May 29th, 2022

Last week we celebrated one of our "Summer birthdays"; since we won't be able to be together in person during Hugh's actual birthday on July 14, we celebrated it in the classroom just before the end of the school year. In the initial interview, Hugh shared a lot of his wonderful ideas for his birthday portrait and some of his favorite things. It has been amazing and interesting to observe the children's question for each other evolve over the course of the school year and become increasingly thoughtful, intentional and creative.


What do you want us to make for you? - Wilder
A dinosaur - Hugh
Uhm, T.rex or stegosaurus? I chose T.rex because it's my favorite. - Wilder
T.rex! - Hugh
​What color would the T.rex be? - Ines
Light green and dark green stripes down to its tail. - Hugh
What's your favorite color? - Cate
Red and blue. - Hugh
What is your favorite fruit? - Remy
Mango. - Hugh
Hugh, what is your favorite season? - Bea
Summer. Because it's warm. But I also like Christmas, so I think I want Christmas. - Hugh
But what about Halloween because you get candy? - Cate
Well, I want Christmas. Presents! And a Christmas tree. Presents under the Christmas tree! I have big presents under the Christmas tree every time. The Christmas tree's ornaments will be red and blue but the star will be gold. Christmas trees always have stars in the top. - Hugh
What's your favorite shape? - Frannie
Let me show you because I forgot what it's called. (pointing to a hexagon in the drawing of a maze next to our morning meeting area) - Hugh
Hugh, do you want to be skiing in your picture because it's Christmas? - Wilder
No. - Hugh
How about the T.rex is one of your presents? - Lily
How about the T.rex looks like Santa? - Cate
I want to be riding the T.rex in the door. The front door. My front door. It's very easy to make my front door. You just make rectangle shapes and squares. It's brown. My house has the house number. Well, it's right above the front door. - Hugh
You could take a picture of your whole house and cut it a little more like a square and put it on the background. - Remy
You take a picture of your house. Just cut around the door so it can fit the number on the house. - Cate
What is your favorite material? - Remy
I don't really have a favorite material but my really favorite material is paper and tape. I kinda like to tape a lot of stuff. - Hugh
Maybe the tape could be your bow. Tape is really good at making bows. - Bea
What id you like tape the tape around the presents? - Wilder
Yeah. - Hugh

a special Christmas tree

Hugh's love for Christmas has been evident since he first chose his symbol (a beautifully wrapped present with a bow on top) in the beginning of our time in the Brown Room. He shared with us that he "chose the present because I love Christmas!".  In order to create a Christmas inspired portrait for him, the committee decided to create a large Christmas tree...

Mixing shades of green for our tree:

It's brighter when you add yellow. - Wilder
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The more yellow you put in the brighter. - Lucas

I just mix it. I put green and yellow and I mix it. I'm making whole lot of it. So everyone can use it. - Finlay

We're mixing a lot of it so a lot of people can use it. - Wilder

That one is perfect for the tree! Wilder, make this Christmas tree really beautiful because for a birthday committee it needs to be beautiful. - Lucas

​The Christmas tree's ornaments will be red and blue but the star will be gold. Christmas trees always have stars in the top. - Hugh

We make a collage only out of golden and then we glue it on the Christmas tree. - Finlay

Creating ornaments

Considering Hugh's favorite animal, a T.rex, the committee decided to use his favorite materials, paper and tape, to create individual T.rex ornaments to decorate the Christmas tree with. 

This is a cool technique. I'm using the scissors to pull it out it. I need to trim it. - Finlay, using scissors to pull and cut pieces of tape off the roll.

It's a flap up dinosaur. It can flap up. But it needs to be dry. So you glue some of it on but you don't glue the whole things on. And then you can flap it up and then you can see the dinosaur.
​ - Lucas

How to draw a T.rex (description by Wilder)

First draw the big leg, then shut it, then make sharp nails on in. Then make the next foot and make it straight then close it in, then make sharp nails. then draw a brig circle, which is the belly. Then make the huge neck, then make a circle, which is his head. Then make a mouth open. Draw the mouth open. Then make sharp teeth!

Presents for under the tree

The committee wrapped two hexagon boxes, which is Hugh's favorite shape, in blue and red tissue paper and color coordinated tape, to also incorporate Hugh's favorite colors and materials, paper and tape. 

" I know, we should decorate it and write 'To Hugh, happy birthday, from Wilder, Lucas and Finlay'!" - Wilder

"TO HUGH" written by Finlay

"LOVE LUCAS" written by Lucas 
and "WILDER" written by Wilder

"FINLAY" written by Finlay

​Setting up for the photo shoot:

In addition to the presents, the children also added their dinosaur ornaments and little red and blue hexagon ornaments to the Christmas tree. 

Taking Hugh's birthday portrait

​The birthday committee selected Hugh's  birthday portrait based on the following thoughts:

I like that he's holding the present and sitting on the floor. - Finlay

His teeth are pink! - Lucas, giggling

Because he's sitting down and opening the slugs. Because he's opening the present. - Wilder

The slugs we put in them. - Lucas

Happy early birthday, Hugh!

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On Friday we celebrated Hugh's upcoming 5th birthday in the classroom with delicious donuts, interesting facts about dinosaurs and a book from one of our favorite authors, Mo Willems, "We are in a book!".