SHOW AND TELL
Bring a thing you wonder about.
Topic: Science Professions
The work adults do.
The value is responsibility. The definition of leadership is the willingness to take responsibility.
For science, we’ll do science experiments including molecular motion, magnetism, solids/liquids/gases, and air pressure.
Outside we’ll play parachute and balloons.
The songs we’ll be singing are Oh What a Beautiful Morning, Zippity-do-dah, High Hopes, John Jacob Jingleheimerschmidt, and Rock Around the Clock.
Our art activities are ice pictures, rubbings, spaghetti sculpture, shiny pictures, and connect the dots.
Creative dramatics will be patterned clapping and the wonder table.
For body development, we’ll work on flexibility with yoga postures. We’ll also practice breathing and relaxation. For motor development we’ll do bilaterality exercises with obstacle course, hoop hops, hoop loops, and bouncing buddies.
BEYOND PINK AND BLUE
Our stereotyping concepts creep in everywhere. There is a classic study done with eleven mothers who played with a six-month-old infant. Five of the mothers were told that the infant’s name was Adam, and he was dressed in blue. The other six mothers were told that the same infant, now dressed in pink, was named Beth. (The baby actually was a boy.) The mothers who played with “Adam” tended to give him a train, while “Beth” got a doll. The mothers who thought they had a girl smiled more and held the baby closer than the mothers who had “Adam”.
Though we do it unwittingly, numerous research projects have proven that we handle our daughters more frequently, play more actively with our sons, and more often restrict our girls in playpens while allowing our boys the freedom to explore. We describe our sons - even as newborns - as stronger and more alert. We all have both masculine and feminine traits. To the extent that we deny those traits, we limit the fullness of the experience of being human. Research indicates that adults who are able to express both stereotypically female traits (nurturing, connectedness, compassion) and male characteristics (independence, toughness, achievement) are the most well-adjusted and self-assured.
Although we can’t totally change our entire culture, we can counter the effects by encouraging a balance. Girls can be given a sense of strength and independence so they can handle the challenges of a male-dominated society. From early on, we can give them choices and urge them to take responsibility for their decisions. Allow your toddler daughter to explore her environment and allow risk taking. Studies show that girls who participate in sports have higher self-esteem and a more positive body image. Let your daughter try to solve her own problems. If she’s learning to ride her new tricycle, let her work on it by herself. Express confidence that she is both bright and capable. Especially don’t focus on the importance of physical appearance. Talk to your daughter more often about what she can accomplish than how cute she looks in her new dress.
Encourage your son to express his emotions by naming and verbalizing. Touch and cuddle a lot. Talk about things that are important to you. This is where both the parent and the child can learn how to be intimate in all the best senses of the word. For both genders, select toys, books, movies, and activities that are not gender specific. With a little effort we can help assure that our children grow up exhibiting both confidence and compassion and enjoying the benefits of both friendship and achievement.
General
Have a Song in Your Head? – We teach “culturally literate” songs in the school so you can sing along with your child on the way in or going home in the car. (That means no radio or cell phones.) We list the week’s songs every week in the flyer available in the entry area. It occurs to us that there may be some new songs that would be fun for the kids and that you know from your childhood, camps, or scouts. We would really like to get your thoughts on this. You can talk with your teacher, the administrator, or send the title in via email to mmgs737@aol.com
Water Play – The children delight in this simple pleasure of summer. We’ll begin water play on Friday June 8. Plan to bring swim ware, water shoes, and a towel and label everything with your child’s name. We’ll have water play every Friday in June and July.
Things to Remember – Please don’t allow your child to open the front door when you’re not at their side. As a general rule your child should not unlatch the front gate these simple rules help to keep our students safe. Also as you drop off and pick up encourage your child to give a hello and goodbye handshake to their teacher. To help cut down on accidental scratching make a point to cut your child’s finger nails.
Coats – It is safe to say that summer is here so please take home your child’s sweaters and jackets. Items left after June 8th will be considered donations and for that we thank you.
Extra Clothes – We are in need of extra clothes to change our students in to when they run out of clothes from home we need shorts, socks and underwear for boys and girls. Make a point to check your child’s cubby and replenish as needed.
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