Classroom Space

Over the break the staff at Acera worked on two central objectives, bringing the height of the space down to the children’s level and creating accessibility to materials that were in the large cubby structure. The outcomes of these changes are many, including creating a cubby area for the children’s clothes and outerwear. More importantly, children have more choice and access to hands-on materials in all areas of the curriculum. It will take several weeks for the entire class to see the opportunities available as they will be slowly introduced. But the outcome will be a very dynamic environment where each student will be able to access their interests and abilities!

We are very grateful to Ms. Hannah and Mr. David for their historical memory of the space, Mr. John and Mr. Malcom for the freedom to innovate, and Ms. Sarah for sorting and organizing materials during her break. Many thanks to the Framm boys for their initiative and skill in disassembling the large cubby structure, and for Mr. Jesse for recycling the wood into 14 cubbies! Your agency and talents are impressive! Thank you, Tim and Martha, for entrusting your children with me during the vacation with power tools, while they were supposed to be taking care of the hydroponics project. We are in your debt, as John Framm reminded me today. He asked for $5, and we need to talk about fair market wage!

 

Writer’s Workshop

The literacy block that Mr. David & Ms. Hannah established during the first half of the year has been carried over, we are just calling it “Writer’s Workshop”. The focus of the writer’s block will be creative writing, based upon the children’s interest and natural instinct to communicate ideas and imagination. This focus will help children develop fluency as they also work on concepts of print including “word work”, handwriting, and punctuation.

Cozy Cubby Quiet Book Time

The best writing and drawing was happening during the “Cozy Cubby” time in the afternoon after lunch and recess where children retired to their individual spaces. That creative writing & drawing has shifted to the morning with a large block of time so children can fully articulate and share their wonderful ideas. In a very short time children have learned about the power of their individual stories and constructs such as sharing dream sequences, information books about trains, and embellishing factual events.

The adjustments of the first week, particularly ending the practice of earning “privileges” during Cozy Cubby Time that resulted in options such as sharing a cubby with a friend, has been hard on some. Because I am serving as a reading coach to each child during this time, by scaffolding the choice of appropriate books, and giving the children the options to sleep (some children are tired!) I have no time to manage the system of privileges. Pease reinforce to your child at home, that they have the right to draw and write anything they want during writer’s workshop. As part of choice time/theme time children may invite another student to their cozy cubby to work on a project together

Collaborative Partnerships

Because many of the children are working on managing friendships as well as scaffolding their early literacy in math, reading, writing, and science, we are working as a teacher team to establish a balance between individual and partnerships. For the next several months we will be playing around with many and differentiated groupings. Children that have been relying on one specific peer as an anchor, may feel this shift deeply. I am pleased that children have be raising their individual concerns with me, and I have been acknowledging the change and the reasons why. I have been saying, “It is my job to make sure that you and all the children are learning what they need. You have lots of times during the day and week to be with your close friends.”

  

Math Groups

Ms. Vanessa’s & Mr. David’s groups have been joined starting after the break! We start the lesson together, break out into 3 small group tables for active hands-on activities, and gather at the end to play some math games and logic activities. We have already established a natural partnership working with the 8 children in large & small groups, as well as individually on specific skills. It is such a gift to have 1 hour a day to work with this small, targeted group of talented children!

 

Choice Time/Theme Time

With Woodworking on Tuesday, Art on Wednesday, and Architecture on Friday, the children are hungry for thematic and choice time. Building with blocks, painting, writing, math, crafts… there are so many opportunities for the children each afternoon! There is also a science and cultural area, and the “break-out” space has been transformed into a maker/studio space. We are making sure that at least three days children can make choices based on interests. There is also a need to help each student develop a comfort level in all areas, which means that we will be encouraging and staging choices so that individuals that have become “stuck” in one area, will gain confidence in all curricular areas. I have already seen reluctant artists enjoying time in the studio, and hesitant builders relishing a chance to construct with blocks!

Curriculum Night: Tuesday, January 23^rd at 7:30pm

This is a night to introduce parents to the classroom, daily and weekly schedule, and have the opportunity to ask any and all questions about curriculum. The children’s latest work will also be on-hand to see! We encourage all parents to attend.