AFC PINE AM

Today in the collaboratory E & V decided to time how long it took them to complete the obstacle course.  "We want to see how fast we can do it!" "Can you count for us?" "Maybe we can use a timer!" We pulled out the iPad and after a quick tutorial on how to access the stopwatch, E & V were off timing themselves on how fast they could race through the course.  After a few laps the girls were asking if I remembered each number from each trial... sadly, I did not.  "Maybe we can write the numbers down. Then we will remember how fast we are going." "Look the 9 is smaller than this number [13]. We went so fast that time!" "If the number is smaller, does that mean we went faster?" "I think if it's bigger it means we went fast." "I don't really know which one is faster." This was a bit confusing. The two girls seemed to understand that in most games if you ...

E began building next to the measuring stick taped on the wall. He began stacking various materials to try and make them the same height as the measuring stick. In the video below you can see how E looks for different blocks that he think will work best for stacking. Such great problem solving! 

The Pine kids were so excited today in small groups today to start working on books! Since we have been reading "I Was So Mad" by Mercer Mayer, the kids have been interested in making their own books. Because the book talks a lot about how Critter is feeling, the kids wanted to make books that represented all different kinds of emotions.  "We can take these home and make them!" "I am going to make all of the feelings like frustrated, disappointed, happy, and anxious!" "I am going to add the sad face to my book because sometimes I feel sad." "I am making the calm face. I feel calm and happy." The kids worked side by side discussing the different kinds of faces they wanted to make for their books. Although some of the kids made books featuring a lot of big emotions, they mostly enjoyed just making the different shaped mouths and eyebrows. They giggled at the mouths that featured squiggly lines and imitat...

Since we have been talking so much about our feelings and the many different emotions we can feel, the Pine class took some time today to represent different faces using various materials. Many of the kids referenced a board with a lot of different emotions labeled on it and try and recreate the face, while others made up their own faces.  "Look look I made it a sad face. He's feelin' sad, that's why he doesn't have a smile." "Here's a mad face! He has a big mouth like this looking like he is mad." "He's happy! He has eyes that look happy!" The kids have been quite impressive by labeling how they feel and what is making them feel that way. Since the beginning of the year we have been implementing some strategies and activities guided by the Conscious Discipline curriculum. We have seen so many changes in how children are approaching their feelings and how they are dealing with problems within the classr...

This morning started off with both excitement and surprise. The snow was coming down in huge flakes! All of the Pine kids were anxious to get outside and see it on the playscape. We bundled up and headed outside  "Where did all these footprints come from?!" E was surprised to see the hundreds of footprints around the playscape heading in every direction.  "How did they get here?" "But there aren't many over there. We should make some over there too!" T & B were also enjoying making a different kind of print in the snow. Hand prints! The two boys took turns touching the cold snow while making shivering noises and giggling.  The snow provides so many different kinds of observations. While some kids focused on the snow falling and the size of the flakes, E saw how the kids interrupted the stillness and made prints with their feet and hands. She saw how we were impacting the snow. 

Because it's so cold outside, we are limited to how long we can play outside. That being said, it gives us a chance to play in other spaces with other classes. Today, we had the opportunity to play with friends with Magnolia!  E grabbed some of the smaller blue blocks varying different shapes. He began rolling the round one across the collaboratory floor, watching it roll past the other friends playing. He laughed as the round block wobbled around and took different turns rather than going straight.  "It's rolling!" E then a hexagon looking block. He set it up and gave it a push. Unfortunately, it did not have the same kind of effect the round one did.  "It didn't work!" He picked up the 'x' shaped block, set it up, and pushed that one too.  "That won't work either!" We returned from the collaboratory to E still talking about the blocks rolling. He wasn't sure why the round block rolled farther tha...

Welcome back Pine friends! I hope everyone survived the cold weekend! The Pine friends seemed happy to be back and playing with one another. A few Pine kids began playing in the block area building a tall tower. This is a common structure built, but always seems to have a different purpose each time it's built.  Today, the tall tower was being used to measure!  "Look, the blocks are taller than me!" "B is smaller than the tower!" "Ms. Jill is taller than it and so is Ms. Kim!" "Only the teachers are taller." "I want to make it as tall as me!" That gave the kids an idea. Could we measure each other using blocks? At meeting we tested that theory.  "B is smaller than 8 blocks!" "He is only 7 blocks tall!" "V is not 7 blocks tall, but she is taller than 6 blocks!" "E is like a little bit taller than 7 blocks too!" "I think we should add a block." ...

The Pine friends joined their friends in Dogwood in the collboratory to start capers.  C began building a tower. He noticed that a lot of the blocks had large holes in the center of them. C looked around and found cylinders that fit perfectly in the holes! Smart thinking to reinforce the tower!  C then ran into another problem... the tower was getting too tall for him to keep putting blocks on top.  "Can you put these on top for me?" So it began. C and F began handing me block after block to put on top to make a taller. It became so tall nobody could reach the top to put more blocks on top.  Everyone giggled as the block teetered back and forth for a few seconds before finally toppling over. This didn't discourage any of the kids! They immediately began building a tower once again.  C and F worked together to continue to build another tall tower. They were able to problem solve not being able to reach the ...

This morning started out like any other. Everyone came in, wrote their names, and then began to play at the various invitations around the room. About half of the friends settled around a train set and began building an elaborate train track that snaked across the carpet. Everyone was playing side by side, commenting on the different tracks they were building, creating a dialogue between the trains, and even trying to figure out how to make the track connect. But then something happened between the small group.  C stood up, brow furrowed, and walked over to our feelings chart. He independently chose his name from the list and looked at each of the different faces expressing different emotions.  This then sparked something in the others. Just then, all of the other kids began choosing their names and moving their names to the feeling face in which they were feeling.  Because we have been working on identifying our feelings the last two weeks, this is w...

Although the forest was full of mud and water, the Pine kids were content being able to play at the top rather than in the group of trees. We've run into this problem before... sometimes the forest is just too muddy to play in, but the Pine kids always find a way to make the best of any situation.  Today was no different. E set his eyes on climbing and swinging on the tree. He noticed a group of kids from the Magnolia climbing all over the tree and began to make his way over to the desired branch.  E displayed a lot of determination and strength as he crawled his way across the tree branch and then using his core to lift his legs up and around the branch! Way to go E!

T walked up to the wind tunnel and began putting scarves near the fan. He waited a second and realized they weren't moving. Why weren't the scarves going up? He looked at me then back at the tunnel. "Hmm?" we both said as Teddy placed his finger on his chin with a inquisitive look.  From across the room someone yelled, "You have to turn it on!" T looked up with a smile. We turned the fan on and voila the tunnel was working.  T clapped and smiled as the scarves came racing out of the top of the tube. T was joined by some other friends that were glad to see the second wind tunnel working.  Don't forget, tomorrow is forest day! Make sure to dress your kids in appropriate clothes, thank you! 

Today, the Pine kids got to play with the kids from Dogwood in the gym. Many of them settled into familiar games of building, climbing, and riding bikes. J looked around for awhile and then came across the launch pad. At first, he looked at it with confusion. A friend from Dogwood modeled how to use it, and it became an instant hit.  J worked for several minutes to try and launch the bean bags into the air. He watched how G was able to stomp on one end and send the bean bag flying. J was not too sure how to apply the same force, but in the end found a way to make the bean bag fly.   

C walked into the collaboratory and headed straight to the big blue blocks. He began constructing a tall tower, choosing which blocks should stack on one another very carefully. When he was satisfied with the height of the tower he began lying down longer blue blocks beside it. Once finished, he started laughing and clapping.  "Look what I did!" B came running over to check it out. "What is it?" B asked with curiosity.  "It's a bridge and a tower. The big bad monster lives under the bridge and we can't wake him up!" E noticed what C had built and explained that she made a river that was running next to his tower and bridge.  When asked, "how can the river go under the bridge?" The Pine friends looked puzzled.  "Well, this is the bridge over here and the bridge is over there." C perked up and thought of a solution as to how the animals that live in the water could get through the tower.  ...