Spring Tub Friends

Spring has sprung and friendships continue to blossom in the classroom and on the playground! We have also seen some disagreements arise and opportunities to solve problems as individuals and as a group. It is remarkable how sophisticated the students language has become when speaking about difficult feelings.

Budgerigar Study

“Who let the bird out? Whoot, whoot, whoot!” We experimented with letting Magic Mike, our class parakeet, out of his cage! This coincided with a whole class conversation about activities that we are experts in and ones that we are still working on. Well, Magic Mike is still working on getting back in his cage! This has been a source of excitement and we are channeling this interest by doing a budgerigar study! We watched a sweet video of a budgerigar baby hatching in the outback of Australia, and narrating the joys of living in a flock with so many friends. We then did an observational drawing of our Parakeet! The students did a spectacular job.

Metal Insets

The students have made wonderful progress working through the Metal Inset sequence which builds hand-eye coordination, strengthens pencil grip, teaches geometrical forms, and teaches drawing techniques. It takes a great deal of patience and perseverance to move through all nine books and to complete the final exercise number ten! In that exercise, the student overlaps all ten shapes and fills each new shape with several different kinds of lines and all nine colors. They are beautiful!

Because a good handful of students have finished all 10 exercises, we came up with another extension! The students are sewing the overlapping geometric shapes in felt! They are beautiful!

Ms. Lisa’s Book Group

In a small group of six students, we have been reading “A Nest for Celeste” by Henry Cole. This is a novel about a little mouse and a friendship that develops with a young apprentice. It is a story with lovely black and white drawings, and throughout the story, is woven inspiration and the meaning of home, which ties into our theme.

Students have been reading independently, and aloud to each other. We have completed word searches, using some of the rich vocabulary that is in the story. Celeste weaves baskets in her little spot under the floorboards and we are currently attempting to weave a basket using pipe cleaners and raffia. This requires some fine motor skills and a lot of patience!

Warmest regards,

Lisa & Jen