Learning About CalOn the first day of Cal's birthday committee, Rawls and Seon met with Cal for the interview. In Jack's absence, Whit volunteered to help out for the day. He likes to play with Rawls. Whit We play boats. We’re eating meat on the boat and this is my fishing rod. This is me and Rawls building. Play ball. I like soccer and bouncy ball. I like to play with Rawls. This was the day my hair was crazy. Cal Cal, what’s your favorite color? Seon Red and gray and gold because gold is shiny. I like shiny stuff. And gray is a little shiny. Blue and red and gold and gray. I like to eat meatballs, too. Cal What’s your favorite animal? Seon A lion, a jaguar, a seal, a shark and a sea monster. Cal The Photo Shoot Say Sonic! Rawls Say cheese! Seon  Working on Cal's Gift
Jack and Seon collaborated to add details to Cal's portrait, while Rawls focused on the smaller drawings for the gift. I’m doing my best. They’re (his nostrils) basically just black. Seon Okay, I will do his mouth. Jack There’s basically just a few teeth Seon Then Seon can do the teeth. Then I’ll do the feet and then well, we’ll be done. Jack Rawls drew a full body portrait of Cal, then decided he’d like to draw a lion, one of Cal’s favorite animals.
 I need to look closer to see what color his lips are. Jack Cal's Portrait and Favorite Things    Celebrating CalCal's mom Kate and dad Henry, joined the Tucker Room for a snack of Star Wars-themed doughnuts and shared the story Dozens of Doughnuts by Carrie Finison before the children sang "If It's Your Birthday and You Know It!" Cal walked around the birthday table and blew out his candle. Lastly, Cal was presented with his gift.
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A Goodbye Book for SeonSeon’s moving. We want to say goodbye. Fay In preparation for Seon's move to South Korea, the Tucker children wanted to create a parting gift for her. They chose to reflect on their favorite memories with Seon through drawing and conversation. Printmaking Seon's Book Cover The Finished Book Preparing for the Goodbye PartyHow should we make the invitation? Fay: Make a big ginormous one so that all of can help. Ford: We need to tape it up so we won’t forget her. And we’ll put it on the wall. Fay: We want to remember that she’s our friend. Isabelle: Ooohlala. Ford: That’s an S for Seon. Fay looks onto the children working on the invitation at the outdoor easel. Fay: That looks really good. She leaves to play tag and comes back a little later to see the children’s progress. Fay: That looks even better. Fay joins in to paint. Fay: I made waves. Charlton: I added a flower. I added details. Zari: I made a flower and a sun. What should we title the invitation? Bailee: A party to say goodbye to Seon. Bailee wanted to use Seon's favorite colors to write the title for her invitation. Bailee: What are her favorite colors? Emma: I think red, pink, and orange.   Seon's Goodbye PartySaying goodbye is never easy, especially when it is such a special friend as Seon, but the Tucker children wanted her party to be a happy event. Upon the children's request, parents, teachers and friends of Seon gathered in the Tucker Room on Thursday, February 22nd, 2024. It was Seon's last day in the Tucker Room and in the United States, as her family boarded a plane to South Korea the very next day. The children presented their gift to Seon and she was also given her butterfly symbol necklace, which each child receives when they move on from St. John's.
Presenting Seon's Book When presented with her book, Seon exclaimed: I love it. Seon Alongside her mom and aunt, Seon then passed out her parting gifts for the Tucker children. Stationery and a butterfly bookmark from South Korea. We enjoyed delicious cookies made by Karen and said our final goodbyes.
Keeping in Touch
 If your child would like to keep in touch with Seon, her family has graciously shared their new address in South Korea: 102-403, 31, Dogok-ro 4-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea We wish you well, Seon! Blog Technical DifficultiesThere was going to be a more substantial blog today for Seon's Goodbye Celebration, but unfortunately during the publishing process it was erased and will have to be redone. Please be on the lookout early next week for that blog! Next Week's Projections Mystery ReaderThis week's mystery reader was Isabelle's mom, Jessie Sterchi. Jessie read two of Isabelles favorite books by Dominique Roques: Sleep Tight, Anna Banana! and Anna Banana and the Chocolate Explosion! The Tucker children were captivated by these stories likely because they centered around their most cherished possessions: lovies! Thank you, Jessie.  A Small Group ConversationEllie, Ford and Zari met in the middle room to talk about next year. They all have an idea of where they are going when they leave St. John's. St. Patrick’s, we're going to do math and mom and dad signed us up. Ford There’s already food there (at St. Patrick's) . You don’t get to bring your lunch. Ellie I’m going to my school in my neighborhood, near my house. Zari
Sharing at Morning MeetingAfter the small group met, they shared their ideas about making "stuffies" or "lovies" for the incoming Brown Room children at a morning meeting. We could make stuffies for them. For Dru. Ford For Jake and Iris. Ellie For my sister, Susan. Cal Karen and Emma asked, "Why would we want to make stuffies for them?" Making them not feel worried. Fay Maybe a dog stuffie, because Susan likes dogs. Cal Jake likes puppies. I’m going to make a puppy dog stuffie. Ellie I would make Dru a watermelon, because she like a TV show. Ford There’s that one show that has a watermelon. Cocomelon. Rawls Yeah, that's the one! Ford Working Together We could make a ginormous stuffie and we could work together. Fay We could all work on different parts and put it together. Ellie The stuffie would be so big that it could take over the whole school! Seon We could make a big, giant whole school stuffie. Bailee And the next day, the work on a pattern for a "ginormous" stuffie began.  The Stuffie's Outline
Now that we have our pattern, we will move onto sewing the stuffie!
Mystery Reader Fay's grandmother "Mimi" was our mystery reader on Friday. She read Big Truck, Little Island by Chris Van Dusen and Don't Let The Pigeon Stay Up Late by Mo Willems. A Look Ahead... Seon's Goodbye PartyPlease join us in wishing Seon and her family well as they move to South Korea. Seon's last day will be Thursday, February 22nd and we will celebrate her time with us at 12 pm in the Tucker Room.  We need your help!
Preparing for Valentine's DayThe children collaged and personalized paper bags to exchange their greetings with one another. 
I’m making mine all pink because my mom will love it if it’s all pink. Rawls Valentine's Chapel
Bailee and Jack were our candle lighters and Molly read Secret Valentine by Catherine Stock. Delivering our ValentinesValentine's Day AtelierIn the atelier, Jen prepared a beautiful materials experience for Valentine's Day. Together with the Brown and Rainey rooms, the children created fabric collages.
 How Do We Show Love?Valentine's Day reminds us to reflect on how we show the people we love that we care about them. We were curious about the children's perspectives and invited them to draw.
A Valentine's Mystery Reader!To wrap up all the love, we had Charlton's Mom, Eliza Holladay, as our Mystery Reader! Eliza shared three books with the Tucker Room: The Night Gardener by Terry and Eric Fan, Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean's Most Fearless Scientist by Jess Keating and Little Blue Truck's Valentine by Alice Schertle. The children loved the stories, thank you, Eliza!  Happy Valentine's Day! ❤️ Due to our Early Childhood Educators Series (ECES) tomorrow, February 15th, this will be our one blog for the week. We will still post projections on Friday for the week ahead. We hope everyone has a love-filled rest of the week! When the children participate in studio experiences, there are multiple layers of learning taking place. In a recent studio experience, the children created designs using stencils and then painted their designs at the easel. In the last step of the process, they added details to their designs. As the children worked through this process, they were experimenting with multiple learning concepts. The layering and interconnection of learning concepts in a single experience is an example of complexity in the classroom. Identifying and Describing ShapesThe children identified and described familiar shapes while they worked with the stencils to create designs.
Composition and Decomposition of ShapesThe children combined shapes to make new shapes to complete their visions for their studio work. Composing and decomposing shapes is a foundational skill helps children understand part-whole relationships and eventually fractions.
 It's a tall tower. I used a big triangle and another triangle (the circle wedge tool, aka the "Eiffel Tower" stencil).
One To One Correspondence
Experience with Real ToolsIn addition to mark-making and painting implements the children utilized other tools during this studio experience. They will be able to transfer their knowledge of these tools to other areas in their lives. That one looks like the "Eiffel Tower." - Rawls, describing the circle wedge tool, which can be used by designers to make circles
A look at next week... Lovie ConstructionWe’re gonna play with them and make a whole house! Rawls
As they stack, arrange, and engineer for their cherished plush friends, the children exercise problem-solving and spatial reasoning, delving into the realms of engineering, architecture, and design, all while nurturing a deep sense of empathy and attachment.
This playful engagement with their stuffed animals cultivates a practice of cooperation, communication, and collaboration. The children work together to create miniature worlds where their lovies not only have their own space but also develop distinct identities. We've observed a profound sense of ownership and responsibility as the children embrace the role of caretaker for lovies. Moreover, it serves as a platform for exploring essential concepts such as shelter, comfort, and safety, prompting the children to empathize with their stuffed companions as they cater to their needs and preferences. We’re making a river all around Mitch. Charlton Ava, Whit and Charlton made a plan to build a river and home for Charlton’s otter, Mitch, and Whit's lovie, Peter Rabbit.
Can you spot the lovies? Blueberry (the hedgehog lovie) is in here and nobody can touch him. Ford A Conversation about our LoviesWhit, Rawls, Ford, Cal, Charlton and Bailee construct a home for all the children's lovies. Extending Our Connection with LoviesWe couldn't overlook the children's fascination of playing with and constructing for their lovies. When children express their interests in the classroom, it's our responsibility to listen. It is evident that the lovies hold significant importance for the children. Recently, they have expressed a desire to create their own sewn lovies. This week we will begin the planning process for a lovie sewing project!
Critical Thinking
Creativity
 Ava pulls her needle through the burlap to attach a ribbon framing her "A."
Perseverance
 It’s not getting all tangled up now because I’m pulling it all the way through now. Zari Self-Confidence
 Self-confidence I can sew all on my own at home and I can teach sewing. Ellie |
