Cohort Report: Exploring Identity
Ocrober 17, 2025
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Cardinals(9,10,11s)
Cardinals(9,10,11s)
Me-Zines
Me-Zines
As the weather has been transitioning from those warm summer-like days, to the chilly fall (and sometimes winter-feeling!) temperatures, The Cardinals have been transitioning into new things as well!
While we prepare to launch our Harvest Projects, Cardinals have been busy putting the finishing touches on their Me-Zines. They worked through the five stages of the writing process to create fun, engaging pieces about themselves in the form of a small, personalized magazine. Inside each zine you will find things like favorite Randolph memories, interviews, math challenges and more! Our self-publishing capabilities are limited to one color copy for each student, which is an opportunity to share these masterpieces in a wonderfully unconventional, meaningful way - mailing to family and friends far and wide! Just make a list of addresses, include it with your zine, (along with some stamps) and ask the first recipient to sign the copy, and then mail it along to the next in line, and so on!
Creek Journals
Creek Journals
In addition to our Me-Zines, as mentioned at Curriculum Night, we have brought Creek Journaling to the Upper Carriage House. Creek Journaling is an observation and writing endeavor that lasts all school year. In September, students each choose a special spot near the creek that they will continue to visit periodically throughout the school year. While at their spot they are charged with using their senses to notice the nature around them, use descriptive language in their writing and drawing to detail what they see, hear, smell, and feel. As the year progresses they are asked to note any changes that have occurred. The writing in their classroom journal is considered a rough draft as they work through the Writing Process to create a final copy of their writing and an accompanying illustration to add to a separate Creek Journal. By the end of the school year each child’s Creek Journal tells a unique, beautiful story inspired by the cycles of nature from their special spot by our beloved creek.
Something we have changed this year about Creek Journaling is the illustration process that goes with it. Though in the Lower Carriage House kiddos drew charming pictures after the fact to go with their writing. This year the Cardinals are really into is observational drawing. Because they spend so much time drawing what they see with intricate details, there just wasn’t enough time to write and draw in the same session. So, we will be getting to spend double the time at the creek to allow one session for writing, and one session for drawing! So far, the first completed entry and drawing for each child is a beautiful representation of what is to come with these journals! We cannot wait to see the final compilations at the end of the year.
Geo Challenges
Geo Challenges
Finally, in between these two projects, we have been having some fun with Geo Challenges! We started these the very first week of school, just to gauge what kiddos already knew. It is a great way to spend a morning work period, waking up foggy brains on misty fall mornings.
The way the Geo Challenge works is students partner up and work together to fill in as much as they could on a world map after looking at a globe or atlas for five minutes. They have about 10 minutes to fill in as many things as they can. Once time is up, they check their work and keep track of their “score” to beat their own personal best.
We have recently introduced individual Geo Challenges as well, so they can learn independently, in their own style and at their own pace. These are completed on paper, and saved in their folders. It will be exciting to compare each Cardinal's progress from the beginning to the end of the year!
Bluebirds(7,8,9s)
Bluebirds(7,8,9s)
Me-Zines
Me-Zines
Me-Zines have been the bulk of our Identity work this fall and it’s exciting to announce that they are all complete! It was a whole Carriage House (Bluebirds and Cardinals) project dreamed up by teachers who were inspired by the very popular and successful Upper Carriage House magazine, The Beak Jr., combined with the ‘zine culture cultivated in the art studio with Nina. We launched this project as a way for children to express important parts of their identities, of course. AND, to allow children to practice creating something using their best craftsmanship skills, to get comfortable with getting feedback on their work, and to feel the peace of getting into a flow state while working on something meaningful to them.
Children were given a rubric outlining the requirements for a finished Me-Zine, which doubled as a checklist to be used to track their progress. Finished Me-Zines all have:
A well-crafted front cover with a title that includes their name and a drawing that represents something important about their identity,
A back cover that is either a continuation of the front cover or a labeled drawing of a collection of things that are interesting or important to them (e.g. favorite foods or leaves they’ve collected, etc.),
A letter from the editor,
A table of contents page, and
Two or more of the following:
A Science and Nature page (e.g. favorite animal facts)
A People and Places page (e.g. a fake interview Q&A with themself)
A Mathematical Thinking page (e.g. “me” themed math challenge)
A My Community page (e.g. a Randolph memory)
A Storytelling page (e.g. a summer story with a beginning, middle, and end)
Creating these Me-Zines was a huge undertaking that required a lot from children! Every single one of them rose to the occasion. It was their first time working with their “clip cases”, a combination clipboard and storage case where they keep their project folder and other supplies organized. They were allowed to work on the required aspects at their own pace and in the order they wanted, so there was a lot of decision making and planning involved to execute their vision. It was a great introduction for the first-year Bluebirds (and refresher for the second-year Bluebirds) on one of the ways we like to tackle project work in the Carriage House. In the end, the children’s Me-Zines are beautiful reflections of their personalities and the hard work they put into them. We can’t wait to show you your child’s Me-Zine at our upcoming conferences!
Bluebird Community Block Building
Bluebird Community Block Building
It started with the Bluebirds making a big circle around an empty space in the center of our indoor classroom. Then one at a time children took turns choosing a block from the shelf and placing it in the center of the circle. The rules were as follows:
When it’s your turn, you can choose any one block you want. Then you can place it anywhere in the center of the circle that you want. There’s no “wrong answer” as long as you are making a wise engineering choice. (E.g. Quad-Unit blocks are usually too tippy to stand on their skinniest, smallest end for a sturdy build.)
When it’s not your turn, you watch and don’t try to influence what block the current builder chooses or where they place it.
It was so interesting to watch children being quick and decisive, thoughtful and methodical, and everything in between when deciding what block to use and where to place it. Who likes symmetry? Who prefers asymmetry? Who likes to complete a pattern? Who feels compelled to disrupt a pattern? Who is willing to take risks and who isn’t? How a person engages with something open-ended like this can reveal a lot about their identity.
Once everyone, including teachers, got a chance to add their block to the community building it was time to talk about what our Bluebird Community Building could be. Again, no wrong answers here! We took a minute to look at it from the perspective of our spot. Then took turns going around the circle to share what we thought it looked like. That was where we paused this project for the day. The remainder of the day every single Bluebird was mindful of how they moved though our indoor space and the building remained standing exactly as originally placed until we flew up to the pick up spot in the afternoon.
There was a plan in place about how we were going to engage with our block building the following day, but gravity had other plans. When we arrived at school the next morning, we found a “block blob”, as one student called it, rather than our building. Opportunity! How do we manage the feelings of disappointment, frustration, annoyance, sadness? How do we move forward? We talked about our feelings and some children related the situation to a similar one from last year involving a messed up puzzle in progress. We decided that rather than trying to rebuild it exactly as we had, we would each find the block we had originally placed and start over.
To read more about the Bluebirds' work follow this link
Flower Patch Kids(5,6,7s)
Flower Patch Kids(5,6,7s)
Mapping Out Who We Are
Mapping Out Who We Are
The Flower Patch Kids have been hard at work these past few weeks diving into who they are as individuals as well as members of our larger community. We have been writing acrostic poems. This phonics rich activity allows the children to document their own interests and personal passions while simultaneously inviting others to learn about them as well. We have been having so much fun sharing our poems and learning about the other Flower Patch kids as we notice the similarities and differences between us. Another poetry endeavor is our I Am Poems. Children use a variety of writing prompts that help them think about their individual thoughts and feelings. Whole Group read-alouds produce ample conversation material throughout our days together. Learning about who we are as humans, learners and friends is supplying us with a great foundation for our year together. Below are a few projects in the works that are helping your children feel grounded and secure within themselves as we continue to grow and learn.
Body Mapping
Body Mapping
We are diving deeper into ourselves to figure out what actually goes on and under the surface! Exploring what makes our bodies move and grow has already fascinated the children. Guided group discussions give the children opportunities to learn from each other as we share prior knowledge on the subject of the scientific anatomy of humans. Books, diagrams and scaled down models will also provide your kiddos tangible experiences as we figure out the how our bodies work.
Birthday Chart
Birthday Chart
With the largest group the Back Field has ever seen we have already started celebrating birthdays together here at school. These celebrations sparked our curiosity as friends began asking each other, "When is your birthday?
For an engaging math challenge we have been compiling all of our birthdays on a chart and displaying it s all to see. This encompassed a variety of skills your children are practicing each day. Each child labeled a square with their name using a label maker. Along the way they were working on finding their own letters to spell their names, practicing number writing and pulling from their sequencing skills to organize a cohesive chart that is decodable for us to read! Learning the months of the year has also been a part of this process as we have these familiar words in our Morning Messages throughout the year. This chart helped us realize that October has the most birthdays with 5 and January has the least with zero. Using these math term(most and least) reinforces concepts we are exploring in our Number Talks. Most other months have an equal or the same amount of birthdays, and some kiddos made an interesting realization that only two people share a birthday! Cool!
Community Map
Community Map
Our Community Map project stemmed from multiple children showing a curiosity in learning where each other lived, how far away they were from each other and how aspects of their neighborhood that may differ from their own. Combining books, fabric and sewing materials, we compiled information about each child's place of town. Now, the Flower Patch Community Map is starting to take shape. Discussions about what maps are, how they can provide us with valuable information as well as designing their house will be work that continues.
Using maps involves spatial awareness – and mathematical concepts such as shape, dimension, relative size, position, and location. It also gives children the opportunity to think beyond themselves, having empathy and understanding that people come from many different spaces.
Fire Safety
Fire Safety
A big THANK YOU to our neighborhood Hughsonville Fire Department for coming and engaging with our children, answering questions, having conversations about safety plans and allowing them to explore their vehicles, tools and a go at spraying the powerful water hose! We always appreciate friends form the local community joining us here at school!
Sunnies(3,4,5s)
Sunnies(3,4,5s)
Fostering Independence
Fostering Independence
As the calendar changes to mid-October, we have noticed changes in the weather, our environment, and the animals in and around our spaces. These changes have led to shifts in our own human behavior, including adjustments in our schedules and routines. During this chilly mornings and warmer afternoon, layers are key! Now that we are 29 days into the school year, the children are taking on more responsibilities, both for their own self-care and community jobs, demonstrating their independence and familiarity with our environment and routines.
What seems simple to adults - zipping a coat - requires bilateral coordination, finger isolation, open thumb web space, separation of the two sides of the hand (on both hands), motor planning, pinch strength, hand-eye coordination, and pincer grasp. It is truly an orchestration of fine motor skills! To help with the motor planning piece, we have this story that we tell...
A Zipper Story:
featuring:
Launchpad = starter box
Rocket ship = slider
Insertion pin = astronaut
Make sure the rocket ship is all the way on the launchpad. Hold onto it!
Get the astronaut all the way into their seat. Your fingers are their seatbelt!
It's time to blast off! Keep holding onto the astronaut as the rocketship blasts off...
The "jacket flip" is a technique to help children put on their coats independently. The video walks you through the process, but here it is in brief:
Stand with your "toes to the tag" (jacket looks upside down).
Place your arms inside the sleeves.
Flip the jacket above your head as you push your arms into the sleeves.
To read more about how the Sunnies are Fostering Independence, follow this link.
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