Our last big project is finished! Building and launching their own water bottle rockets weaved together many different threads of the Downstairs curriculum, drawing connections between our time in space at Star Lab, our curiosity about animal movement, and the children’s natural developmental interest in cause-and-effect. Each child was invited to design their own rocket, with a variety of loose parts and art materials available. An important piece of the process was inventing the story behind their rocket, as children chronicled the history of their creation. During this rocket-building period, we also explored space and flight in other ways, leveraging sensory-rich experiences with open-ended materials. At choice time, children were invited to explore black paper with chalk pastels, feathers and play dough, bubble-making, astronauts and space "rocks" and much more. We introduced a "space toss" game where each bin had a planet and a domino; after four bean bag throws, the children's job was to add up how many points they received. We also connected the flora and fauna around us to space, sowing seeds that can fly like rockets and playing a matching game with flying animals. Finally, to give our rockets power, we needed to add fuel, which was water (and air!). In celebration of our long-term creek study, we hiked down to the creek to fill our rockets with “creek power.”

As the end of the year nears, we focus culminating events that help us wrap up our year, celebrating who we have become as a community and how we have grown. Rocket Launch, Adventure Day, Boat Launch, and our Field Trip honor the children's hard work as we "tie up" the threads we have been weaving this year. This year, on Adventure Day, we extended the adventure from hiking to Reese Park to include crossing the street to visit Wappinger Creek, following Hunter Creek to its end point. As we emerged on the banks of the creek, we were astonished to notice some other visitors emerging, as a mother duck and her ten ducklings paddled out from under the bridge connecting the two creeks. What a magical way to end the school year! Downstairs Ducklings, meet the ducklings.

This week, the Duckling teachers have taken a moment to reflect on the time we have spent together as a class, as we simultaneously prepare to say good-bye and transition to new classes, roles, and even schools. With an emergent and nature-based curriculum that is responsive to children's developmental needs and interests, each year has its own flavor; while we return to the same cycles and themes each year, the projects and investigations reflect the children's observations, curiosities, and questions. Beyond the day-to-day curriculum, there is also our underlying social-emotional curriculum, where living and learning intersect to form the foundation of what children need to become active participants in their communities. Looking back upon this year, we find as a common thread the themes of forming foundations and finding our flow.

At the beginning of our year, we focused our time and energy on forming foundations. With a focus on grounding routines and community rituals, we developed a group identity as we truly became The Ducklings. Through daily interactions, play opportunities, and structured activities, we learned to listen to each other's ideas and questions, to care for each other, to play together collaboratively, and to truly show love to one another. This foundation of security and trust makes children more willing to take risks and make mistakes as they learn and grow.  Being bonded with the adults and children in their school community allows them a "brave space" to venture out on their own as they build independence, while also having a safe landing spot and adult guidance when and if necessary. The Ducklings have built trust in themselves and their abilities, as they develop foundational competencies and increase their self-confidence.

We have also been finding our flow - to borrow a phrase from our creek study - both as a group and individually. As we reflect on photographs and stories from throughout the year, we are reminded that progress is non-linear, ebbing and flowing like the tide. Children grow at their own pace, finding their rhythm, then trading that for a new rhythm as their abilities, interests, and developmental needs change. The concept of "flow," as developed by psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, aligns with our goals for children, especially during the "free choice" parts of our day. An experience of "flow" is defined by engagement in the present moment, a sense of agency, and intrinsically rewarding activities, among other factors. As children learn the boundaries for safety and community, they are invited to create their own paths with that space, expressing their creativity and individuality. Children learn what and how they like to play, on their own and in groups. The Ducklings will carry that self-knowledge with them as they continue to gain new skills.

Spring time has allowed us to take 5 week old chicks, Nugget and Coconut outside so they can bask in the sunlight and learn to peck the ground for food. Watching the chicks experience the outside world is so amazing as we have been so invested in them since they were eggs. Lindsay our Painted turtle has joined them outside, too. She loves to bask in the warm sunshine. We've had one day of watching the chicks outside with the Downstairs and we invite the Hummingbirds and Woodpeckers to come watch them, too, before the year ends.  We've also been enjoying the sun and warmth which lead us to an impromptu creek trip to take a dip and cool off in the afternoon. 

Winding Down

It is hard to believe that the school year is coming to a close in just a few short days! As the year wraps up, The Hummingbirds have been finishing up ongoing projects and helping us tie up any loose ends. We’ve also been relishing in each other’s company, getting the most out of being together as our Hummingbird Family in these final days.

We have learned over the years that it is fruitful when the kiddos contribute to their own “Looking Ahead” section of their reports. Before we could look ahead, we needed to do some reflecting. So, The Hummingbirds were asked to think back on all the projects we did this year and then, together, list all the skills we used to complete them. They narrowed the lengthy list down to the ten skills that were used on all or most of the projects: thinking, observation, reading, writing/spelling, being “Randolphian”, curiosity, problem solving, resilience/determination, organization and listening. Hummingbirds were asked to choose one of the skills and tell how that skill will serve them next year and beyond. Some Hummingbirds took the word “beyond” quite literally, as some were even projecting into their college days and looking ahead to job interviews! We love that these kiddos don’t settle for the bare minimum, and often push themselves to go further. Hummingbirds worked their way through the five steps of the writing process to produce final copies that will also be included in their work portfolios they will be taking home the last week of school. We know you will enjoy reading their responses of how they plan to continue to use skills from this year.

While listing the projects from the entire year to prepare for our “Looking Ahead” sections, we realized that there have been several people in our community who have helped contribute to a few of our projects. Thus our “Gratitude Campaign” idea was born! We decided it would be nice to show our appreciation to all those that helped us by writing thank you letters and cards. This isn’t just a gift to those that helped us, but also a gift to ourselves, as we are able to reflect and find the beauty in the collaborative nature of our work. We’re so fortunate to be part of a community full of people eager to give of themselves, their time and talents. It brings us joy to thank others! We reminded ourselves of the letter writing format and used that as a guide to begin drafting. The final cards and notes are thoughtful, beautiful and quite clever! We know our recipients will be thrilled to receive them!

Along with wrapping up our larger project work, Phonics and Math groups have also come to a conclusion. Kiddos worked hard to complete the phonics curriculum, and everyone is a stronger reader and writer than they were in the fall because of it! Similarly in math, we all came to a strong stopping point for the school year. Though Tang Math was our guide, we still found ways to incorporate our “Randolph Touch” by weaving in additional games and activities. We know we have given our kiddos a strong foundation to be ready to enter into the next part of their learning journey. They all certainly did their part in working hard to grow their brains and we couldn’t be more proud of them!

Our new chicken run build is coming along beautifully! The beams are in the ground.  You may have seen some fairy lights on them during campout! And, the cross beams are also in place. The building team has been putting in a lot of hours in order to get it done as soon as possible. This week, Hummingbirds had the opportunity to work alongside some of the building crew. They spent time working to level the ground, moving dirt shovel by shovel. Many hands make light work! Or in this case, slightly lighter work! It’s so great that all of our Hummingbirds will be able to look back for years to come and say they all had a hand in helping build this run.

With all this hard work going on, we wanted to be sure to find time to “kick back” a little bit and just enjoy each other’s company. What better way to do that than to spend time together at one of our favorite spots on campus…the creek! Kiddos brought down some games and activities so we could spend some quality time together during one of our morning work times. During our time together over the school year, we really do become a little family. The fact that at Randolph kiddos do two years in each location, really gives an opportunity to grow strong relationships. We look forward to doing this a few more times over the next week, as we really are going to miss our Hummingbird family!