May 05th, 2021

POD B

This morning we were delighted to welcome Melanie into our classroom to help us with binding Kurt's book. Melanie explained the technique at meeting.  First, the children used a hammer and a nail to poke small holes through the paper. Next they used a needle and thread to bind the pages together. Unlike hand sewing, the children did go around the edge and went back through holes more than one time. Tomorrow the children will decide how to illustrate the front cover and then the present will finally be complete. The plan is to give it to Kurt on Friday. We think he is going to love it.

Each child is getting a copy of the book as well. The children added Yoda photos and drawings on the cover.

The other big project today was adding the next parts of Fletcher's birthday gift. The children drew the items he said he would like on his pot. Aida worked diligently at the copier to shrink them. ( Apologies, Brooke forgot her device so she didn't take any photos of Aida on a stool at the copier. But she got very good at placing the paper, closing the lid and pressing start and assessing the size/deciding if it needed to be shrunk more.) Maren and Andy worked to modpodge the images onto the pot. Tomorrow we will add a plant.

POD A

Backwards Day?
The rain drastically reduced our time outside for Backwards Day.  However, something else was backwards!  Pod A had a chance to work with Rachel while Melanie helped Pod B with some book binding.  The children were so happy to see her and work with her on their pop-up messages.

Invented Games
Yesterday, some children sorted materials with Jen.  When they saw the enormous amount of dice available, they started to invent games.  We brought that idea back today and children were enthusiastic about getting started.  It was important to organize the game in such a fashion that it could be easy for another person to understand the way to play the game.  Here’s a quick look:
Grace’s Game 
These (small figures) are the racers.  Pink racer, a red racer, and a blue racer.  And this is the finish line.  Actually, two racers.  (Putting down squares of paper)  And these are an invisible race path and when you get to the pink (square), you finish.

Palmer’s Game
You roll this blue dice and if you get  1, 2, 3, or 5, you have to start over.  And if it’s at a white space, you basically have to go back.  The light green square on the end is the finish.  You are trying to get rid of the whiie dice and the red dice by knocking them off with the dice you are using.  It’s not hard to win and it’s not hard to lose.

Wolf’s Game 
You roll the dice and if you get the wrong thing, you have to start all over.  If you land on the blue dice, you have to hop, hop, hop (from dice to dice).  If you get to these dice (in a row) you win.  But if you get to this blue dice, you have to start over.

Lane and Gigi’s Game
Lane - It’s like soccer.  We start here and do some warm-ups with some flips.  When I say go, you send the dice (soccer ball) all the way through the path.  Whoever jumps in the nest first wins.
Jill - How do you know how to move down the path?
Lane - Give us a second to figure that out.
The girls decide to roll the dice to move.
Gigi - And you land on whatever space. 
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Later, Grace and Olivia successful played Grace’s game.  Palmer and Cannon tried to play Palmers game, but found it “a little confusing,” according to Palmer.

Easel Extravaganza
Pod B has been exploring spray bottle painting. Naturally, Pod A was eager to join in.  The children painted with newly mixed colors and then used the spray bottles on top.  Here’s their reflections on the experience:
    Palmer - Me and Olivia were painting the solar system. I made Earth.
    Grace - It looks perfectly perfect!
    Cannon - I am the orange forehead zombie (reflecting that some of the orange spray landed on his forehead). 
    Oliver - I sprayed a dot with orange.  
    Wolf - I sprayed with different colors.   
    Palmer - Spraying was the most fun.  It got all over my hands.
    Melanie - What happened when the spray went onto the paper?
    Palmer - It dripped.
    Melanie - Why do you think that happened?
    Lane -Because its’ very liquid.
    Gigi - I like that me and Cannon worked together.