Kids have been practicing sorting and organizing this week through scavenger hunts at morning meeting. Every day, 3 different groups took turns finding types of materials around the classroom to bring back to the rug and sort. Monday, kids sorted things by color; Tuesday, kids sorted things into big and small; Wednesday, kids found things in between big and small; Thursday, kids sorted things into pairs; Friday, kids sorted things by material. It was so fun to work together and move around the classroom, finding creative solutions to our challenge.
This week was also the first week we used our class job chart! All the kids have important jobs they do every day, like unpacking our bags, keeping ourselves and our friends safe, and playing. Each week, different kids get the chance to do class jobs, like collecting dots, setting up snacks, and bringing our weekly story to and from the self. Kids practice their job every day for that week before someone new gets a turn the next week. Thank you to our classroom helpers who did a great job this week taking care of and preparing the classroom for all the kids!
Outside, we watched as piles of snow slowly shrank and melted before turning into puddles perfect for splashing in! We’re all starting to get excited for Spring, even and especially if that means more rain!
Inside, friends up in the loft called for everyone below to watch their puppet show. Kids set up chairs for the audience while performers in the loft negotiated and planned their performance, and chefs in the play kitchen prepared ice cream sandwiches as in-viewing snacks. Using finger puppets, we heard stories of octopuses that live to 100 years old and dogs with brothers.
Friends also explored some new-shaped blocks and loose parts in the block area. It was fun to envelop animals inside cardboard tubes or connect them to blocks with rubber bands. Fake ivy turned into jungles and gardens outside dramatic cities and castles.
The kids who stay for lunch started a new podcast: PBS Molly of Denali. The story follows Molly, a girl whose family is native to Alaska, and the mystery of how her birthday cake disappeared. The story features a mischievous raven character, which we learned, through research, is a recurring symbol in Native Alaskan culture. Ravens can either be tricksters or protectors in stories, and sometimes even both. We even looked back at a book we read in the beginning of the year to learn about other symbols in native culture.
