Dear Parents,
As the year winds to a close and the weather is beginning to feel more like summer, it's hard to say in the classroom. Getting outside is always important to our program and allows us opportunities for exploration that wouldn't happen in a classroom, but it's important to make sure that students still have choices. I wanted to show you some of the ways we brought classroom activities to the outdoors last week.
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| Playdough map of imaginary park: "But not a playground, it's more like Algonquin" |
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| There's books to read in the shade |
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| Using bingo dabbers and markers to paint |
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| The watertable has been very popular. There's a track around the edge that diverts water back into the main reservoir that students are interested in damming. |
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| You've also got kickball |
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| Students created a tunnel with their legs for the cars to go through |
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| Ms. Moniz hitches a ride on the taxi. |
I also wanted to talk about the recent drum performance we had, which was easily one of the top ten performances I've attended as a teacher. This eco-drum collective made drums and percussion instruments out of recycled materials and talked about the importance of reducing waste. Students were dancing and clapping along to music. The older brothers of 3 students were chosen as volunteers, so our class felt like we had a stake in the proceedings as well. I had thought I'd gotten more pictures of their dancing in spot than I did, and it's hard to see just how into it they were from the pictures I did get, but I'm sure you've already heard at least a little about this.
Finally, students have been very excited about using pegboards to create geometric shapes and pictures. I love this photo series simply because it shows you the diverse ways students feel about having their picture taken, even when they ask to have their picture taken.
This will likely be one of my last blog posts for this year. I've enjoyed learning and growing with your kids so much and I look forward to seeing them continue to explore next year, whether they're with me or in the broader school community.
Sincerely,
Ms. Goegan
