What a wonderful, playful and explorative first full week at Brooklyn Schoolhouse we’ve had! This week we discussed what it means to all be together at school, and introduced our “attendance stick” during our morning meetings: moving a picture card with each child’s name and face from a “home bin” to a “school stick” signifies that they are now part of the larger Schoolhouse community, and allows us to celebrate being together. We also sing a “we wish you well” song to any friends who are not at school during attendance, which further fosters our sense of community within the classroom.
Outside in the yard this week we built rocketships on the rug, drank tea in the kitchen, and danced to Laurie Berkner’s “The Goldfish Song.” Inside the classroom children explored dress up and imaginative play, decorated their cubby labels, and made fresh playdough that smells like sage. Our story this week was “Ming Goes to School” by Deirdre Sullivan, which allowed us to talk about our favorite parts of the day at school and compare our schedule to Ming’s.
This week we introduced “routine cards” to demonstrate the steps we follow after we are done eating snack:
First, we put any food scraps in the compost basket
Next, we stack our bowls to make a pile
Finally, we put our water bottles back in the water bottle bin
Establishing routines like this one allows children to gain confidence within the classroom and familiarize themselves with the space.
We are so excited to continue to learn and grow with your children next week! Remember that school will be closed on Tuesday September 23rd and Wednesday September 24th for Rosh Hashanah. Full days (including lunch and rest) will also begin next week, so please pack accordingly if this applies to you.
Have a great weekend!
