Summer Fun for All

It's Summer Fun all day at TBSCC


Jacob does some shoveling while Aleeza sunbathes.

The children sit together for a snack of watermelon and veggie sticks.

Micah and Rachel share a laugh at the water table trying out the turkey basters in purple colored water.

Soap suds and bubbles keep Aleeza and Sydni engaged.

Music

Often after we come in from the playground and get into dry clothes, the children enjoy music. Today I brought out the xylophone along with bongos which always get a big response. Those children who are familiar with the xylophone from last year, let out a shout of glee and excitement. This instrument makes the lovliest of sounds.

Welcome Sasha Kopp!

Our newest Tel Aviv class teacher Sasha Kopp is a recent graduate of Brandeis University where she studied sociology and elementary education. For the past four years, Sasha has taught four and five year olds at Lemberg Children's Center in Waltham where she focused on promoting intellectual growth and learning through questions in both small and full group discussions.

Sasha has also taught older children, from fourth grade at Zervas Elementary in Newton to seven through 12 year olds at Camp Kalsman in Arlington, Washington. At TBS she'll continue to teach a broad spectrum of ages, from our Children's Center students to the high school students in our youth groups and wilderness classes.

On Sasha's visits and substitute teaching days this spring I noted her keen observations of the children, her sunny personality, and her creative spirit. Be sure to ask Sasha about her experiences teaching and studying in an early childhood school in Copenhagen, Denmark. Please join me in giving a warm TBSCC welcome to Sasha!

Welcome Laura Walsh!

 

I am thrilled to welcome Laura Walsh to our teaching team this summer and in the Levana class this fall.   Those who have met Laura this summer have already experienced her joyful interactions with children as, in her words, she strives to "help children reach their optimal potential by celebrating and supporting individual strengths while helping them navigate the social and emotional milestones that arise in an early childhood setting."

Laura comes to us from 17 years at The Children's Center of Brookline where she first taught preschoolers and toddlers and then directed the school.  Since graduating from University of Massachusetts with a degree in early childhood education Laura has completed extensive graduate coursework in the field. In just a few weeks this summer, Laura as already become a beloved and valued member of our teaching team.  Please join me in offering Laura a warm welcome to TBSCC!

Something to Challa About

Photo by Mark Thomson of the Needham Times

Check out more photos from last week in today's Needham Times.

Photos from Mud Day!

Playing in mud!

I don't know who had more fun today the staff or the children! Playing in mud was fun for all of us! Some children took a little time to embrace the whole, "let's play and bathe in mud" concept. Most of the children jumped right in, some took their time but eventually jumped in with their whole self!

Olive for example, took a little time before she felt comfortable putting her hands and feet in the mud. I noticed she was watching some of the other children splashing in the mud puddles and playing in the sensory table. I asked her if she wanted to put her feet in the mud. Olive then walked over to the mud, looked at her feet and said, "You can't wear shoes!" Then she walked over to the black top and proceeded to take off her shoes. She walked back over to the mud and put the tips of her toes in the muddy water. I encouraged her to put one whole foot in, and as she submerged her foot she screeched, "Cold!" As our morning went on she walked back and forth observing the other children, dipping her toes here and there in the mud all around her. Finally at about 10:10 Olive squealed with joy and laughter, because she was standing with both feet in the mud! She said, "I did it!"

How to be a role model!

Yesterday Mia was painting at the easel and Aleeza asked if she could paint with Mia. Mia welcomed Aleeza to share the easel with her and handed her a paint brush. Two seconds later Lizzie asked if she could paint at the easel. Mia once again welcomed Lizzie to join her and Aleeza at the easel. From the very first day of Summer Fun, Mia has done a super job sharing with and welcoming the younger children including her brother Adam. Like Adam, for some of the children it's their very first experience away from their parents or caretaker. Mia, we all want to thank you for being such good sharer and role model...We appreciate you!

On another note it was very interesting to watch each child paint as they all had their own unique style of painting at the easel. Mia was in the middle and did not have a lot of space, so she dipped her brush in the paint, moved her brush in a circular motion keeping her brush at eye level. Aleeza moved her brush up and down the length of the paper tilting her head to the left as she painted. Lizzie used two brushes, one brush in each hand and moved her brushes up and down rather quickly. Sharing space with three people at one easel, is what I call tight quarters! The painting came out beautiful!

National Mud Day

A Poem About Mud

Mud is very nice to feel

All squishy, squashy between the toes.

I'd rather wade in wiggly mud,

than smell a yellow rose.





We mixed good, clean potting soil with water and added a bit of sand. Et Voila! A pool full of perfect mud. Everyone enjoyed the sensory experience mixing, creating, burying their hands under the cool, soft mud.

Lizzie spent a contented time filling the bowl with mud.

Water Engineer in the Making

Water play provides infinite opportunities for experimentation and discovery during play.
Nathan filled the large watering can, then watched as the water came out of the spigot, just like a faucet. He then poured the water back into the watering can and continued the process inviting others to join in.

Vegetable Cookies!

The children that stay for the extended day Summer Fun Program made sugar cookies for open snack tomorrow morning. The children enjoyed measuring, mixing and rolling out the dough! We used vegetable cookie cutters and made carrot, pepper and lettuce sugar cookies. They look yummy, we can't wait to eat them!

Everyday Sugar Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon vanilla

Bake at 375 oven for 10-15 minutes

Fishing!

If you need any fishing tips this summer I suggest you ask the children at TBSCC! Not only do we catch fish but ducks, lobsters and sea lions too. Everyday we catch something!

In case you didn't notice the first photo was shot at a different location.

Horses!

Did you know we have our own horses here at the TBSCC, and wow can these children ride a horse! Check out these action photos!

Nurturing Readers and Writers

In collaboration with the Needham Public Schools, our very own Maria Gonzalez-Griffith is spending this week at Lesley University taking a course on Nurturing Readers & Writers in the Prekindergarten & Kindergarten Classroom.  The course is described as follows, "Learn how to engage prekindergarten and kindergarten children in joyful language and literacy opportunities that assure a successful school entry. Through play, children expand their imagination, their oral language, their social skills and their understandings of early literacy concepts. With guidance from skillful teachers in whole and small group settings, children learn more about themselves, their world and how literacy influences everything they do."

We know that children learn literacy skills best when they are engaged in the process with their whole minds and bodies.  In this course, Maria is focusing on learning about building a community of learners, engaging children in inquiry projects, maximizing student energy for storytelling, and using bookmaking to develop emergent writers.  She joins kindergarten and preschool teachers from across Needham in an effort to ensure our children are challenged and engaged in the learning process. I can't wait to hear all that Maria learns and look forward to that learning being infused throughout TBSCC.

Decorating Visors!

The children really had fun decorating visors today. They carefully squeezed the fabric paint on the visor. When Mia was done with the paint she asked for a spoon because she wanted to mix all the colors together. What a great idea! Rachel watched Mia as she mixed the paints with the spoon. Surprise, surprise, soon after Rachel asked for a spoon and did the same thing! Tomorrow they should be dry and ready to home. We sure could have used those visors today at our sing-a-long with Julia...That sun was strong!

Foot Art!

Now that's what I call art...Foot art to be exact! Elias walked over to the easel and started painting. First he painted with the blue paint and then he mixed the purple paint with the blue, and continued to paint at the easel. In a split second the blue and purple paint fell to the ground. Elias squatted down picked up the two paint brushes and proceeded to paint his foot. As you can see he really knows what he is doing...Now that is one beautiful, colorful foot.

Kids Taking Photos!

Blessings ~ thank you

I have been given the opportunity to attend a class at Lesley University entitled: Literacy Beginnings.

This has been funded by a grant from the Needham Public Schools, for which I am very grateful.

Today was my first day!!!

Thank you!!!

I am eager to reflect, learn, and improve.

I leave you with some thoughts for reflection and response:

Role as a teacher~parent is to lead learning forward, who is the expert other in the classroom and home?

Role of a teacher~parent is to recognize and accommodate for difference in development and needs and honor the different paths to common outcomes!!!

Transforming Environments for our Miracles

Children are Miracles.

Believing that every child is a miracle can transform the way we design for children's care.

When we invite a miracle into our lives we prepare ourselves and the environment around us.

We set out flowers or special offerings.

We may cleanse ourselves, the space, or our thoughts of everything but the love inside us.

We make it our job to create, with reverence and gratitude, a space worthy of a miracle!!!

Action follows thought.

We can choose to change.

We can choose to design spaces for miracles, not minimums.

Author: Anita Olds

What can happen when we see the world through a child's eyes??? Authentic learning is what happens. It is observing and discovering children's natural interests, their family life, and community become rich sources of meaningful curriculum. Let us work towards finding those stories around us and making those stories visible and learn together.

A day with Max!

Max is always wearing a great big smile! He seems to just go with the flow. Max usually stays until 2:00, and seems to enjoy every minute of the extended day program. When the children in the morning program leave for the day, the children staying change back into their bathing suits and then we go out to play. Max always feels free to ask if he can take an indoor toy outside to play. Often he asks to take out plastic animals (giraffe, lion, monkey), he also has asked for beads and pipe cleaners so he can make a bracelet. Max looks forward to eating a cold delicious popsicle everyday! A few times this week he had two 100% all juice pops. Wow!