Sun and (melting) Snow

I hope you all had a great vacation. We’ve gotten right back into the swing of things in the pre-k. Here are a few highlights:

We tapped six maple trees in our woods, and have been delighted to see sap dripping from the trees into the buckets.

We chose “sit spots” in the woods, and have practiced our new routine of visiting our spot every day when we first enter the woods.

We started learning about trees, and have sung songs, read books, and created art focused on trees.

We remembered how to use our “peace corner” and learned some strategies for being kind to ourselves, in addition to our classmates.

We practiced counting and comparing quantities using acorns, pine cones, and rocks.

An important note:

This week we had an “intruder alert” drill, something that is practiced bi-monthly in our school. In the pre-k we explain to kids that sometimes we practice leaving the school in an emergency, and sometimes we practice staying in the classroom. The ultimate goal during a drill is for kids to closely follow directions from a teacher while remaining silent. Yesterday we broke into groups and practiced going to different parts of the classroom. The kids did GREAT during the drill. No pre-k children have mentioned the events in Parkland Florida, but I know that they’re all very present in our minds. I’m happy to give you more details about our approach to intruder alerts, and can also help point you towards resources about how to talk to young kids about violence and tragedy.