September 17, 2019

"We were in here. We were singing." - Cedar

Our second sing-a-long was quite a success today.  Some of our families were new to sing-a-long, and it was wonderful to see the joy, curiosity, reassuring snuggles, and participation that the Brown Room brought to the experience. 

"I'm going to draw my house with the blue door on the outside." - Lochie 

The children have been exploring our mark-making tools in the studio and message area.  The markers, crayons, and colored pencils have been the most frequently used, and the pencil sharpener has been a focal point as well.  During morning meeting, they had a few hypotheses about what the material inside of the sharpener might be.  The group consensus was that it was "paper", and Giacomo added that the smaller shavings looked like, "salt".    

"I need help." - Janie     "Put your foot here, okay?" - Cedar     "She's helping!" - Janie

From the very first day in the classroom, the children have been offering support to each other in a variety of ways.  A common thread has been "shoes".  Last week, Giacomo helped Cedar get her shoe on while we were in the outdoor classroom.  Today, Cedar provided the same gentle, attentive care to Janie when she needed assistance.  

As Cedar worked, she communicated with her words, facial expressions, and movements.  When one position did not work, she calmly moved Janie's leg until she could find a solution.  Once Janie was wearing both shoes, she moved to the sink to wash her hands.  Cedar rushed to be by her side, and assisted her with getting soap from the dispenser.  Unprompted, Cedar stepped down and grabbed two paper towels.  She waited patiently behind Janie, and then she offered her one of the paper towels.  Janie replied with a "thank you",  and they left the bathroom.