Experiential School News

September 2, 2016

Posted by Betty Gootson on Sep 1, 2016 3:26:23 PM

What is your name?

One of the first steps in building relationships is learning each other’s names. After introducing themselves for several days during Morning Meeting, Alpha students worked individually with a teacher to create a collage of their classmates’ photos. While attaching each picture, the child talked with the teacher about whom it was. In addition to reinforcing their knowledge of everyone’s name, it was a great way to practice gluing skills as well as to provide a reference of classmates for parents.

preschool friends


Look what the rain brought!

Though it kept everyone inside more than usual, the rain did provide a new path of study for the Junior Kindergartners - metamorphosis! During a lull in the showers, the classes located a ditch that contained lots of tadpoles. Under watchful eyes, the teachers managed to capture a few to bring into the classrooms, where the children will observe and document the metamorphosis from tadpole to frog as it occurs. 

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Dancing and Drumming

From dancing to drumming and much, much more, everyone in The Experiential School is having fun and learning during music with Ms. Kemp. Dance Party includes moving bodies to the rhythm of the music, taking cues from the words of the song, and cooperation as they partner up to dance and learn a little more about each other. 

partners in music

Drumming includes learning to handle instruments properly, keeping a beat, and waiting for and taking a turn.

drumming percussion

Instruments in The Experiential School, though, are not only for music class. They are an integral part of the Outdoor Classroom. This week, the girls and boys enjoyed trying out the drum, rain stick, tambourine and pipe organ on the deck. 

music at school

Creativity

Giving children open-ended materials to explore presents them with opportunities to be creative as well as to demonstrate their knowledge to us in authentic ways. One great example this week was the creation of a musical instrument from wood pieces, washers, and nuts and bolts.

Materials as simple as sea glass, corks, tree cookies and flat glass marbles provided endless moments of enjoyment for the children in Alpha. Teachers were able to observe creativity in action as well as knowledge of sorting, shapes, counting and recognition of aesthetic design.

sorting shapes


What else?

Here’s a glimpse of a few more experiences in Alpha and JK:

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Topics: Preschool

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