NEW YEAR, FRESH START
What a wonderful start to the new year! It is always a pleasure to welcome back the children in January. Although it is only a short couple of weeks, it always seems that the children come back a little more mature and so ready to get back to school. Some even seem to grow a little bit taller!
As we ease back into the school groove, free of the holiday rush, we begin to delve more deeply into project work within our classrooms. We look forward to sharing progress with you as the work of the children grows and evolves.
MAKING CONNECTIONS- AROUND THE WORLD AND CLASSROOM TO CLASSROOM
Remember the pen pal project of the 13th st school and 2A class? Well, it has really grown in so many exciting ways! First, it began with pen pal letters to Reggio inspired schools throughout the country and around the world! Then, extended families of the children were invited to join in on the correspondence. Oh how exciting it was for a child to receive a letter at school from an Aunt and Uncle who live far away.
Other classrooms have joined in and the project is coming full circle. We broadened our minds and reached out to the global community and now classrooms are eager to learn more about one another. Mailboxes are popping up in each of the classrooms so that they may correspond with one another.
One of our strongest bridges between classrooms exists when we have siblings in the school. Alexander, from our Pre-K class, became really interested in the mail box housed within his brother Samuel’s class (2A). After some conversation with his younger brother, he became so intrigued by the idea that he brought it up to his classmates and teachers. Thus, a new connection formed. The Pre-K and 2A classes have been corresponding ever since; delivering packages and sending notes to each other.
We’ve even received mail and packages from recent Buckle My Shoe graduates with siblings still in the school- it has been such a joy to open our mailboxes every morning and see what new treasures are waiting for us.
Parents, feel free to drop a note in one of our mailboxes!
INSPIRED BY MUSIC
Music and its impact on children and learning continues to be a thread we are exploring school wide. We started off the New Year with a trip to the NY Philharmonic to see the Very Young People's Concert series featuring the Strings instruments. What an inspiring experience! We were introduced to the violin, viola, cello, and double bass. We learned the different parts and components of the instruments and looked at their similarities and differences. There were two distinct styles of playing the string instruments that we were exposed to: pizzicato (plucking the strings), and arco (playing with the bow). After the concert, everyone was able to try the instruments for themselves. We are eagerly awaiting the second concert on February 6th where we will hear the Brass family instruments.
LOOKING FORWARD
We have many great activities and events to look forward to in the coming months. Here's a peek at just a few. Individual classrooms will share more details about each.
Trip To Lincoln Center
Monday, February 6th
Pre-K & 13th Street
Visit the New York Philharmonic to see the Very Young People's Concert
Valentine's Day
Tuesday, February 14th
Classrooms will celebrate kindness, love, and the value of friendship.
Presidents Day
School Closed
Monday, February 20th and Tuesday, February 21st
Staff Development
Friday March 3rd
School Closed
Mindfulness Workshop
Thursday, March 9th 3:15-4:30
Join us for an incredible workshop brought to us through one of our very own Buckle My Shoe parents.
Mindfulness for families:
A mindful family is the foundation of a stress-free life. Join Ayman Mukerji Househam, a mindfulness teacher and researcher, to learn tools to cultivate a mindful family. The event will combine teaching with working sessions that can be applied to everyday family life.
Class Pictures
Tuesday, March 14th (13th St.)
Wednesday, March 15th (Tribeca)
Literacy Week
March 20th-March 24th
This week is a celebration of the importance of reading with our children and exposing them to great books. Early literacy sets the foundation for a future love of reading, builds knowledge, and opens our imaginations. The Scholastic Book Fair will be held in the front of the school throughout the week, and each classroom will have a wish list of books to donate. 13th Street will come down to Tribeca to visit the book fair!
The culminating event of this week will take place on Friday, March 24thwith a Book Character Tea Party. Each of the children will be invited to dress as his or her favorite book character and tea parties will be had in all of our classrooms.
- Teachers in individual classrooms will share in detail about each of our upcoming events and celebrations.