Hello Magnolia Families,

We’re so glad to welcome three new friends to Magnolia Classroom! Please welcome Robin, Ethan and Gus. Our new friends have been busy getting to know the classroom environment. We look forward to what’s in store in this new year!

Around Magnolia

This week we met hamilton the hound dog and learned all about his “h” sound. We played in the rain and muddy puddles, introduced some new sensorial materials and Emily brought new books from the library to refresh our bookshelf. Grandpa Clyde and Chrissy visited for some music, and Julianne showed us how to create beautiful paintings with a window squeegee! Check out more documentation from Julianne here.

“Empathy” and the 13 Black Lives Matter Principles for Young Children

This week we read two special books called “When I Care About Others” and “Somewhere Today: A Book of Peace.” These and similar books in our classroom promote empathy. As our classroom dynamics shift and grow, conversations about taking care of eachother (one of our classroom agreements) have been happening daily here in Magnolia. Our classroom social emotional program is guided by Second Step curriculum and the 13 Black Lives Matter Principles . This week we introduced the principle of “empathy” to the children, and we will be exploring the others all throughout the year.

Upcoming: Honoring Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

“Why didn’t we have school on Monday?”

On Monday, we are observing (taking a day off to think about) Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his work to make sure that all people have the right to be safe, healthy, loved and so much more. When we return Tuesday, we will think about the ways that Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. used his “superpowers” to be a helper. Some of his superpowers were that he cared for others, used his words to unite people, and how he could speak and make sure people listened.  The children will be introduced to some messages of Dr. King: messages of fairness, equity- that all people have the right to be safe and loved, no matter what their skin color was.

Remember our classroom conversation about wants and needs? That lesson is an excellent precursor to conversations about fairness, equity and the dreams that Dr. King fought hard to ensure for all people. 

We will learn that there were people that did not agree with the good ideas Dr. King had about making the world a better place. We will look closely at some photographs of Dr. King making speeches in front of crowds, having fun with his children and family, and photos of large groups with signs. We will talk about what we notice in the photos. Some older children may notice the photo of Dr. King being arrested. Emily can explain that Dr. King was arrested many times for using his voice and his strength to gather people to protest the laws that were unfair. Emily will tell friends that each time this happened, he did not give up. Dr. King’s life’s work continues today. This will be an ongoing conversation here in Magnolia. Next week, we will be discussing  how today, activists continue to help their communities by demanding that all people have their needs met. We will further explore Dr. King’s work and ask ourselves- “what superpowers can I share with the world?” Let Emily know if you have any questions about talking to children about activism!

“Rough and Tumble” Play

During a staff meeting, Live Oak teacher Griselda taught us teachers how to play a game that invites the children to engage in rough and tumble play. This type of play is very popular with preschoolers and developmentally appropriate. It can be safe, silly and fun! In our class, we talked about boundaries and how to say stop once something becomes uncomfortable. The children were thrilled to have the space and go ahead to be silly and have fun. Check out this clip from the (controlled) chaos 😉

♥Emily.Mitra.Darius