Our first gathering happened on a very rainy day.
We arrived and made name tags with animal-rainbow stickers. Audrey and Sarah welcomed families. It was a real gift to begin school as an intergenerational collective. Our dialogue around this process, as it unfolds, is crucial in creating the school you are hoping for.
We created a circle together on the rug, found our HELLO HANDS, to wave, to pat the earth, and the sky, our bodies and our hearts, and to say hello to our families and friends.
We shared songs we each enjoy. Thank you to Sarah King, our group assistant, for starting us off with the ABC's on her ukelele. Inspired by the rain, we sang Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Rain Rain Go Away, and the It's Raining, It's Pouring. We sang Humpty Dumpty, and learned that the "Ordinary people could put Humpty together again, even though all the kings horses and the kings men could not!" We sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star several times, with star hands and then dancing star bodies. Happy Birthday to Little Baby... What else did we sing!?!?! So many songs!
We worked together to create our RAINBOW WINDOW together, and it will greet us when we come back to our school on Thursday.
We set up an accessible POTTY SPOT which immediately was a hit. Perhaps appropriately, I missed this photo op, but it is worth smiling at the memory of three children in a row enthusiastically sitting on the potties. This is a realm of mastery at this age, and giving children the opportunity for self-initiation seems very important. Children will be able to take independent initiatives to go to the bathroom, and teachers will facilitate the clean up aspect of course. If they wish to use the grown up toilet, that is also ok. They will just have to ask for help, since it is outside of the classroom space.
We reconvened to make body tracings. First we all worked together to trace teacher Sarah, with her head and her hands resting on the big paper. She was so relaxed because every child was so gentle and careful with their crayons as they traced her. Then parents and children traced one another in various ways.
Before a lovely snack, we learned a FOOD SONG together, which we will sing daily and you are welcome to try at home as well. I will post the lyrics.
Finally, we made our "AT SCHOOL" and "AT HOME" books.
One book says: "When I am at HOME, I can tell stories about SCHOOL. I can think of my teachers and FRIENDS. I will see them SOON." This book is meant to be used as A TOOL in your home to help school become a familiar and alive part of your child's inner life, as well as a lively part of their conversations with you. I imagine you may want to hear from your child about their experiences at school, so let this book serve as an instigator. You may wish to read it as a way of offering your children open-ended opportunities to talk with you about school experiences and imaginings. You can help them make new pages in their books, to tell the stories they wish to share -- kind of like a child's version of "journaling" if you know what I mean.
The other book remains at school and says: "When I am at SCHOOL, My FAMILY LOVES ME and thinks of me. I will see them SOON." Children will use these books to sooth themselves when they miss you. We will develop these books over time.
We ended our time together by talking about Thursday when school begins with just children and teachers. Our parents will be doing other things. Our siblings will be off to other schools. We will bake bread together in the morning that we can eat for snack time. We look forward to playing and making art and singing and dancing. We will end our day with a puppet show and goodbyes to teachers and friends. Like today, we can thank the earth and sky, ourselves and each other. We can feel proud as we sing "I did my best today. I did my best today. I feel good about me. I feel good about you."
We are all looking forward to meeting Laila on Thursday, since we did not get to meet her today.
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