Mail, Murals & Medals
February 27, 2026
February 27, 2026
In some ways, this year is like any other at Randolph - as the sunny days melt our snow caves and muck up the sledding hill, our attention turns to the maple trees and their precious offering of flowing sap as they emerge from dormancy. The difference this year is that we are entering a new chapter of Randolph School history, in which our maple business will be done in a place as special and beautiful as the jars of rich amber syrup we produce - The Sugar Shack!
The entire Carriage House gathered to plan a project that would celebrate this new temple of all that is maple, harness the collective creativity of Randolph elders, and represent all that we have learned about sugar maples. What we came up with is a huge collaborative painting of a sugar maple tree, with each quarter of the canvas devoted to a different season. We separated into 4 groups, each assigned a primed 2’ x 4’ board, and then proceeded to read, research and brainstorm the imagery and the text that would turn these pieces of plywood into a multigenerational Randolph masterpiece. Jobs were assigned, specialists volunteered their skills, and we all started sketching and drafting. Once we had an array of sketches and drafts to consider, we began the difficult yet important work of making decisions through critique!
The critique process can take many forms, yet a throughline is clear- our best work arises when we seek feedback and embrace constructive criticism as a part of our creative process. In this case, critiques are the mechanism we use to organize the work of many into a unified piece - the way we filter what's working from what’s not, while respecting the feelings and efforts of the artist. We begin each session by gathering around the 4 assembled panels, and follow a set of norms that help us achieve the above goal.
Focus on one thing at a time
Talk about the work, not the worker
Be specific - explain WHY
Assume best intentions
The focus of the first 3 whole-class critiques were Unity, Scale, and Balance, respectively. We took each principle of art and identified areas in the piece where these principles were working, and where they were not (yet). During the 4th critique, we opened things up a bit. As long as the norms were followed, the kids were encouraged to remark openly, and reply to each other autonomously. Unsurprisingly, they did a fantastic job and made some fine decisions together.
At first, we were all focused on the nascent leaflings scrunched up in the trident-like bud clusters, with their intricate scales and pointy “rocket nose cone” shapes. What we came to appreciate is that A) we spend most of our time looking at the buds of trees in the WINTER at Randolph as a means of identifying deciduous trees without leaves and B) that flowers and pollination are the real story of spring! So, armed with newly formed knowledge gleaned from some fine Randolph and public library books, we set to work illustrating this lesser known part of a maple tree's seasonal cycle - along with a whole lot of little bees! Now, the full picture is coming more clearly into view!
Summer is often a time of slowing down and relaxing – unless you are a sugar maple tree! As kids dug into their books to decide, “What is special about summer for a sugar maple?” they found that the maples are busy making food from sunlight, water, and CO2. Summer is a season of growth and production, as the trees are turning out ATP all season long to fuel their growth. Students learned new terms and scientific processes through their collaborative research process, such as photosynthesis, glucose, and chemical equations. At the same time, half of the group focuses on the artistic component of the project. When students are working on the summer portion of the mural, they are responding to critique, and communicating with each other to ensure there is space for everyone's contribution.
For a sugar maple, fall is about changing leaves and lots of seeds! Students in this group have been focusing mainly on what causes the leaves to change colors and fall off the trees. They have also learned quite a bit about the samaras (seeds) of a sugar maple, and their importance to the fall season. Students discovered that the breakdown of chlorophyll, due to the shorter days and cooler nights, leads to the production of other chemicals in the leaves that cause them to reveal the bright autumn colors, prior to them falling from the trees. We learned that anthocyanins lead to red and purple, carotenoids lead to yellows and orange, and tannins to brown. They also found that the samaras develop from the maple flowers that bloom in spring and mature through the summer before falling to the ground in September and October. The seeds then lay dormant in the soil until spring, before growing into a seedling.
If buds aren't the highlight of spring, in what season do they shine? Winter! This group has the advantage of years worth of field experience with Evan, identifying our own sugar maples for tapping on campus in the winter based on their buds. Through their research, they are reinforcing what they have learned with Evan over the years, such as identifying terminal and lateral buds, but are also gaining new knowledge. Digging deeper, the kids have discovered that the sap flows into the roots to prevent it from freezing. They have learned about the Phloem (just under the bark) that helps move sugar produced down to the roots from the leaves, and Xylem that moves around water and minerals from the roots up to the leaves. Being in the season of winter currently, this group is also able to use our surrounding environment to produce some really detailed scientific drawings on our mural, just by looking around them!
Next up, paint! We cannot wait to share this beautiful, informative piece of collaborative art with you at Maple Fest on March 13th!
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Here is a peek into our Choice Times where children have the chance to move around our inside spaces and engage in a variety of experiences. Some are teacher led while others are open for the children to explore on their own! Our multi-age groupings allow for a variety of play and both learning and teaching from one another.
Building with blocks provides children countless opportunities to create, construct and experiment. What happens if a building falls? What if my friend doesn’t want to build what I do? What if the toys I want are already taken? All of these scenarios happen regularly and we embrace them as learning experiences. Turn taking, planning ahead, having diplomatic conversations where both parties are heard and their ideas are valued. It's not about the final product, though it is always cool to see how children build differently. The process of making the buildings is where the real learning takes place!
With the excitement of the Winter Olympics happening we had the opportunity to watch the top elite skiers and snowboarders as well as other athletes compete for Gold! Curling, Hockey, Figure Skating, Ski Jumping and Luge were some of the clips we saw, cheering on USA as well as the other countries competing. We had conversations about past Olympics, why bringing the world together for friendly competition supports our society, and linking our own ski journeys to what we were watching and wondering if we could be at the Olympics one day!
Choice Time is a critical part of any Flower Patch Kid's day. Our approach to education places each child at the center of their education. We want them to feel that their passions, curiosity and voice are central to their experience as a learner. We believe that following a child's lead is the best way to cultivate a lasting relationship to learning. Randolph teachers know that young children learn best through play. Through intentional choices, teachers can build a curriculum that fosters learning across domains while keeping the focus on fun, social interactions and play.
Why we play games:
Social-Emotional Growth: Games teach patience, turn-taking, sharing, and coping with frustration. They foster empathy and help children learn to follow rules and collaborate with others.
Cognitive & Brain Development: Playing stimulates brain areas responsible for memory, complex thought, and strategic planning. It enhances critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
Academic Skills: Many games build foundational skills in counting, color recognition, reading, and mathematics without feeling like formal schooling.
Focus and Attention Span: Board games require concentration and help increase a child's ability to focus on a task.
Motor Skills & Coordination: Handling small pieces, rolling dice, and moving cards develops fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination associated with handwriting grip.
We feel like Black History month begins in January when we celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr. He stood for so much. We listened to the song 'If I Had a Hammer' by Pete Seeger and Lee Hays and talked about the meaning of it. It's about justice, fairness, peace and standing up to laws that were not good for all people. The kids worked on color by addition sheets with three symbols that are associated with MLK Jr and movements for equality and inclusion: a hammer, a dove, and a rainbow. We brought out our Black Heroes deck of cards and read a few cards each morning. A question came up: What's a hero? The children had a journal prompt that asked them to explain what being a hero means: People who fight for change to improve the lives of others. People who help others. People who believe in kindness and love. People who are brave. A person who is a leader. The children had other questions like "Is that person still alive?" "Was I alive when she was?" "Did they live a long, long time ago?" The idea of a time line was prompted by these sorts of questions. We decided to work with each hero's date of birth, even if the work they were known for was later. Then the kiddos had to learn how to put 4-digit dates in numerical order; in other words, looking at place values beyond ones, ten, and even hundreds. Once the numerical information was set we talked about the categories each of these people could be grouped in: athletes; scientists, writers, dancers, explorers, politicians, activists, or more than one group at the same time. We are working on a key for our time line, so observers will know at a glance what that hero was known for.
Sojourner Truth was one of the people in the hero card deck. We found out she was born in Ulster County, here in the MidHudson Valley. There is a beautiful sculpture of Ms. Truth at the Highland side of the Walkway Over the Hudson. There is educational signage near the sculpture, as well as surprise carvings in her skirt! Maybe your family can take a day trip to visit Sojourner Truth on the bridge!
Also, we started to play a memory game of Black Inventors which has been lots of fun. Did you know John Lee Love from Massachusetts invented the first table top pencil sharpener so people didn't have to have a knife on them to sharpen a pencil back in 1897? John Standard held the first patent for an electric refrigerator that did not require ice to keep food cold!
"A hero is someone who helps people"
"A hero is someone who explores and brings back information"
" A hero is someone who helps animals"
"A hero is someone who shares information"
Returning to school after our last big big snow storm, The Flower Patch Kids noticed icicles hanging all over our buildings. Outside our classroom window was an icicle that really grabbed our attention. The children were amazed by its length and size. Day after day kids returned to the window in the mornings, making observations and relishing in the amazement of how it changed over night. It was so interesting to see how children construct knowledge using their previous experiences and also listening in to what their peers are discovering. Sharing ideas is one way we encourage our multi-age peer grouping to learn from one another. Each child brings their own opinions and then has practice listening to another’s idea. The back and forth exchanges and interactive flow of conversations for young children helps lay a foundation for communicating for the remainder of their lives in a constructive yet positive manner.
Here are some of our observations:
"That got so much longer. It is ginormous."
"Should we cut it down? How would we even do that?"
"I think 2 icicles came together to make it this big."
"It was up by the window and now it is almost touching the snow on the roof!"
"This is the biggest icicle I have ever seen!"
"Oh wow! That’s big! It grew overnight!"
"Imagine if that fell. That would be really bad."
"Wow that icicle got really big! It’s like triple the size then last time!"
"This icicle could be so big it might poke through the roof!"
Of course all this snow keeps us having fun outside as we enter Maple Season!
As we observe the world, animals, trees, and plants emerge from Dormancy and enter into Awakening, we have certainly not been dormant! We have been diving deeper into the world of mail, mailboxes, and post offices while also learning about the Winter Olympics and sports.
We have been sharing photographs of the Sunnies' mailboxes and learning about the different ways people get mail, from baskets by their front doors to mailboxes at the end of driveways to mail rooms and P.O. boxes! Each child has been given an opportunity to come up in front of the entire class during a Gathering to tell us about how they receive mail at their house. Then, together, we engage in a conversation comparing and contrasting what we have learned about other friends' mailboxes. The Sunnies are practicing the skills of speaking in front of a group, asking and answering questions, and listening and responding to peers' comments. We have compiled all of the mailbox photos we have received so far into a book.
**You are welcome to send in a photo of your family's mailbox at any time!
Another avenue of mail exploration has been through "pen pals"! We have been lucky enough to find writing partners both within and beyond Randolph, including Debbie (teacher emeritus), Nina, Rob (Ayla's dad), and the other classes at school. We are learning the mechanics of letter writing, including how to start and end a letter as well as what to write! We received special letters from the Flower Patch Kids, the Bluebirds, and the Cardinals, inviting us to their spaces while they were skiing, and sharing scavenger hunts and craft activities with us. We have written many "thank you" letters in appreciation of various kindnesses, opening our eyes to what different kinds of letters there are. Take a peek at our "mail wall" in progress.
We also wrapped up our winter cooking projects with two kinds of muffins, a special guest, and gingerbread cookies, which led us on yet another scavenger hunt! For Week 2, we split into teams, with one team making "monster muffins" (green veggie muffins) and the other team making "midnight muffins" (chocolate zucchini muffins). While we each took a turn in the kitchen, we were able to taste a mini muffin of each flavor and then vote on which one we preferred. Most friends liked both and had a hard time choosing their favorite! For Week 3, Ayla's dad Rob was able to join us to teacher us how to cook a Spanish omelette. He gave us lots of tips about how a restuarant kitchen works and how to keep our space clean and ourselves safe. With simple ingredients of potatoes, onions, and eggs (from our Randolph chickens), we were able to make a delicious meal together. For our last week, Week 4, we made gingerbread cookies and read the story of The Gingerbread Boy. We let the cookies cool while we were eating lunch only to find that they had run away after we had taken them out of the oven! Luckily, they left us clues that we could follow until, after a few dead ends, we found them. We ended our day by icing, decorating, and eating our gingerbread people. We can't wait for our next cooking adventures!
The Winter Olympics have also captured our attention…and our hearts! We have thoroughly enjoyed learning about different events and what it takes, in terms of skills and practice, to compete. The children’s questions have led us to research the history of the Olympics, particular athletes’ stories, rules of different events, event venues, and so much more. We have even tried our hand at a version of some events, from the bobsled and skeleton on the sledding hill to the “stationary one-foot stand.” We built our own bobsled, skis, and snowboards out of cardboard and tried them out inside, which was trickier than we thought. And, of course, no Olympics would be complete without medals for the competitors.
Live viewing with our research materials close by for reference
Lunch-time viewing of the semi-final curling match for the US mixed doubles
Even our mini-mes got in on the action!
Special event invented for/by the Sunnies
Keeping track of our "personal bests"
One Sunny's attempt at the skeleton - including a run-up!
Why are we watching and learning about the Olympics? Beyond the amazement that comes from seeing the hard work and dedication of the athletes from around the world, we are learning about…
Measurement (mathematical reasoning) - Events are measured differently, whether in time (speed skating), distance (ski jumping), proximity (curling), degree of difficulty (half-pipe). We are learning about scoring systems, keeping track of points, and comparing and contrasting numbers.
Countries and cultures around the world (people & places) - Athletes come from all over the world to compete, representing their country and culture. Each country’s history of participation is also different and unique. Connecting to our previous work with maps and globes, we can find the different countries and figure out their physical relationships to each other and us.
How event spaces are created (artistic expression & engineering) - Behind the scenes, Olympic organizers have been building and working to make each space the right match to the event. The sliding center is carefully calibrated for the bobsledding event while the speed skating arena pipes in special water for the ice.
Symbols and signs (storytelling & literacy) - Different flags and symbols help us identify what country the athletes represent, what events they are competing in, and so much more. We have started thinking about what symbols represent us as a class and as a school.
How humans have adapted to (and celebrated!) winter through movement and sports (science & stewardship) - Events recognize different aspects of the winter weather, whether they focus on snow or ice. Humans have always found ways to have fun, no matter what the weather, and spend time playing sports individually and together. Over time, humans have created equipment that allows different affordances for our bodies depending on the weather, sometimes inspired by our animal neighbors, like snowshoes.
Dedication and teamwork (identity & community) - Athletes have trained for years, both on their own and within partnerships and teams. Hearing athletes’ stories reminds us that everybody has worked hard over time to improve, but also that even the best make mistakes and learn how to bounce back. Athletes in team sports practice communication to support collaboration. We also watch athletes both win and lose gracefully and respectfully.
This exploration is is a fitting example of how a single, simple interest can provide the opportunity to grow all kinds of skills - social-emotional, cognitive, physical (fine & gross motor) - nurturing the whole child. Through emergent curriculum, we are attentive to children's interests while also being responsive to their developmental needs.
Looking ahead…we have kicked off our season of maple sugaring! We were able to tap trees in small groups before we headed into our break and came back to the sap running. Using a song book made by a previous Downstairs group, we are familiarizing ourselves with the process of maple sugaring and are looking forward to engaging in the next steps together. We can’t wait to share more with you leading up to Maple Fest!