SHOW AND TELL
Bring something Dad wears for our dress up relay.
Topic: Male Role Models
The specialness of men
The value is courage. When we have courage, we can deal with things that are scary, difficult, or painful.
For ecology we’ll study about the importance of water, volume conservation, water solubility, and what sinks and what doesn’t.
Outside we’ll play with water and learn to play scoop ball.
The songs we’ll be singing are Happy Talk, High Hopes, 76 Trombones, I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing, and Let There Be Peace on Earth.
Our art activities are puzzle me, flag day, family puppets, and father’s day cards.
Creative dramatics will be dress up relay and what would it be like to be one of the people in our study.
For motor development we’ll build strength with superman exercises. For body development, we’ll work on postural response with find the shape, crab walks, hopping game, and tightrope walker.
SECURITY BLANKET
It’s the lazy, hazy days of summer, right? Not at most houses. Busy work doesn’t slack off, but we add pool time, picnics, and maybe a trip or two to the beach. Late sunsets mean we’re an hour later getting the slow-down routine started. So where can we find some sanity? Maybe by being counterintuitive. Instead of going faster to cram everything in, we can eliminate some of the busy work to focus on the good stuff. Busy work is:
- “Regular” meals - Have a nutritious picnic instead.
- A squeaky clean house – Eliminate dust catchers and remember that we need good germs, too.
- Multiplying laundry – Hang towels to dry, and only strip beds when you can launder and re-make the bed. Use play clothes that can be tossed in a drawer.
- Crafty anything – Handmade birthday party invitations or any project the kids can’t do is not worth it.
Our children need us. They remember much more fondly the simple, good times. When asked what they like best to do with their dads, elementary children responded “Play tag”, “Walk in the park”, “Hold his hand”, and “Rock climbing and biking”. The best security blanket is a quiet story at bedtime and lingering for a few minutes to talk after the light is out. A special quiet place at home is wonderful for the whole family. A cozy chair beside a window with a nice view, a bench in a quiet corner of the yard, or a place to sit in a part of your house that you’ve noticed is particularly quiet. If you’ll do quiet, centering things in that place, you’ll notice that your children will enjoy joining you occasionally.
Spending special time with your child is another security system. The Father’s Day Affair will be so special for our children. They know dad is busy. When he always comes, it sends a clear message that family comes first and that the child is special enough for that affirmation. Every afternoon the children wait eagerly for mom or dad to arrive. They call out to their friends when their parents arrive. Even the littlest ones begin to get distressed when they’re not picked up in the right sequence. A total focus on your child for the first 30 minutes together adds a real sense of security. Comments like “I’m so glad to see you” and “Show me what you did today” are incredibly affirming to a little one. Taking the time to watch a lesson or see what feat was accomplished on the climbing structure tells your child that you consider what he did today was important.
When we treasure how different nature is with all its diversity of plant, animal, and landscape environments, we can learn that variety is a fact of nature. These lazy summer times give us the security to understand that we are special, all of us, every one.
Coming Up
Father’s Day Affair – We cannot overestimate the importance of fathers. In the past we have had a Father’s Day breakfast; so that more fathers could attend we are having our first Father’s Day Affair. On Friday June 14, from 3 – 4 p.m. we’ll be honoring fathers.
Independence Day – The Fourth of July is on a Thursday this year. It’s a challenge to schedule staff without some clue as to what our families’ schedules will be. Please give us a heads up for whether your child will be in the school that week, and especially that Friday.
The Songs We Sing – We’ll be learning the songs Happy Talk and High Hopes as a part of our enrichment curriculum. The songs speak of having a dream and how you got to have high hopes. Tap into that joy as you belt out these songs with your children.
Teaching Responsibility - Kids as young as three can be “clean-up helpers,” putting toys back into a bin or bringing you books to put back on the shelf. At school we use the phrase (“Clean-up time!”) or song can help prompt children. At home household jobs provide a great way to celebrate a child’s growing abilities. For example, a two-year-old might be able to help you pull clothes out of the dryer, a three-year-old might sort clean laundry into piles by type and a four-year-old might fold their own pile and then put clothes away in the right drawers. Each time a child acquires a new skill, it’s a chance to remind them that they are growing up. On Fridays the students can bring a toy to school that they have to keep track of all day, we do this in addition to the other things to help instill responsibility.
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