Upstairs Neighborhood
May 5, 2023
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It’s hard to believe there are just a few short weeks of school left! The Upstairs Neighborhood has been busy focusing on all things Spring Growth, with a special focus on birds and eggs. An American Robin family is growing at the Robins’ Nest lean to. There are some mysterious eggs in an old wren’s nest at the Elder Guardians’ lean to. We’re most excited about our chicks hatching! AND, children are reflecting on how much they have grown this school year. It’s an exciting and emotional time of year as we simultaneously look back and ahead!
Part of looking back to see how much they have grown is thinking about some of the goals that are not academic in nature, but are very important skills. Those skills are flexibility, independence, and tied to those, self regulation. If a child can master those, they are free to use their brains to further their intellectual growth. Spontaneous events occur, like the hatching of four chicks (so far) and the entire campus is abuzz. Schedules change to accommodate time to visit the chicks. Sometimes schedules change, or a teacher is not present, the rest of us step up to help out where needed. The children see how our entire community works together. Your kiddos have gotten good at understanding the need for flexibility. They are pleased to get a chance to work with another teacher, or share their excitement about a project of ours. Sometimes they are disappointed to learn of a delay or a change, but we explain why it has happened and help them to pivot. Being flexible requires regulating one's emotional response to changes.
The Upstairs Neighborhood children have worked diligently toward independence. They know they are responsible for their belongings and understand the expectations we’ve set for them. They pack up their food at snack time and lunch. If they’ve dropped their hat, they retrace their steps and hopefully find it again. They come in, read the message and get to their morning work, knowing where to find their journals and pencils. The kiddos have learned the letters of the alphabet. Some have worked their way to writing more independently. Some have been bringing mini books from phonics, ready to read them to their family. When we teachers look back we are incredulous of each child’s growth!
Part of looking ahead to these next few weeks is to squeeze in all the exciting work we are continuing to do, like germinating corn, nurturing baby chicks, writing poetry about eggs and chicks, sewing little chickens, planting flower seeds, building rockets, and making boats for our annual Spring Regatta on Hunter Creek. We are getting excited for Adventure Day and the school camp out, too. We will celebrate Pete Seeger’s birthday by singing his songs, reading his children’s books, and learning about his activism. We read a book about Isatou Ceesay, a woman in Gambia who worked on the problem of plastic shopping bags. The book is titled One Plastic Bag by Miranda Paul. It was a real life example of how one person, even one child, can see a problem and work to fix it. If we have one activist, imagine how much we can accomplish if we work together. The USN kiddos have noticed a problem: balloons harming nature. And they came up with solutions: don’t have helium balloons that can escape; keep filled balloons indoors; pick up balloons if you see them on the ground; and don’t ask for balloons for your birthday party. You have thoughtful and imaginative children who are continuing along the path to independence and knowledge through meaningful experiences.
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