Be in control of what your children see and hear

My heart aches for the victims of today's bombings; many of whom were children. Below is information from Parent's magazine about how best to address this topic with your children. My peace be with each of you.  Love Jennifer
 
The news of the explosions at the Boston Marathon once again necessitates that parents take control of what their kids will hear and see. Here are a few key points to keep in mind.
Be aware that coverage (TV and online) of these explosions – and the coverage will be continuous and extensive – will have some graphic footage. There are recordings of when the explosions happened. There are images of injured people on stretchers. You will see the aftermath which can be disturbing.  It will be on TV. It will be online. Keep this in mind in terms of what your kids will see. Kids of any age will find this disturbing. It’s a good idea to monitor your kids now so you can be in control of what they see – and be on the ready to switch off quickly if there are things they shouldn’t see.
In addition to footage, remember that interviews will contain graphic talk. People will be describing what they saw and heard. Many will be distressed. The talk may be graphic and reference fatalities. Online, you will read quotes by witnesses. Again, you might want to actively screen this information.
While shielding your kids from footage and conversation that is upsetting, it’s also important that you be the source of information for them. You can explain things in the best way possible without deviating from being honest. Keep your descriptions short and factual (“Yes something bad happened. Some people were hurt.”) without going into much expansion. Allow your kids to ask you questions and answer exactly what they are asking. For example, if they ask if anyone died, you can simply answer “Yes” and see if they ask anything else. Try to be calm and in control even though these catastrophes rattle all of us. Even though we can’t assure our kids that we can keep them safe every second of the day, we do want them to feel safe with us and have some sense of control.
Finally, be aware that your kids may have questions for awhile, as this tragedy will undoubtedly be in the news for some time. Keep the lines of communication open and be ready to have frequent and short conversations about it – kids may have a question here or there and they are only looking for an immediate answer to it. You can rely on your knowledge about your kid’s personality, but do bear in mind that kids typically don’t want the level of detail that we adults would pursue.
And of course do what you do best – hug your kids. That will speak volumes.

Cat In the Hat Dress Ups!

More Cat In the Hat

Yes, I LOVE Dr. Seuss so here is another language idea.
The Cat in the Hat: Story Extension
Using the words and images from this familiar story I created an Object box (2) work for the 3-6 year old classroom.
Materials needed:
box, tray or basket containing the following
phonetic objects (or in this case drawings of the objects)

• cake
• rake
• cat
• hat
• cup
• fish

slips of paper
a pencil
and printed labels cards to match the objects

Preparation for this work: the moveable alphabet and Object Box 1
Presentation:
Elementary movements (rug carry, bringing materials to rug etc.)
Language used by teacher:
"I'm thinking of one of these objects and I'm going to give you a clue."
teacher writes the word and draws a simple picture of the first object on the rug on a slip of paper, folds it (dramatically) and passes it to the child. The child reads the word and places the paper label next to the object on the rug.
T: "You just read the word _____"
Once all the objects have been presented and labeled, review each object and word, replacing the paper word with the label cards.
Example:
T:"This is a cat, this says 'cat'. This is a hat, this says 'hat'...." all the way down the list, hand the child the paper word as you do this step.
Next, remove one object at a time, leaving label card. When object is removed, read the label card together, continue doing this all the way down the list until on the rug is left only the label cards. Again review the label cards.
T"This says 'cat', this says 'hat'....." encourage the child(ren) to read the words with you.
again the control of error can be the book The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss or without the book obviously, the teacher.
end with elementary movements.

This is a fun way to introduce rhyme and has many extensions.
Extensions:
1.) child creates word book from the slips of paper by stapling them together and writing their name on the back.
2.) child writes the paper labels.
3.) Child and teacher write each other 'notes'.
4.) making a book from metal inset sized paper of the Object box words with pictures!

Enjoy!(Again if you do not want to draw the pictures yourself, make color copies of Dr. Seuss's illustrations if not for re-sale.)

March Peacemaker: Theodor Seuss Geisel

During the month of March we celebrate the great late Dr. Seuss.  His stories and pictures are just a part of what makes him one of the Peacemakers we study.  Dr. Seuss, Theodor Geisel, shared with children what he believed were lessons everyone should learn early.  Through his stories he educated his young audience: The Lorax (1971), about environmentalism and anti-consumerism; "The Sneetches" (1961), about racial equality; The Butter Battle Book (1984), about the arms race; Yertle the Turtle (1958), about Hitler and anti-authoritarianism; How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1957), criticizing the materialism and consumerism of the Christmas season; and Horton Hears a Who! (1950), about anti-isolationism and internationalism.

During the month of March we vote on our favorite Dr. Seuss books and characters.  We play games that help illustrate the messages he brought forth to young audiences. We ask the children to share what they have learned from Dr. Seuss and what they already know about their emotions with each other. We believe that is it through the sharing of who we are as individuals, that we grow as a classroom community. We as teachers nurture the children to act cooperatively and encourage them to support one another and to express their delight in each other’s accomplishments. We honor each other’s voices and messages given and promote making choices that will benefit the group as a whole.

Each morning, we gather at circle and greet each other with a song. The circle itself is a wonderful symbol of community. It has no beginning or end, no front row or back row. Each sitting space is equal in rank, indicating that each person in the circle is equally important. It is our hope that the children look forward to gathering together, sharing their stories and thoughts and to learning along side one another. It is our goal to establish a loving, safe environment where our children can grow and develop, not only a love for learning, but love for one another and respect for their valuable place in the amazing cosmos.

Dr. Seuss and his books help us to do this. Besides, he's a ton of fun!  Hey, that rhymes, what do you know? Happy Dr. Seuss month!   

Goodbye Morgan

One of our beloved kitty cats, Morgan, passed away this month.  She was such a love, and she will be missed by everyone.  Morgan was a cat who LOVED being around people.  She was sweet and gentle and of course very curious.  She also liked to eat "people food" rather than her cat food.  This bad habit of hers was the reason for her early passing according to our vet.  Morgan died of a heart attack due to a poor diet.  As much as we tried to keep her away from people food, Morgan would find each and every crumb left behind.  She was the first to remind us if someone left a cereal bowl on the kitchen table and she was such a helper after circle when our young friends might have left bits of snack on the rug.  Morgan was always underfoot and ready to play.  She seemed to really enjoy having a house full of children each day.  She would welcome families as they arrived and bid them farewell when the school day was done.
After Morgan's death we shared a "good-bye circle".  This is a gathering where I inform the children of the factual information and they have an opportunity to respond to this new information however the may need to.  Many comments are made, feelings shared and tears are often shed by many. We began the circle by quietly passing a photograph of Morgan around circle. I lit a candle and gently announced that Morgan had died and shared that I was sad about this fact because I was going to miss Morgan very much. 
Next, I asked if anyone had any questions about what I had shared.  Several children had raised their hands.  Questions were asked and answered in a matter of fact manner.  Short and honest were my answers.
Q:       "Why did Morgan die?"
A:        "Her lifespan ended."
Q:         "Where did she go?"
A:         "I don't know for sure, but I like to believe she went to heaven."
Q:         "When will she come back to school?"
A:         "She will not be coming back to school. Morgan died, she will not return."
Q:          "Did you cry when Morgan died?"
A:          "Yes, I felt sad."
Q:           "Does Diana (Morgan's sister cat) know that Morgan died?"
A:           "Yes, when Morgan died, I let Diana smell Morgan.  I think she misses Morgan too."
Q:            "Will you get new cat now?"
A:            "No, not now.  Maybe someday."

Children are curious and caring, they want to be told the truth and they need to have answers.  This will only help them to come to accept their loss.  Just to be clear, not all of the children cared that Morgan had passed away.  And that is okay.  Children at different ages are at different stages of understanding about the concept of death.  And then each child is at their own personal point of understanding.  Be available for questions.  Speak from your heart.  Tell the truth.  Most importantly don't try and force your feelings on to the children.  If the question was not asked about how I felt about the situation, I probably would have shared that I was sad with the children, yes.  But would I tell them to feel sad?  No, not at all.  The final part of the "Goodbye Circle" was to pass the share stone.  When it was their turn, the children could share with the group one word or a story about their time with Morgan.  My favorite comment from this exercise was this,
"I loved Morgan because she loved me."
You can't get more honest than that!
Simply sweetness, that's what this job is.
In Peace,
Jennifer  

Peace Makers 2012-2013

 This year we will introduce a different famous peacemaker each month.  September: John Chapman  October: Dr. Maria Montessori
November: Fred Rogers     December: Sadako Sasaki
January: Martin Luther King Jr.       February: Samantha Smith
March:  The Dalai Lama    April: Helen Keller 
May: Rachel Carson     

When our school day comes to an end we sing the following song:
"Go now in PEACE, Go now in PEACE, May the spirit of LOVE surround you, everywhere, everywhere you may go."

Off to a Great Start!

It's time for apple prints and  making new friends,

 some love for our pet bunny Poppy,

 and sunshine smiles from our youngest student:

I hope it is obvious that we are off to a wonderful start to our school year.  Upcoming dates to remember:
Friday October 26th will be our first Family Potluck 4-6pm.
And soon it will be time for our third annual Dress-Up Parade on October 31st.  Remember all are welcome and cameras are a must bring!   See you then.
In PEACE,
Jennifer