First week of school: Sept 8-11
Our first week in our new classroom!
Many new adventures!
New students and new play spaces!
This week was all about observing the students, getting to know them, and starting off with a basic routine, with plans to scaffold more elements of our routine slowly so students feel ready for the next step without the overwhelm.
This week we enjoyed music, movement and connection in our morning circles, and we learned about our first foundational teaching: Humility.
Humility as we learn about it, is about remembering that we are one small part of the web of life, and also to model Ma'iingan (Wolf) who leads from the back, ensuring the well being of everyone around him in his own community. This learning extended to our outdoor time in the backyard and while hiking while students learned and practiced our guidelines of respect for our Plant friends. We learned about the power of Plantain in action both after being out just after the rain in a storm of mosquito's. We got to see that power in action when a student was bit by an unknown bug later in the week as well. We did not have our prepared option available, so we identified Plantain nearby, cleaned it, chewed it, and added it to the bite. The student with the bite them modeled this process for a second application. By the end of the day there was no sign of the bite, only a lingering sensitivity in the area.
We had a lot of playtime this week as all centers were wide open for exploration. We received a special delivery of a brand new to us tickle trunk!!! Everyone set to work immediately cleaning up our trunk and adding all of our costumes. Playtime ensued with parades, poses, and integration as everyone learned that though our play areas are not in the same spot, that we can move through them in a connected way. The doctor in the school hospital dressed up, provided xrays of broken bones, delivered some turtle babies and called out their shift change when they were done so someone else could assume the role of doctor. Our store was used as a grocery store, which was an extension of the imagination station. We even had a self declared thief who was chased down by two hastily appointed police officers!
We spent much time reviewing respectful guidelines, which will support our students next week in the creation of our school contract. Students learned what it means to "steal learning opportunities" and patience while we provide opportunities for our younger students to practice asking for support when they need it.
As we adjust through September, please know that this is the month that we will test out the days of the week you agreed to, and if your child wishes to switch their days, this is the time to let Jessica know.
Our trial student last week made a solid attempt to be in our school, however we learned that he is not quite ready for our program. All students learned a lot from this student, including how to stand in their power with a strong boundary, and how to say stop and thank you in Spanish. Many of our students arrived for day two expressing they learned how to speak phrases that would help them further communicate. My heart swelled with pride listening to them share with me what they learned.
It looks like we have new students testing us out for this week❤. Thank you to parents who are sharing with friends and family about our school community. I will post about our referral program in our Community Chat. We reward our families for sharing that results in new community members.
Looking forward to an incredible September.
Hope your weekends were wonderful!
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