Building Relationships

Pod A

The Memory Box project is a great jumping off point for the start of the school year, because the children can use it to help explain their time at home in the late spring and throughout the summer.

Maren shared her Memory Box with the class today during morning meeting. Of the beaded flamingo she said, "When I was in Jackson (Jackson Hole, Wyoming), we got these beads at a camp and then my mom got them for at home." From her time in Jackson Hole she also had a gondola ticket, "This is a gondola ticket. You use it to get to the top of mountain." Maren's box also had items from Florida, where her family spent the beginning of the stay of home orders. Maren said, "This is a water ballon and a puppet I made in Florida. I have seashells from Florida." Maren also had a Hamilton sign in her box. She explained, "Hamilton is a movie on Disney Plus. It's a song movie. I like the wedding song."

Hamilton proved to be a commonality among many of the Pod A friends. Palmer noted, "I like Hamilton." Cannon, who wasn't as  familiar with Hamilton was still able to make a connection by adding, "The Lion King is a song movie." 
These little moments are how the children deepen their friendships.

Building Together
The construction area is popular amongst most of the children. Today, with some coaching from Jill around cooperation and collaboration the children worked together to create 2 large, complex structures. Initially the work began with Palmer, Cannon and Wolf, but later Maren, Lane and Gigi worked with them. They were very proud of their creation and so we decided to leave it up so that they can play with it tomorrow.

sAt the end of the day, during second meeting, the children reflected on the experience of building together.
Jill: At first it seems like there were problems.
Palmer: Yes, there were totally problems. I wanted to keep my building separate from Cannon's but then I changed my mind. I also like Wolf's building because it's super cool. I like that we used to many blocks.
Lane: It's almost like we're out of blocks.
Palmer: And I like that so many friends worked on it. I think almost all the friends helped.
Cannon: I liked it when we worked together and didn't like it when we didn't.
Gigi: I liked it. The whole place was the home (for animals). There's even a little dog.
Maren: I was helping in another way, I was handing him (Palmer) blocks. 

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We couldn't have Backwards day this morning due to picture day. So after snack we used the shadow screen in Blake Hall to dance and imitate animals. We also played freeze dance. Afterward we read some books out on the front lawn. 

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Pod B

Aida and Olivia deepened their relationship while working side-by-side at the clay table. At one point, Olivia helped Aida press down her rolling pin. And when Olivia showed her strength by lifting the large rolling pin over her head, Aida was inspired to give it a try as well.

Even when working on individual pieces, collaboration and relationship development can be part of the experience. Some children used clay to design and construct rocket ships today.
Grace: How did you do that Fletcher?  Good work! I like your design!
Fletcher: I made the body of the rocket, but now I need the roof.  Like a triangle.
Grace:  Here you go Fletch.  (Hands him a piece of clay) What else does a rocket need?
Fletcher:  I need two triangles.
Olivia:  Okay, I know how to make triangles.  You’re lucky.​

Grace's work in progress.

Fletcher's work in progress.

In Blake Hall the children used digital landscape to enhance their dramatic play. Working together they created narratives around space travel. The digital landscapes also inspired further questions.

Group 1
Oliver: Do you want me to scan it down?  I don’t think I can scan it with all this fog.
Andy: Oh my gosh!
Oliver: Don’t worry, I blew it away.  Psssssh.  We’re going through that cloud and it will turn us into daytime space.  More magic shooting stars!  Andy do you want to catch one? 
Andy: I caught all of them.
Oliver: We’re in spooky space.
Andy: Oliver watch out!
Oliver: See? It made magic.

Group 2
Olivia:  I’ve got our money in here.  So we can pay the moon! Heehee.
Fletcher: Miss Melanie I think I just saw a Saturn.
Grace: Five, four, three, two, one, blast off!
Olivia:  Grace, you’re the sister now.
Fletcher:  (on the phone) Hello?  Is anyone there?  Nobody’s calling me.
Olivia:  One, two, three, speed up. (Driving the rocketship) 
(The picture of the moon changed - we see a crater)
Olivia:  We’re in the hole! We’re in the crater.  Now we have to jump around on the moon.  (She stands up and beckons to her friends)
Fletcher:  Okay I’ll stay on the ship.


The digital landscapes piqued Grace's interest and inspired her to ask a lot of questions:
Does the moon go to the bathroom like us?  Does the moon have a home?  Is it soft or rough?  Does it ever snow on the moon?  Is it ever sunny on the moon?  Is there clouds on the moon?
At night, when it’s a crescent, how do they walk on it?  Did the moon move?  Is there only one moon, or two moons?  What if the moon goes away on a trip?  Where will it go?  Does space ever go faster or slow?  
Is there holes in moons?  Is there a playground in moons?
Will a space astronaut ever come to St. John’s?