The Winter Tree Festival of 2013

Trees are not necessarily up for discussion only during the Christmas Season. 

~The Tree festival should be all the time! Catherine aged 5

The Perfect Winter Day!

Meet me here amid the trees where winter likes to play!
 

 

Don't Wait for the Elephants!

Too often we wait for elephants to come rushing into our classrooms, those huge moments where we can find direction for new work with the children. And as we wait, we tend to miss the tiny ants, those opportunities that are nothing short of extraordinary.

As teachers we have to make a shift in the way we listen and see. I mean really see what sits before us.

We must be present in the ordinary moments of our days with the children and they will show us the way!

Late in September, this particular experience was given a voice because the teacher watched and listened as her students walked across the forest path that had welcomed the first leaves of autumn. For the most part it still looked and felt much like a summer day as only a handful of colored leaves were nestled on the branches.

"I only see green leaves. How can it be autumn if the trees are still green?" wondered Bianca.

Her teacher invited her to look closer at the top of the trees. Did she see any colorful leaves.

Bianca did in fact see a few.

"What do you think the trees will look like if we wait a few more weeks?" asked her teacher.

"I think we will see orange, yellow, red and some green leaves. Then it will be real autumn!"

Bianca was invited to draw a representation of her theory.

Several weeks later they returned to the forest to see if her theory was correct. Much to Bianca's delight her prediction was true.

Another Video!

Enjoy these two wonderful children's stories for the holidays!

A Video Trailer!

Two Wonderful Tales-Wake Up the Baby's Coming and Lucinda Queen of Everything!

Good Old Santa Claus!

Here he is, that magical elf who, once a year, creates such a stir. Is he Santa Claus, St Nicholas, Kris Kringle, or Father Christmas? Just where did his legend begin?  

St Nicholas dates back as far as the third century. Of Greek decent Nicholas was born to a wealthy family. When he was a young boy his parents died in the plague and subsequently he devoted his life to God gifting much of his wealth the needy.

Kris Kringle is of German decent, referring to the Christ Child. He came into homes long after everyone was asleep, leaving tokens to symbolize the gifts of Christianity.

Father Christmas or Old Man Winter was a figure in pagan celebrations around winter. He travelled to peoples homes and in exchange for food and drink he blessed them with a mild winter. 

As as most old legends do, over hundreds of years, they merge together to create new legends. Hence our modern story of Santa Claus.

There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays!

The single most amazing thing about the holiday season is that it brings family and friends together. For a short time we all take a break from the madness of life and we celebrate our blessings.

Happy Holidays wherever you may be!

Natural Disasters -How Much do we tell our Children?

Tsunamis. earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tornadoes, these are just of a few of the natural disasters children hear about.

We often wonder how much information we should share with children, especially JK and SK students, when it comes to the elements. Our first instinct is to shelter them and keep the issues at bay. But the truth is that children are intuitive. The radio in the car, the news on TV, the newspapers and magazines on display, are all sensory input. Children see and listen a lot more than we think and they need to dialogue about this. We should allow them to share their theories, express concerns, and converse with peers.

We find that focusing on how to help victims of natural disasters empowers children.

A bake sale, collecting a jar of coins, food drive, care packages are just a few of the suggestions and contributions the children have made over the last few years.

Mia draws the city as the winds of Hurricane Sandy swirl .

Everyday is a Day to Remember

Young children know little about the wars of the world or the number of soldiers lost. It is never too early to teach them to be grateful for the quality of life they enjoy.

It was John McCrae's poem, In Flanders Fields (1915) that drew attention to the poppy as a symbol of remembrance for soldiers lost in battle. However, the poppy first made its mark as early as the 19th century during the Napoleonic wars when it was noted that fields once barren exploded with the blood-red flowers after the fighting.

 Three years after McCrae's poem was released Moina Michael, an American woman working in a New York City YMCA canteen, began wearing a poppy in memory of the millions who died on the battlefield.

Madame Guerin, a citizen of France, while visiting the US learned of the custom and took it home using handmade poppies to raise money for the destitute children in war-torn areas of the country.

  Canada saw the first poppy distribution in November of 1921.

http://www.canoe.ca/RemembranceDay/poppy.html

The Antithesis to the Condition of November

Many November poems fall on the bleakness of the month giving voice to the last fallen leaves, the migration of the birds, the coming of the winter wind. 

But Charlotte refused to be deterred by the condition of this gloomy month, instead she had the perfect remedy.

Using various loose materials, she created flowers, sun, bees and butterflies. 

"Since we don’t see them in the nature anymore, we created our own so that we can enjoy their beauty anytime! "

No shade, no shine

No butterflies, no bees

No fruits, no flowers,

No leaves, no birds,

No sunshine, lots of rain,

November

Imaginative Abilities of Children

Many of our greatest thinkers locate their capacity for original and profound thought in their imaginative abilities, first developed through creative play in early childhood.

~Sharna Olfman

 Daniel and Bianca designed and executed the building of a this castle to be used for a butterfly festival.  They created a stage where butterflies perform and a ballroom for the dancing butterflies.  When the building was complete, the children joined the butterflies by fluttering in and out of the structure.

In the Light of the Moon

The delightful tale the Hungry Caterpillar takes on a new story line when a group of children decide to write their own rendition. 

In the light of the moon a little egg lay on a sunflower.

One Sunday morning, the warm sun came up and pop out of the egg came a tiny and very lonely caterpillar. He was so lonely that he went to go look for other caterpillars to play with.

On Monday, he found one friend to play with and they decided to do a puzzle. On Tuesday, he found two friends to play with and they decided to color a sunflower. On Wednesday, he found three friends to play with and they decided to play Ring Around the Rosy. On Thursday, he found four friends to play with and they decided to  play, What Time is It Mr. Wolf.  On Friday, he found five friends to play with and they decided to sing Skip to My Lou.

On Saturday, the caterpillar and his friends played hide and seek all day. That night his feet hurt and he couldn't move anymore.



The next day was Sunday again and the caterpillar was so tired from playing he decided to rest for the rest of the day. After that he felt much better. Now he wasn't a little caterpillar anymore. He was a big fat caterpillar and he was ready to build a small house called a cocoon.






  He stayed inside for more than two weeks. He nibbled a hole in the cocoon, pushed his way out and...




He was finally a beautiful butterfly.
The End!