Here you will find the Magnolia Blog, a bi-weekly sharing from Magnolia teachers that contains photos and information about all of the fun learning and playing we’re enjoying together. Make sure to subscribe if you haven’t already 🙂
Looking Ahead
- Back To School Night is Thursday September 22nd from 6:00p – 8:00p. We look forward to welcoming you to Magnolia to get a glimpse of our routine and participate in some fun activities we have planned!
- Friday September 23rd is our staff and faculty Professional Development Day. It will be a half day and no Extended Day.
Finding our Flow
The first few weeks of school are all about getting to know each other, adjusting to routines and finding our flow. During our morning circle, teachers have demonstrated how to choose a choice for the morning on the choice chart, bring our activities to a table or floor rug, then demonstrate how to carefully put our work away. Many friends have elected to be classroom helpers- supporting our youngest and newest Magnolians in our daily activities! The children know to listen out for the morning tambourine to line up, freeze and listen when teachers give a clean up message, and enjoy coming together as a classroom community for circle times. In addition to getting to know our routine, the children and teachers “Brainstormed” some classroom agreements which are centered around three core statements:
We Take Care of Ourselves
We Take Care of Each other
We Take Care of the Environment
For example, the first statement refers to making sure our own needs are met: washing our hands, making classroom choices, letting a teacher know that we need something, etc. Taking care of each other means that we share, repair harm when we hurt someone, give hugs when they are accepted, etc. Taking care of the environment means that cleaning up, being safe with materials and letting living things grow and thrive ensures that we have a classroom (indoors and out!) that is safe and welcoming to all. When you visit on back to school night, you will get to see documentation of our brainstorming process.
See if you can find ways Magnolia friends take care of themselves, eachother, and the environment in the photos below.
Getting to Know You
We’ve been getting to know each other each day through cooperative play, snack and lunchtime conversations, and even a “Fall Interview.” Mitra interviewed each friend to find out more about their interests. These will be on display during Back to School Night!
The Moon
Our inquiry into all things “moon” began when we learned about the Mid-Autumn Festival which is celebrated around the world with origins in East Asia and Southeast Asia. The festival goers celebrate when the moon is at it’s fullest during harvest time. We read books about mooncakes, enjoyed colorful lantern loose parts, and heard a story about the rabbit in the moon. Magnolians used sponges to create luminous paper moons with craters and some sparkles. Emily brought her guitar and together we all learned a song called “I See the Moon.”
Visiting Artists
We are so thrilled to share that music teacher Chrissy and teaching artist Julianne will be joining us on campus this year! Chrissy brought her Ukelele and we dance and sang outside in the grass together. Julianne visited Magnolia and invited us to feel the texture of wool, roll it with soapy water in our hands and create soft felted balls with a jingle bell in the middle. From Julianne:
Felt making is called a percussive textile. Properties of the hair follicle of the sheeps’ wool have tiny barbs on them. These fibers shrink and tangle on one another with soapy water and movement of fiber.
Here’s a video to give you a glimpse into our weekly music circle with Chrissy
Around Magnolia
💛
Emily.Mitra.Darius