Tomato Update...

Everyday Leo checks on our tomato plants and gives them water if they need it. According to Leo, "There are about eight green tomatoes growing, and the yellow flowers will grow tomatoes real soon!"

We know what plants need!

Watering the plants is a job that we take very seriously! Just look at how the plants are thriving! Maria will be so proud of us!

Painting Space!

This week in the Scientist classroom we have been focusing on space. With the help of the lunar eclipse earlier this week, we have watched YouTube videos, read books, drawn pictures, puzzled, and talked about space. Today we decided that it would be fun to paint what we thought space looked like as a class. We started with five colors, and each child got a chance to paint something that they would expect to see in space.

The photos show a progression of what the paper looked like through the project, starting with the blank paper, then moving to the initial paintings, and ending with the finished product! We will be hanging the mural on the wall tomorrow!

Honoring Each Child

In our effort to enhance the nurturing culture of our classrooms, we considered the principle of honoring the uniqueness of each family and child. Each class is unique as well, and Maria and Smadar chose to reflect each child's personality by creating this stunning portrait wall. A large photo of each child is matted and framed in a shallow cardboard box. This aesthetically pleasing display attracts the attention to all who enter the classroom and the simple black frames highlight the uniqueness of the children's faces. Come take a peek!

A nurturing environment

As we came back to school this year, a portion of our professional development time was focused around studying nurturing environments. In what ways were we offering nurturing places and experiences for children? And just as importantly, how could we offer those same nurturing elements for adults? Arrange your space and routines to promote community was one of the principles we examined. Knowing that children and adults alike feel more relaxed in a homelike environment than an institutional one, we considered various ways of bringing home into our school setting. Our new living room is just one example of this work. I hope you are enjoying using it as much as I am.

Sustaining Children's Connections With Families

Today's challenge: Assessing our classroom environments. How do our classrooms acknowledge our understandings of attachment theories? How do they help children sustain their connections with their families?

Tina, Mary Ann, and Nancy sketched this floor plan of their classroom, coding the various areas of the room as follows:
1: Places where children's family life and culture are reflected and nourished
2: Places where children can find comfort
3: Places that remind children that they will be reunited with their families
4: Places where children's family members can feel at home and respected in the room
5: Places where the children and their families can get to know more about and bond with their teachers

They pointed out that the kitchen area is a place where so many of these values can be seen. As children make pretend phone calls to grandma or cook a replica of the meal they ate at home for breakfast, they have the chance to share their home lives at school. As you enter our classrooms next week, take a new look around: Can you find all the ways we've infused these concepts into our environment?