|
Sand was the name of the game today. Both outside and in the classroom, we explored digging, burying and even observing magnified the grains of sand. When we walked into the classroom today, we noticed a baby sea turtle nest ready to hatch at the light table! In the past month we’ve been reading about baby sea turtles and how they hatch. Today we got a chance to pretend we were the scientists observing and assisting the baby sea turtles. Once we found all the sea turtles, some children took the opportunity to count and document the turtles. 
“I had four, Marley had five and Violet had one!”- CC  For others exploring the materials was more interesting. Both Jack and Lochie took time to test out the magnifying glasses on the sand and all around the classroom.
“I’m noticing that shoes aren't just shoes. They’re fabric that we wear on our feet” Jack said in response to observing his magnified tennis shoes.  
0 Comments
Get Ready for MessyTomorrow, April, 1st, we will be using acrylic paint to paint our treehouse. Please either bring a spare set of clothes or have friends dress in clothing you don't mind getting paint on. Reminder: For home research, please have your child take pictures of their home. It can be the inside, outside or whatever sparks their interest. We are so excited to paint our paper mache tree house. We sat down today to discuss the parts of our treehouse and what colors each section will be. After a heated discussion we came to an agreement.
 "Now we can connect, Lucia" - Jane In the studio, we used our soon to be paint treehouse to think about else a house or treehouse would need. We had a lot of ideas about what would make a great house or treehouse.  This is the running room for the bunnies. That's a slide. This is the door to their home. - Sylvie
Welcome back! We hope everyone had terrific spring breaks! While you were away, our Rainey A classroom got a makeover! Upon seeing the changes, George gave it a two thumbs up and Lochie asked if we “could keep it like this forever”.
The new space has facilitated lots of new and exciting opportunities, including a thriving restaurant dramatic play. Alongside the restaurant play, Jack and CC spent time at the message center making menus and receipts for the restaurant.
  We also enjoyed working on our sea mural today. In addition to brainstorming and mixing a color for the sky, we also took the canvas off of the frame and nailed it to wood to create a hanging backdrop for our classroom theater performances.
 Big thanks to the Guginos for joining us as our mystery readers today!  Spring has sprung, welcome back!
Collaging leaves for a springtime feel
Lucia: (we need) The plates and the chairs. Janie: We need one more. Lucia: Now we have to take a picture. Janie: Oh! the little button! Can I try now? Lucia: Now we need to do the chairs. I'm going to put the plates away. Now lets set up the chairs. Lucia chooses final photosPHOTOS of CHAIRS and PLATES taken by the CHILDREN
|
 | After mixing our ocean floor color yesterday, we were ready to paint the ocean floor today. During our outside time, Jack and Marley volunteered to help paint our sea floor. They began by removing the painters tape to reveal the blank canvas. After, they slowly and carefully began to apply the yellow/brown paint, during which they offered the following thoughts: Jack: Like you see how I paint, ok I’m going to paint and then see there’s small little cracks. Marley: Yes, this looks like sand, but not really because it’s golden. |
| After they were done, the rest of Rainey A came over to view the work they had done. CC: Oh, its already dry! Lochie: Maybe it needs a little, maybe it needs something to add to it. Like a hook of a ship. George: Like a shark and fish! Lochie: And even a water machine CC: Maybe fishes and whales and seaweed. And waves, but we have to do dark blue. Violet: It kind of looks like gold on the bottom |  |
We left the canvas outside to dry and while enjoying a snack inside, we couldn’t help but talk about our beloved toad. We talked about him so much he surprised us in class and became the focal point of a puppet theater show we aptly named “The Toad Show”. Each child had a chance to regale us with Toad’s silly antics, imagining what his day looked like once the children left.
Lochie: This is my school and I was walking along and walking along and some kids spilled ice cream on the floor and then whooooppss I fell on my back.
CC: Hi guys it’s toad!
Elle: Nice to see you again Mr. Toad
CC: Try to catch me! I was walking along and then I had no clothes on! Let me put some clothes on (returns with Toad covered in fabric). There, nice and fancy!
We can’t wait to continue the Toad Show after break!
CC: Hi guys it’s toad!
Elle: Nice to see you again Mr. Toad
CC: Try to catch me! I was walking along and then I had no clothes on! Let me put some clothes on (returns with Toad covered in fabric). There, nice and fancy!
We can’t wait to continue the Toad Show after break!
 | Speaking of Toad we also chatted about our final design for the pajamas. While we had a chance to edit some images together yesterday, we decided today how to put them together in a way that would look best on the pajamas. CC: I want Emmy to have them, she's 6-7 Lochie: I want JJ to have them, my sisters one is a 8 George: I want pajamas for Lucy and Jack! Lochie: I want the sun to not be on Toad. CC: I want Toad to hold the flowers Marley: I want Toad to hold the heart Jack: I want Toad to eat or hold the moon. |
We decided in the end that we probably only had enough room for Toad to hold the heart and a flower, but we could keep the moon and sun in the sky both off of his head. Look for a celestial Toad coming to a pair of pajamas near you! Wishing you all Happy and Safe Spring Breaks! See you on March 29th!
A Flower for Toad!
In our continuing quest to pick a Rainey Room A design for the pajama project, today we tried some digital drawing. While we originally drew our designs individually, we were able to combine our drawings using ProCreate on the Ipad. Individually or in pairs, we experimented with adding other details to toad, placing him above, below and even inside of Marley’s sunshine drawing!
 |  |
Marley: I want toad to look at the sun. Ooooh look at my finger moving, whoops I got some (eraser) on the sun!
Jack: I was thinking maybe we could have a unicorn go with toad. How about Toad in the sky because Toad is eating the moon.
Lochie: I’m erasing the part around the sun.
George: Can I try that?
Lochie: Yeah, its easy just use your fingers, see?
George: I wanna try the ipad. I don’t want to erase, I just want to move Toad.
CC: Look! I got all the grey off the heart! Do you see?
Jack: I was thinking maybe we could have a unicorn go with toad. How about Toad in the sky because Toad is eating the moon.
Lochie: I’m erasing the part around the sun.
George: Can I try that?
Lochie: Yeah, its easy just use your fingers, see?
George: I wanna try the ipad. I don’t want to erase, I just want to move Toad.
CC: Look! I got all the grey off the heart! Do you see?
We also took some time today to brainstorm and mix paint for our mural’s ocean floor. While observing a glass jar full of sand, the children offered the following thoughts:
| Jack: It’s like sandish weird. Lochie: It looks like light brown! George: Looks like cereal, like cheerios! Elle: Brown, and this one is yellow. Violet: Yeah, this one is brown Lochie: We have to have brown for the sand because that's what's in our ocean pictures. |  |
George: I need some white.
Lochie: I need a lot of white
Elle: Oh, here ya go
Lochie: Mixxinggg
CC: Whoah a trail of blue paint blobs, this is hard.
Lochie: We’re doing paint, we’re making a paint for a reason?
CC: I need some blue
Jack: I got mine to brown, almost.
CC: Ms. Brigitte can I have this blue, because that one is empty.
Lochie: I can’t squirt this!
Elle: I need some red, George
In the end we finished with more brown paint than we needed for the mural. No matter, we can use it to paint out paper mache and many other exciting projects coming up!
Lochie: I need a lot of white
Elle: Oh, here ya go
Lochie: Mixxinggg
CC: Whoah a trail of blue paint blobs, this is hard.
Lochie: We’re doing paint, we’re making a paint for a reason?
CC: I need some blue
Jack: I got mine to brown, almost.
CC: Ms. Brigitte can I have this blue, because that one is empty.
Lochie: I can’t squirt this!
Elle: I need some red, George
In the end we finished with more brown paint than we needed for the mural. No matter, we can use it to paint out paper mache and many other exciting projects coming up!
 |  |
Big thanks to Katherine Nix for being today's mystery reader!
Today we were so excited to show off our new drawing books. A big thank you to all the family members that worked on them during and after (looking at you, John) the happy hour. There was so much pride as the children showed their peers the work their adults had put into the new books.
We should draw something now - Janie
This could be our best book to treasure forever - Sylvie
We should draw something now - Janie
This could be our best book to treasure forever - Sylvie
 | That spells Sylvie - Sylvie It's a rainbow and a turtle - Sylvie Can I see? - Maxon How did they make the rainbow? - Melanie I remember there were pens for the rainbow - Sylvie |
| Is that a building? - Jordan That's my house - Jane Are those your cats? We met them last night - Melanie Those are my two cats - Jane |  |
 | This is a unicorn puppy - Audrey Can I see? - Janie My mommy and I drew it but daddy drew the lines - Audrey I think the mommy did the unicorn and the daddy did the doggy - Janie |
| That's Nemo. And those are my lovies. and that's a dragon - Maxon Is that your sister holding onto that ballon? - Janie You know what? That's my new Nemo bed - Maxon |  |
 | I like it because it has a unicorn - Lucia Wow. One. Two. Three unicorns - Maxon My mom made it - Lucia I like it - Maxon |
| This is my favorite - Janie Why is it your favorite? - Jordan It's from my birthday. A bee, and a butterfly and a bouquet. But I don't know how to draw a bouquet - Janie I do - Lucia I do - Sylvie |  |
It's a building. There's an elevator. It has 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 floors. A there's a balcony - Janie
I'm going to cover the whole page to make a treehouse. - Lucia
I'm covering the whole page, too - Sylvie
I'm going to cover the whole page to make a treehouse. - Lucia
I'm covering the whole page, too - Sylvie
Jordan started his sketch but didn't finish
Next week we will begin working on still life. Our first one was created by Audrey, Sylvie and Lucia
We need to make our still life stronger - Lucia
It's turning into a still life! - Syvlie
We need more material to make it stronger - Lucia
It's turning into a still life! - Syvlie
We need more material to make it stronger - Lucia
Discussing the Ocean Floor
With our canvas painted blue, it was time to plan out our ocean floor. Using the painted poster board we made while mixing our blues, we imagined what the ocean floor might look like.
 |  |  |
CC: Let’s mix the yellow with white so I can make the sand color. That looks like a good bottom of the ocean. That’s where it’s deep in the ocean and where its not there’s still sand there.
Lochie: That too big a seaweed
CC: I wanna draw a dolphin. How can I draw a dolphin?
Lochie: This is my seaweed. My seaweed just has lines. They only have lines and roots in the sand but nothing else.
CC: Look, there’s all kinds of seaweed
Violet: I’m making a seaweed too.
Lochie: After the seaweed can you do the box for the water machines and the tubes sucking up the water?
Some friends took the opportunity to step away from the painting and draw what it is they wanted to add. CC worked on a dolphin, Lochie reproduced images of water machines and coral and Jack enjoyed working on a unicorn drawing he started in the morning.
 |  |  |
After playing with Legos, George and Marley wandered over to the painting and wanted to add some of their details.
George: I’m putting seaweed
Marley: I’m adding seaweed, I’m covering the floor with seaweed.
George: I’m putting seaweed
Marley: I’m adding seaweed, I’m covering the floor with seaweed.
We also had a chance to enjoy a conversation with Lulu Baker about the St. John’s pajama project. Lou Lou showed us around her studio and answered our questions about the type of fabric and designs she uses:
Lochie: Do you know the long, fuzzy pajamas with feet?
CC: Remember when on picture day me and Lochie had skeleton pajamas?
We showed her some of our favorite pajama designs! Big thanks to Lou Lou for a peek into her pajama design world!
Lochie: Do you know the long, fuzzy pajamas with feet?
CC: Remember when on picture day me and Lochie had skeleton pajamas?
We showed her some of our favorite pajama designs! Big thanks to Lou Lou for a peek into her pajama design world!
Enjoying the brand new sand! Have a great weekend!!
What's a Treehouse without a Tree? - Sylvie
That's too long. It doesn't fit in the bucket - Sylvie
Today we decided to get messy again and finish the paper mache' for our treehouse. Even better, because of the weather, we got to do it outside. First, we have to make our mixture. Our mixture is a 2:1 ratio. 2 parts water to 1 part flour. We used a measuring cup and counted the cups to make sure our mixture was just right
I can make the mix - Audrey
 |  |
 | We need flour - Janie Janie adds 1 cup of flour Now what do we need? - Jordan Water - Maxon But how much? - Jordan Ummm, five? - Maxon Two cups! - Janie |
Maybe I can add this to the paper - Maxon
Once we had our mixture, we carefully review our work from the day before. Our goal was to fix any areas that did not have newspaper but were supposed to. But along the way, we had a little trouble with the paper mache' that we figured out as a group.
It doesn't doesn't stick. I didn't put enough water - Sylvie
Jane adds more flour
I'll mix it with my spoon - Jane
Jane adds more flour
I'll mix it with my spoon - Jane
After adding the flour, the newspaper held much better. It was a long process, but Rainey Room persevered to complete their work. As we worked to fix the hard to reach places, we had to come up with solutions to make sure our work stayed on. Audrey's palm tree was particularly difficult because of its cool and unique shape. Fortunately, our teamwork helped us through.
 | I got it! It didnt fall off - Jane We holded it for a few seconds - Sylvie Look how long this is! - Audrey Too long! - Jane Yup, too long - Audrey It doesn't fit in the bucket - Sylvie |
I'm going to paint it purple! - Janie
Pajama Conversations: What Do We Want to Ask LouLou?
 | SYLVIE: I want to know how they're made. And what sewing factory they're made, and what color is the sewing box. LUCIA: How did the pictures get on it? SYLVIE: That's what I wanted (to know) too. AUDREY: How does she get them to look like that? |
A long awaited day for sure, we finally had a chance to start painting our canvas! Today we added the blues of the ocean leaving space for the ocean floor below and the sky above. Because the weather was so nice, we decided to take the painting outside!
 | Lochie: We’re painting the canvas of our ocean. We’re going to use it to tell ocean stories. Violet: I just love it (the paint) right here. Look at what I made! CC: We could add fish and sharks. Look! We’re putting our blue together Elle: This is my blue! Marley: I’m going to paint up and down Lochie: Let’s make the canvas disappear |
| CC: We could add fish and sharks. Look! We’re putting our blue together Elle: Mine is a dark, light blue CC: Mine is a light blue Marley: Eh, mine is lightish |  |
For those who weren’t interested in painting or finished early, we spent time coloring with chalk outside. Before we knew it almost every brick had an individual color or design on it!
 |  |
George: I did a pattern! It’s orange, blue, orange!
Jack: Mine is just rainbow, see the colors?
As we were finishing our painting, the sand and mulch guys came to replenish the outdoor classroom. While we were bummed to miss our time climbing and playing, it was so exciting to hang out on the front lawn and watch the new landscaping materials get delivered!
Archives
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
RSS Feed