The children have been very interested in how things work and how materials fit together. They carefully inspect materials and furniture in the room. As well as put one material inside another. They are really working to understand how things in their world work. Do you see this interest at home? After lunch we played outside for a little bit. Our interest in figuring out how things fit together and how they work continued.
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We are excited to welcome Laura G. and Laura B. to our classroom! You may have seen them in the room during the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving Break. Both Laura G. and Laura B. are now part of the infant pod teaching team. 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. Laura B., a student at the University of Colorado at Boulder, has been supporting the infant rooms a few mornings a week. Starting in the spring semester, she will shift to supporting the infant rooms a couple of afternoons each week. Her kindness and care are a wonderful addition to the infant community. Please join us in welcoming these wonderful women to our infant community. Here are few moments from Monday and Tuesday 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: Thank you everyone for your mark making at home photo submissions. We are so interested to see how you and your child are leaving your mark on the paper we sent home. Here is how Ben and Rowan have been making their mark.
Click on the button below to add your photos to the group album. Reminder about Mark Making at Home. If you need a bag of paper please let us know. We have a few extra.
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. 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! Today's explorations included:
This week we sent home bags of paper for you to explore mark making at home. If you did not receive a bag yours is waiting for you at 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:
Parents are active partners and guides in their child’s education, with a valuable role in their child’s growth and development. We invite you to share your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions on how we might continue our exploration and research into Mark Making. To support this, we’ve provided a bag filled with various types of paper for you and your child to explore and create marks together. Look around your home. What materials or tools could you use for Mark Making? Think of traditional tools like pens, markers, or crayons, but also consider non-traditional items like sticks, food, household tools, or even water. What Mark Making tools can you and your child discover together? As you set up this experience, think of the paper and tools as an invitation to explore with your child. Much like an artist arranging a palette, consider what your Mark Making setup invites you and your child to try. How does the background enhance or shift the experience? What makes the arrangement of materials inviting? What possibilities do the quality and variety of tools suggest? These questions can help you create a space for curiosity and discovery in your mark-making adventure together. Here are are a few presentation examples: There is no one way or right way to enjoy this experience. We would love to see how your child interacts with these materials, so please take a few photos or a video of your child interacting with these materials you collected and that were sent home. Here is a google album to add your photos and videos to. Please consider these questions when working with these materials with your child:
Please consider these questions when reflecting on this experience:
We look forward to seeing pictures and reading about your mark making adventures at home. Here are some images of today's explorations and adventures, including working with paper similar to that if the bag sent home: 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? 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. We introduced new tins to see if they would like to work on the above concepts, or others, with them. There was a range of engagement. At the least, a turning over, a shaking, at the most... 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, ... 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! Let's give a warm welcome to Finley! Finley with mom (Molly) and dad (William) Today, Finley jumped into his new classroom with enthusiasm, exploring every corner, making new friends, and enjoying playtime. To top it all off, his grandparents came to visit, adding an extra touch of joy to his day! In Room 3, the teachers—Maya, Sus, and Charlotte—welcomed him warmly, guiding him through the ins and outs of the class. Finley also delighted in getting to know the children playing outside, watching them through the window with curiosity and excitement. He moved through the day with a confidence that made it clear: school felt like home to him from the very start! Look at this special moment when Rowan shows Finley how to play the recorder.
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AuthorCharlotte Archives
December 2024
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