Finding Our Rhythm
9/19/25
Embedded Files
Downstairs: The Sunnies(3,4,5s)
Downstairs: The Sunnies(3,4,5s)
Our first full week of school was full of fun, friends, and figuring things out! We thank you for your patience and your support as we settle into the routines and rhythms of a new school year. The Downstairs students have wowed us this week with their flexibility and engagement, and we are excited for the adventures that await us this year. We began this year as we begin every year, by choosing a special name for this cohort's Downstairs group. First, we had a big brainstorm session where we wrote down all our ideas. Then, we narrowed down our ideas by eliminating those that had been used by previous groups. We also read each name aloud, raising our hands for the ones we liked; everyone was able to "vote" as many times as they liked, and we crossed off or starred names depending on how many hands were raised. Finally, we chose three names to vote on with our "face magnets."
With a tie between two names, we discussed our options and came to the consensus that we are The Sunnies! Many sunfish species are commonly found in the Hudson Valley, and we also connected our name to the Randolph symbol of the sun. In addition to our class name, we also chose our name stamps. Each child chooses an animal to represent themselves and keeps this symbol throughout the entire year. Since children are in varying developmental stages of reading and writing, these symbols allow every child to independently mark work as "theirs" as well as "read" their peers' name. We added name stamps to cubbies and sketchbooks, and they are available each day as we work. Associating a symbol with a concept is an important pre-literacy skill, and name stamps help us practice!
Our Daily Rhythm
Our Daily Rhythm
As we shared at Curriculum Night, our curriculum is infused into every part of our day! Anchored by our school values and school-wide themes, the curriculum of each year emerges with attention to children's developmental needs, observations of the current group's interests, as well as teacher interest and enthusiasm. As children experience themes year after year, they can engage in the material in new ways, with background knowledge, life experience, and developmental understanding. Our daily rhythm is the underpinning of our curriculum, as these rituals and routines form the foundation of living and learning together.
Follow this link to read more about the Sunnies.
The Flower Patch Kids(5,6,7s)
The Flower Patch Kids(5,6,7s)
Happy New School Year to all our Neighborhood Families! The energy has been so upbeat and exciting as we welcomed new and returning students. We've been getting to know each others' names and making new friends. In developing a class community, one of the most special moments is when we vote to name our group! This year we voted for a name that all 32 five, six and seven year old children are a member of: We are The Flower Patch Kids! Then each of the four lean-to cohorts voted for a name for their morning group. Princess' kiddos are the Buttercups! Jules' are the Dandelions! Nick's students are the Sunflowers! Maria's are the Hydrangeas! It's going to be a colorful year as your children blossom and grow!
It was wonderful to watch our naming process unfold. First our students voted for the overall name for the Upstairs Neighborhood. Then each morning group generated a long list of flowers they liked. We then looked at images of each type of flower. Then they democratically winnowed down the list to three name possibilities by raising their hand for each name they wanted to vote for. It was time for a true blind vote that could not be influenced by friends. Each child had a piece of paper on which they wrote the initial letter of the flower they wanted. Each ballot was dropped on a tray, unfolded and read by the teacher, and an accompanying tally mark was recorded next to one of the three remaining names. Even if their first choice flower name was not the "winner," each child was excited to have a new group identity!
The Flower Patch Kids have been busy exploring all corners of our campus, including visiting Hunter creek; climbing the new structure on the playground, playing games on the back field, checking out books from the school library, using various materials in the lean-to's and harvesting tomatoes, corn and potatoes! Enjoy these photos of your kids hard at work, living and learning.
The Bluebirds(7,8,9s)
The Bluebirds(7,8,9s)
Tu-a-wee! Chit-chit-chit!
Tu-a-wee! Chit-chit-chit!
Translation: Hello From the Bluebirds!
Translation: Hello From the Bluebirds!
Our Indoor Classroom Collaborative Mural is Almost Finished!
Happy to reunite with old friends!
We're off to a magical start in the Lower Carriage House! These first few weeks have been all about getting (re)acquainted with each other, our spaces, and our routines. We brainstormed and voted on our class name: The Bluebirds! We researched the native Eastern Bluebird in order to create a beautiful mural that will decorate our indoor space for the remainder of the school year. We had our first Creek Journal experience. Students have been working hard on a personalized “Me-Zine”. Phonics and Math groups are up and running. All the while your Bluebirds have joyfully and seamlessly settled into routines like Morning Meeting and class jobs.
Isa reading the morning message to the class during our first meeting of the day.
Our first big task was to come up with a class name. It’s become tradition in the Lower Carriage House to be named after a native bird. So we started by brainstorming a huge list of possibilities that included birds or any other creature we’ve seen around Randolph that is meaningful to us. No idea was left off the list and it was LARGE! We narrowed it down by crossing off names we’ve either already been, wasn’t a native creature, or teachers knew other groups were considering. Still left with many options, we held two blind votes: four votes for the first round and one vote for the final round. In the end, it was nearly a unanimous pick with thirteen out of eighteen kids and teachers choosing The Bluebirds.
Once we landed on our name we did some research about the beautiful Eastern Blues that live in our area. We learned that their call can be translated into English as “tu-a-wee chit-chit-chit” and, unique to many songbirds, female birds sing as much as male birds. The females are greyish in color and males are the bright blue they get their name from. They like to eat bugs and we can attract them to our area by leaving out dried mealworms. Good thing we already have plenty that we feed to the chickens! Eastern Bluebirds live in woodlands, meadows with scattered trees, and orchards, often building their cavity nests in the hollows of dead trees. We wondered if we might see some when we visit Meadowbrook Farm next week for apple picking!
Follow this link to read more about the Bluebirds.
Kekeli and Dora holding up their completed contribution to the mural
The Cardinals(9,10,11s)
The Cardinals(9,10,11s)
We Are The Cardinals!
Cardinals are bright, musical non-migratory birds. They stick it out all winter long all the while singing a beautiful song. Across many cultures they have been known as symbols of hope, love, loyalty and strength with their year round presence, representing lasting relationships. We love this name for our group this year and we will fulfill these qualities without a doubt!
How did we get here?
Students volunteered to run campaigns for the native animals they felt would best represent our class. Aside from Cardinals, there were Tree Frogs, Mourning Doves, Black Bears, Peregrine Falcons, and Sparrows. Students chose to work in groups or independently to create a campaign poster, and delivered speeches that outlined the connections between the animal's characteristics and the qualities we aspire to as a class.
The final decision was made through rank choice voting following a discussion of consensus versus majority. In the end, The Cardinals, though not the majority vote, was the clear consensus in second place. This resulted in a smooth and well received inauguration and many words of congratulations to the solo candidate who ran a great campaign!
What have we been doing?
We have been spending our Flex/Project Based Learning period working on a project that highlights our first Community theme of Identity. Using their familiarity of working on The Beak Jr., combined with the 'zine culture cultivated in the studio with Nina, we launched the "Me-Zine" project as a way for kids to practice craftsmanship, get comfortable with feedback, experience a state of flow while working, and of course, to express their identities. Each student was given a rubric outlining the requirements for a finished 'zine, which doubles as a checklist to be used to track their progress.
Where are we headed?
Once we have a collection of finished Me-Zines to share and enjoy around the community, our class will splinter into groups of dedicated Project Based Learning ventures. In addition to various projects that will meet our school wide themes, we will also be picking up where we left off last year with The Beak Jr. in collaboration with Vivian Wadlin (publisher of About Town) and the Big Kid Bow Company, with support of Ned Miller (of Kustum King Traditional Archery). No doubt, we will embark on an exciting journey that will take us far beyond the boundaries of our campus!
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