B: Putted you on fire.
Emilia: But my pony doesn’t feel anything!
Evelyn: I can carry the [baby] dragon on the unicorn’s back.
Melanie: (as dragon) I'm lost and I can't find my mommy anywhere!
Emilia: Then the dragon got on the pony and they walked a very far way. And then finally they got to the dragon’s home, and the dragon lived right next to his mommy. She was guarding the plants and sitting ‘cause the baby dragon was lost, but she was lost in a woods, and it was a very far woods away but they walked a very far way back home.
Maren: Then, the little dragon got lost again. And the husky came and got it and the dragon hopped on his back and they rode back, and then the husky gave the dragon to his mom, and then the baby dragon was planting and the mom was guarding. The husky is going back where it lives.
Ellie: The kitty found the garden ‘cause they needed some help ‘cause the rhinocerous was messing up the plants so one day the baby escaped again and got lost so they kitty cat helped him to find his mommy.
Evelyn: The unicorn planted the watering.
(Wolfie is showing a blue paper dragon that he brought to meeting)
Melanie: Is that a nice dragon or a mean one?
Wolf B: Mean one! (smiling)
Melanie: Oh no! Is he going to light all the flowers on fire?
Wolf B: Yes. (a paper lobster appears next to him)
Melanie: Is the lobster going to come to the rescue?
(Wolfie and his mom begin a dragon/lobster battle! Melanie requests help from other animals)
Emilia: NEIGH NEIGH NEIGH NEIGH! (the pony fights the dragon)
Melanie: We’re going to need to put this dragon in jail.
Wolf B: He’s too heavy!
Emilia: My pony can lift up a whole house even.
Maren: Husky’s not that strong to do it.
Wolf B: Putted you on fire.
Emilia: But my pony doesn’t feel anything!
Evelyn: I can carry the [baby] dragon on the unicorn’s back.
Workshops
This week we hosted four Zoom workshops - two on Tuesday and two on Thursday. On both days, the 10am group focused on drawing, while the 2pm group focused on Building. Children brought a large variety of materials and techniques to these workshop times. Having our hands working was an excellent conversation-starter.
| DRAWING quotes: Wolf B: I'm cutting out a camel. Wolf M: I'm coloring Dumbo. Oliver: I colored in my whole page. I cutted my page into pieces for my animal friends to play with it. It's for decoration. There's so many pieces. Maren: (showing her drawing sketchpad) I think this is the first page I did. Grace: Mommy says when it's summer we're gonna do a lemonade stand. (We mention the treehouse from the dragon stories) Maren: My mom's brother had a treehouse when he was a little kid. My grandma told stories about it. My mom climbed up the treehouse and fell off the zipline holder into the mud! She had to go to the hospital. She got stitches on her face. Grace: I do not know what stitches are. Maren: Stitches go on people when you can't put a bandaid on, like your face. Like Lilly, she fell off a chair and she had to get stitches on her chin! (some time later) Oliver: My daddy got me comic books. It's very nice. When Superman was a baby he was in space. |   (Maren holds up her notebook) |
| BUILDING quotes: Emilia: I'm gonna build with train tracks. I already started! Cannon: I'm just stacking mine up so I can get so much. It's my big stack. I'm stacking it, it will get more higher. Emilia: it's as tall as my nose. But I want to make it go all the way up to the ceiling. But I know it's going to fall! Cannon: What are you building, Evelyn? Evelyn: A car. (Lane says she is making a police station and Cannon says he is too) Cannon: Now I just need to make the cages. This is a jail... not a police station. There's spooky animals. There's a tarantula. There are so many spiders. Emilia: Mine is SO TALL! I made a basement so it wouldn't fall down. Will (Lane's brother) : Wow we are really working hard on this thing. Lane: Will is not that much inspiring. I'm inspiring him. (Palmer shows his "bad guys") Palmer: They're making coffee. Olivia: I made a big tower! Grace: I'm gonna build a humongous castle. Wolf M: I'm gonna build a building with a lot of stuff in it. Fletcher: [I'm building] a Metro. Oliver: I'm building an ice castle for my Elsa doll. I could put a little tower on it. Palmer: [I'm building] a lair for the bad guys. But it has good guys. Brooke: What do you like about your building Wolf? Wolf M: I like how I connected them. Oliver: My second plan is to build a volcano. It's gonna be tall to hold all the lava. Fletcher: And there's a metro that can move by itself. It has four wheels and four cars. (He counts) Oliver: Your metro is very long! Fletcher: Thanks. Because I just built it long. Grace: Grandma is coming on the metro next week. |  Cannon's jail  Emilia stands on a piano bench to add to her tower  |
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Keeping in Touch
It has been such a delight each week to see the Rainey Room children and families! Thank you for continuing to log in every day. We're thankful to be a small part of your daily routine.
Special thanks to the Rodriguez for sending out everyone's symbols as stickers through the mail!
If you get the chance, we encourage everyone to send out some messages in mail to the other members of the classroom this weekend. It will mean a lot to the recipient!
With that, here are some snapshots from the week that bring us joy. See you Monday!
It has been such a delight each week to see the Rainey Room children and families! Thank you for continuing to log in every day. We're thankful to be a small part of your daily routine.
Special thanks to the Rodriguez for sending out everyone's symbols as stickers through the mail!
If you get the chance, we encourage everyone to send out some messages in mail to the other members of the classroom this weekend. It will mean a lot to the recipient!
With that, here are some snapshots from the week that bring us joy. See you Monday!
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