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Hello <<First Name>>,
Our afternoons have been alive with connection, creation, end exploration.
Having intentional planning guides (index cards) set in each center has really helped some plans come to life, especially our land of dinosaurs. We began the day before the provocation was set by asking what a dinosaur habitat was? The answer was simple, “A place for dinosuars to live.” As a class we came up with ideas for what we need in the dinosaur habitat, and we will continue to grow this idea as long as it is alive for the Acorns. I watched as the dinosaurs came to life in the hands of students, they searched for food, made families, and friends.
Outside, the world of cardboard boxes, and all that we can do with them have been coming into play. They are shelters, treasure boxes, caves, racoon homes, go- karts, houses, bedrooms, and so much more!
On the social emotional side, our Acorns have been working on saying a person’s name to get their attention, setting limits during more physical play about what works, and what does not work, and choosing “stop” words if needed. This is such great growth, and development for our Acorns, and amazing to see it in real moments being practiced.
Excited for next week! Do you have an idea about dinosaur world? or how to bring it to field day or our outdoor play area? Please let me know.
Smiles,
Heather Feather
From the beginning of my teaching career, it has always been my goal to spark the curiosity of each child. Of course, it it isn’t as ideal as Sir Ken Robinson imagines, especially with 4 to 6 year olds. In fact, that is why I’ve always loved this age. It is the age of questions and wondering. It is my responsibility as a teacher to honor those wondering and questions. While I love seeing their imaginations expand in play, it is their curiosity that motivates me. What does curiosity look like with our Acorns?
We see curiosity in the different ways our Acorns employ materials, measure and pour in the sensory bins, point to pictures in books, and use each other as resources to gather information. I’ve recently seen curiosity come to life at our Field Days. On our first day at Wilderness Park, our Acorns could hardly contain their excitement to explore the pond. They raced around from edge to edge to edge of the pond noting different aspects of the habitat and asking J, our resident animal expert, questions about the different types of fish and turtles. We ventured to a few other parts of the park, yet the pond pulled each child back to it by Open Play. Again the following week, the excitement to explore the pond hadn’t waned. Again they ran from edge to edge to edge of the pond watching the flow of the water, looking for the giant turtle, and listening for the gurgling sounds. These are the moments I love as a teacher. Children enthusiastically exploring their world. I follow, documenting conversations and questions, taking photos, posing questions, suggesting experiments. Mostly my role during this time is to support their curiosity, as we spend more time at the pond on Field Days we will dive into experiments, research, and mapping. For now, I give them “a light to spark their curiosity” and see where they take it.
In the spirit of wonder,
Lacey
COMMUNICATION STREAMS
Heather Kornman, Teacher
Lacey LaCour, Teacher
Lena Garcia, Head of Education – Teacher Mentor
Trish Valdez, School Business Manager
Shannon Minor, Board President
Facebook (private group), Community Forum
Shutterfly Site: photo archive
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