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Archive for September, 2012
Sock drive!
The children at my center heard about a friend of mine who is collecting socks for kids like them in Oregon. they know how it feels to need clean socks. So the 4 year old Pre-k class want to start a sock drive.
Their goal is to have 50 pairs of socks by the end of September. Socks need to be new, obviously. they want men’s, women’s boys and girls socks, because “sometimes Daddies are in shelter too”.
I am so proud of my class. These are kids who are in shelter themselves, and have very little to give. But they want to make other kids more comfortable. And they came up with the idea themselves. It didn’t come from an adult telling them what to do.
Why do the deer cross the road? A story told by Gramma
Why do the deer cross the road?
To get to the water.
Why do the deer cross the road?
To find food.
Why do the deer cross the road?
Because the road is there.
Why is the road there?
So cars can drive on it.
Why do cars drive on the road?
They take people through the hills.
Why don’t people walk through the hills?
They don’t want to bother the deer.
Do the cars bother the deer?
sometimes they do.
English: Piebald Deer. Image taken in Hampton Virginia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Why do the deer cross the road?
Because its what deer do.
For how long?
Since the road has been here.
How long has the road been here?
Twenty -three years.
Is that a long time?
It is long if you are the deer.
Ok. can I have dinner now?
sensory fun!
Today was yucky day. And that’s actually a good thing. Today we experimented with different kinds of sensory experiences. Things like “What’s in this bag”, Gak, Clean Mud, Sand and water tables, shaving cream and food coloring and some games like a balancing contest, snakes and snake charmers, Turtle and Rabbits, cross the room like a ________,and the ever popular “Seals on the bus”. (Wheels on the Bus goes on a field trip and accidentally pick up some seals) This activity also includes some of the animal poses, as the seals first leave the zoo and go to a farm.
Obviously we did different activities with the cruisers, but it was along the same lines. And yes, we took our guarders into consideration. For every messy activity, there was a non-messy alternative. But one thing I noticed is that some of the guarderes, when they realised they would be given a choice,were at least willing to attempt some of the “neater” messy activities. Like when they learned “clean mud” is soap. Some didn’t have a problem with soap, and got more into this activity than they have gotten into others. And as long as the teacher paid attention, and let them quit when they had enough there were few upset children.
I will post some pictures when I have sorted them. I have to make sure none have children in them that the parent doesn’t want.
Related articles
definitely back in session!
Although we’re year round 7 day a week care, we have officially “opened after summer. hectic as usual.
Why Technology can be good in Preschool!
I know that there will be endless debate about technology in preschool. And I have to say that I am very against the “Plop the kids in front of a screen” method. This has very little benefit (in my opinion).
However I found a very good use for Technology in preschools. It may even save a culture. But I have to start at the beginning for that to make sense. I am Native American. I go back to my reservation every summer for two weeks. I have noticed that our language and stories and many of our ways of life have all but disappeared.
One of our “Grandmothers agreed to be part of a project that uses technology to preserve culture. She told all our old stories to the children at “circle times” and had them recorded. She also spoke of the history she remembered, and the things she used to do, and the foods that were eaten, and the old ways of life.
It was a huge hit! The children loved having someone talk to them, and play music and dance with them, and teach them things. It was fun to have an honorary gramma for two weeks! And Gramma loved being with the children and continuing the old way. In the end we had over 200 videos, photos and voice recordings filled with an almost lost culture. We are now trying to come up with even more ways of using them, maybe having my brother (who designs apps and games) come up with preschool appropriate apps.
What makes this even more important, is that shortly after I left, the honorary Gramma we had died. But she left us the gift of language,culture and a community that very often gets lost in the shuffle.
But there is another benefit of this technology. I can take it back to San Francisco. I can use it to teach my homeless city children about a whole different way of life. I can teach other children the importance of culture. Theirs as well as mine. They can learn about children they have never met. It can show them how to preserve their cultures.
Childhood Cancer Awareness month
September is childhood cancer awareness month. Gold is the color for the childhood cancer awareness ribbon. Every September I go gold on everything. This is sort a warning for people who may not want to hear a lot about childhood cancer and cancer awareness.
Many children at my center are cancer warriors, or cancer survivors. I do this not only for me, but to spread awareness to them. There seems to be so little awareness for such a huge disease!
Related articles
- September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Please do what you can to spread the word! (rockstarronan.com)
- The Gold Party (rockstarronan.com)
- Hyundai Hope On Wheels Continues Its Award-Winning Campaign To Eliminate Childhood Cancer With $10.25 Million In Donations During September Childhood Cancer Awareness Month (sacbee.com)
The little preschool shelter that can 