Laura G. participated in the Teacher Education Program in 2015/2016 and rejoined the Boulder Journey School faculty this September. While supporting the entire school, she spent a few days with us, and we are thrilled to welcome her as the floater for the infant rooms. Her patience, warmth, and compassion make her a wonderful addition to the infant community.

On Monday we were joined by Sidney.  We loved reading books and hanging out with her at the window.  We also played some peek-a-boo, flew scarves in the wind tunnels, and worked on our rhythm. 

On Tuesday the children continued to explore Mark Making with paint:

Last week, Room 3 dove into an exciting project to create a vibrant Welcome sign for the school—a perfect way to practice greetings, explore their surroundings, and contribute to their community! The process was nothing short of delightful chaos, as little hands and big imaginations took over.

With curious fingers smearing paint and watchful eyes studying their peers, the sign transformed into a canvas of creativity as they worked together, turning their simple project into a heartwarming collaboration.
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But the magic doesn't stop there! Soon, more friends will be joining in, to add their own touches to the lettering, making it a true team effort. We can’t wait for everyone to see the final masterpiece—a colorful symbol of teamwork and connection that will greet everyone who walks through our school!

Mark Making is a foundational way for our youngest children to explore, communicate, and make sense of their world. Mark Making refers to the simple but powerful act of creating marks, whether that's a line, a swirl, a dot, or a shape, on any surface available, be it paper, a classroom floor, the outdoor garden, or even on a toy. For infants, Mark Making often starts with random scribbles or dots, but each of these small actions is a step toward developing skills that will eventually support early writing.
Why is Mark Making important for infants?
Mark Making is more than just the early stages of writing; it's a sensory-rich, physical experience that all children can enjoy, regardless of age or ability. It's a safe space for self-expression and discovery. Besides supporting early writing, mark-making is also the beginning of mathematical thinking, as children start to recognize patterns, lines, and shapes. Every mark they make is a chance to communicate and create, and our role is to encourage and value every attempt.
How does mark-making support a child's learning?
Through mark-making, infants can:

• Explore new textures and concepts through their senses
• Express their thoughts and ideas visually
• Begin to understand the world around them
• Experiment with problem-solving, like figuring out how to make a mark appear
• Express their feelings through different marks and strokes

“All the children, according to the different ages, chose and explored the materials at their disposal with curiosity, engagement and fun.” ~Reggio Children, Mosaic of Marks, Words, Materials

We are following a few threads of Room 3 work closely, and watching them as they inevitably weave together. In this case Mechanics and Relationships, or at least those are the two (of many) lenses that I have chosen to look at in the following interactions.

James and Ben are interested in each other and some of the materials. The tins, which have held Ben's interest quite a bit recently, are not, at this moment, as interesting as catching his friend's eye. The two make offerings to each other simultaneously. Ben offers a bottle, James receives. Ben appears to try some peek-A-boo while James works with the tin. James offers the tin to Ben in a reciprocal way to the bottle offer. Ben receives, and still seems more interested in this interaction than in procuring the tin. Friendly, curious, priority and relation building.

​Here we have Rosie and Mia (in the background) noticing Ben with the jar and cap. Rosie watches and pursues.  Mia continues her work on gravity drops...

Rosie moves on to another interest and Mia is drawn to Ben's actions. They watch each other and make offers. Then go back to their respective investigations- tins, and jar and cap. There is a comfort and collegiality in their work.

Furrowed brows, pursed lips 
grippy fingers , slippy fingers
Curiosity up to,
and through
​frustration
What does it do?
Can I do it?
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Open and Close, on and off, in and out - three themes that all of the children in Room 3  exploring in their own ways and intensities. 

13 straight minutes of:
opening,
closing, 
putting objects in,
taking objects out,
walking the classroom with them,
shaking them,
studying them,
turning them over,
tasting them,  
putting them over the bench,
crawling over to get them,
taking them apart,
trying to put them in a box, 
trying to take them out of a box,
​...
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A will - interest, investment, desire, vision
And a way- ingenuity, perseverance, flexibility, skill

Room Three continues to inspire and grow, inspire and grow.

Today, with our small class, we decided to invite friends from Room 2 to join us, filling our day with even more laughter and play. Together, we explored every part of our room, diving into games of peek-a-boo, flipping through picture books, and getting hands-on with all sorts of colorful materials.
After a while, we took our curiosity to the hallways, making our way down the familiar paths with bright eyes and eager steps. Each little one relished the chance to move around, some of us walking, others practicing new crawling skills of moving backwards. Along the way, we waved at everyone we passed, pausing to say a big “hi” to Diggum, our beloved fish.
It felt wonderful to have the freedom to move up and down the hallways, connecting with the school community. There was joy in every step, every wave, and every shared smile, making this day one to remember!