What a Wednesday!

A Wednesday with the Cardinals

As the Cardinals entered the classroom this chilly morning, they welcomed a visiting child into the room, who was coming to experience our school. The children showed their developing social skills and comfort level in meeting new people as they engaged him during our Morning Choice. We then held our Morning Meeting on the rug and were sure to share with our friend all the fun things we do. The Cardinals show pride in being a part of our class and school community and approach new experiences such as this with growing confidence and independence.

Exploring Science and Sculpture

The excitement over creating sculptures and models with our hands has become an intriguing exploration. This curiosity intensified today as the children explored with an intentional invitation of packing peanuts, glue and water set as a center during Choice Time. The teachers watched and supported the children as they worked with these materials to create connecting pieces representing the different items they had decided on. Boats, a cactus, a fire station and a boy playing soccer were some of the sculptures created. As the children patiently assembled their creations, they noticed how the water allowed the peanuts to stick together creating a very real and meaningful science experiment. The texture of the peanuts changed as water was added and one obstacle to overcome was determining the right amount of water to allow for connecting. If too much was added, the Cardinals noticed the material would quickly dissolve creating transforming liquids and solids showing the different phases of matter. Through explorations such as this, the children are connecting to beginning science concepts and forming questions that guide their learning and development.

Following our Choice and Center time, the Cardinals exercised their large motor skills briefly in front of our school on the lawn area. They chose to challenge themselves in running back and forth using trees as their starting and finishing lines. The cold sparked our moving spirits as we headed indoors and visited the Black Box, a room dedicated to theater and other arts practices. In this room, the feelings of creative movement flourished as the children initiated a dance party modeling ballet moves, break down steps and participated in games of "Freeze Dance". 

The shared experiences amongst our class such have strengthened their bonds with each other and Abington Friends School. We look forward to watching the Cardinals take on new ventures each day as they grow closer as a community.