new play scenarios, snacks

Dear Nursery Families,

      Thank you for your flexibility and support as we welcome Spring with our outdoor start.  While I will write more in depth about the children's day in an upcoming newsletter, I wanted to mention some of what I have observed with the children.  I think for our children this school year, this new rhythm will work well--even if we have a few sad mornings as your child misses the old, indoor starts if it is bitterly cold and rainy outside.

      Our schedule now has more flexibility:  I no longer have to try to get this or that done before the elementary children come out to recess at 10:45.  While our Butterfly Childrenas a group demonstrated excellent resourcefulness and responsibility while getting ready for outside in the middle of the day, it is nice to have the playground and berry patch all to ourselves.  When we were getting ready for outside while the elementary school was outside and Kim was taking children to the bathroom, some of our older nursery children resisted getting dressed themselves.  In a sense, they got an unintended reward for delaying--while Kim was in the bathroom and I was monitoring children outside, they might get to play inside without as much form as I would like.  The new method, while it might frustrate some children, builds a much better habit life with clearer natural consequences.  The sooner children get undressed, the sooner they play inside.  If a child feels dreamy or sleepy or wants to take her or his time getting undressed, it does not detract from the experience of other children who are merrily playing inside.

       Perhaps because of the new schedule, or perhaps because it is time, girls and boys and younger and older children have been playing together much more frequently in the past week; travel themes, restaurants, and construction continue to be frequent scenes.  One day two older girls were able to involve many children in the classroom in establishing a doctor's office with patients, medicines, soft places to recline; this existed side by side and in harmony with a group of boys searching for gems and jewels in an imagined dragon's lair. 

      Many children helped me prepare the bread on Monday to eat on Tuesday.  Many children helped me peel and chop vegetables on Tuesday to eat in our soup on Wednesday.  It would be wonderful to have more soup vegetables by Tuesday morning; many children enjoy helping, and it would be nice to have more carrots or beets or turnips to peel or celery to chop.  Some children enjoy bringing something every day.  If this does not describe your family and you find it hard to remember what to bring when, you might consider bringing an apple (or other fruit or crunchy vegetable) and soup vegetables on Monday.  Kim and I will gladly store the soup vegetable until Tuesday.  And if you forget on Monday, you have another chance for soup vegetables on Tuesday.

       Thank you for your support of the class.

With warmth and light,

William Geoffrey Dolde