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Dear families,

Another exciting week at the lab school is behind us! As our time as student teachers is winding down, it is consistently a pleasure to come to school and witness the joy and curiosity in each of your children. They have each shown growth over the past several weeks, and I have a great sense of pride to have been a part of this important time in their lives.

I enjoyed my week as lead teacher, and it was wonderful to see all of my curricular ideas come to life in the classroom. The body awareness aspect of my curriculum took off with great gusto! The different sized paper cut outs of hands and feet sparked a lot of interest in size. Many of the children placed their hands over the cut outs to find "their" size. One of the children in Frances' class demonstrated his developing understanding of size by saying, "here's the baby feet, and here's the daddy feet." The mirrors in the classroom were a fun spot for children to examine their facial features and compare them with other children's features. Many funny faces were enjoyed as well.

Our large groups for the week were also focused on body awareness. The children enjoyed a new rendition of "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes." In Ayuko's class, we added a verse to one of our classroom favorites, "Open, Shut Them," which involved blinking and winking! Children in both classes had fun dancing to "The Freeze Song" in the gym, and they did a great job listening for the musical changes that indicated freezing and dancing.

Painting in the classroom took on a new life this week as the children explored painting on pieces of standing plexiglass. Many of the children in the classroom are regulars at the easel and art table, but this plexiglass set-up seemed to invite some new children into the realm of art. Children enjoyed looking through the plexiglass to see one another. One child in Ayuko's class was thrilled to learn that he could paint over and cover up a teacher's hand that was behind the plexiglass. The game interested two other children who came over to join in the activity.

The music and dancing center have also been a highly-frequented area in the classroom. The children are becoming more familiar with manipulating the mouse on the computer to select one of five song buttons It is such a joy to watch the children as they experiment with the cause and effect of clicking and hearing music! Children in both classes have enjoyed listening to the different genres of music and dancing accordingly. We have seen a great deal of marching to The Imperial March from "Stars Wars" and lots of movement with flowing scarves to a classical piece by Johann Strauss. I was surprised to see how many of the children have shown preferences for certain types of music and musical instruments. Overall, this area has been a great creative outlet for many children, and teachers (just ask to see Teacher Bob's jig).

The dramatic play areas are an ever-popular place. We have been reveling in the amount of group play that has been happening in both classes. Many of the children in Frances' class took a trip on a train made of cardboard boxes. One child even declared, "We need tickets!" We have been seeing whole litters of kitty cats in Ayuko's class, complete with human caregivers and delicious cat food! These group play experiences are truly creating a sense of community between the children. I have enjoyed watching the blossoming relationships and emerging social skills as the children learn to share materials and negotiate play themes.

After a long and successful run, our grocery store recently came to a close. We send thanks to all of you who sent in your food containers, and to those of you who were able to clue us in as to what types of foods your child likes to eat and cook. This information was so helpful as we supported play from the grocery store into the play kitchen. The children were tickled when we offered just the right spice for their mac and cheese or knew that they liked soy nut butter on their toast. This home-school connection makes our classroom community lively and meaningful.

I have enjoyed my time as lead teacher. The children teach me so much each day; their curiosity and excitement is a reminder of the kind of attitude I hope to bring with me to class. So, it is with that curiosity and excitement that I look forward to lead teaching again next week!

Sincerely,
Becky Barth

Dear families,

Thank you for the gift of your children each Tuesday and Friday. They are a delight to work with. Last week was my opportunity to plan curriculum and lead the day in class. Here are some highlights for me.

I have to be honest and say I have been learning from my mistakes as much as I have from my successes. In my eagerness to promote appreciation of our natural and native environment, I learned how easy it was for me to fashion a 'thinking' lesson rather than a more experiential lesson appropriate to the ages of the children. (Perhaps my two teenage daughters have me 'thinking' a lot lately.) And so I adjust. A head on structural comparison of the specifics of native prairie plant species became a lot less important than which seed floated the most (orange butterfly weed), and how to keep it up, or, what kind of animal might live in the hollow knot of a branch, or, what does the inside of the green gourd look like? Will it look the same as the orange pumpkin? We cut them open to find out. The children, on their own, found out whether the gourds floated or not, by putting them in the water table (mixed results, pending more advanced study design). They also thought to see if Peely the gerbil would like some of the seeds. Eager to bring all of my knowledge to them, I had briefly overlooked that they are already 'scientists' and natural empiricists, already supremely inquisitive and experimental by nature. What I need to do is supply them with the material and watch and listen to their thoughts, and support their many discoveries.

In dramatic play, I am happy to see the grocery store doing a pretty brisk business every day. It has been interesting to see the level of play detail grow over time, from simple filling of shopping baskets, to requests for a 'money card' (credit card) with which to make a purchase, and more detailed playing out of dramatic scripts, from scanning products or manually entering product codes, to sending the groceries down the conveyor belt to be bagged. A few children have even taken their groceries 'home' to the play kitchen. In addition to signage, the grocery store has also involved literacy with pads of paper by the register to 'sign' or write out receipts with. The store has offered many opportunities for detailed dramatic play as well as cooperative social interactions. I'd also like to thank all parents for stocking our store with a wonderful selection of products.

It's a pleasure to watch the changes occurring in 'vehicular' block play. Simple roads eventually required ramps. Numerous 'collisions' required social negotiations on rules of the road. In the days ahead, we are wondering if the roadway will reach and incorporate play in the dollhouse.

Changing painting tools at the art easel proved a real draw for some children who had been a little ambivalent about painting. Painting with wood rollers, bumpy rollers, and foam brushes was just plain exciting. Interestingly, adding black paint also appeared to be a powerful draw for particular children. We don't know whether it was the high contrast it offered, or the more graphic effect of black line against color. Of course, we never want to force children to do art, however much we might want them to try it, so we will always look for different ways to invite children into a positive experience with it, watching for their interests, and finding ways to invite them to new experiences.

Play dough--what can I say. It is the substance that is always magic. This past week we have seen various tracks left in it, by a variety of animals and vehicles, challenging the children to think of evidence of things not present. Children continue to learn to roll snakes, a fine motor skill. And for a number of children, it remains an area of sensory solace, a comforting place to be and a comforting thing to do, an activity around which social possibilities arise.

We are experimenting more with making music, listening to music and dancing to music. We are discovering some pretty avid dancers as well as many curious children interested in dancing and hope to do more of it in the weeks ahead. And thanks for sending in music, and letting us know about your children's favorites.

My first week as lead teacher was very busy. I appreciate all the support and understanding from all parents and my colleagues in the classroom. One learns very quickly about the importance of a good, strong team.

I'm looking forward to seeing your children this week - and planning curriculum for them again in another week or so.

sincerely,

Bob Reilly

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Dear families,

Last week was our first full week of full day classes, another milestone for all of us. The children are doing wonderfully - we are enjoying the chance to already see little differences in how some of them are exploring the classroom and expressing themselves. There can be a tendency around now to also experience some of the "reality" phase of school - after happily saying goodbye the first few days, you may find that some of your children are a little more hesitant - the day is a little longer, and they are also facing some of the more difficult sides of life in a shared space, other children grab your toys, play the piano too loud, sit too close to you, get to the chair you planned to sit in a little before you do, in sum, all those episodes of life which can be hard in the beginning before your skills negotiating them are developed. We are there to help be the "social glue" at these moments to help make things okay, to calm and find another way that things can still work out all right. It can feel like a long road, but we're on it together.

We have made a slight change in our schedule, beginning this past Friday. We sensed that many children needed a little break from the busyness and energy of the full group, so we broke up into groups of 3 and 4 and each teacher read books or took a short "explore" walk down the hall around 9:30. This seemed to be well received by most of the children.

I have posted the lesson plan for this upcoming week on the Lab school website. Here's the link. Take a look, we have made some slight changes from this week, trying to balance some novelty with some repetition of themes to help make the classroom seem a familiar place. I have also posted some photos from our first few days together. (click on "Frances" under classrooms, then "lesson plans," "updates" for the photos and newsletter to read the bios of our student teachers.)

You may have noticed the older classes have a "question of the day." Our Tuesday question will be "Do you have your name on your backpack?" We will have some tape so you can add it if the answer is no. Now that the colder weather is with us, it helps a lot if we can access extra sweaters and things from the back pack, and at this point less that half of ours are labeled so it takes a long time to find things (and slows down the pickup line which makes everyone grumpy.) I would encourage you to put mittens and hats in the pockets or sleeves of your child's jacket upon arrival - it's one less step to have to search in the back pack. We'll appreciate snow pants and boots tomorrow if you have them. I realize this snow hit most of us by surprise, but we're still hoping we can get outside with the children to explore. We have some Lab School snow pants and boots if you haven't outfitted your child for winter yet.

See everybody tomorrow!

best,

Frances

As I'm sure you've already noticed, we have a great team of student teachers this term, and they truly enjoy working with your children. As they begin to design curriculum over the next few weeks and begin their lead teaching, the information below should help you get to know them a little better:

Elizabeth Anderson
I am in my second year in the M. Ed. Initial Licensure program in Early Childhood Education and Special Education, and I am excited to be starting my series of student teaching experiences! I grew up in Lawrence, Kansas, and did my undergraduate degree at Oberlin College (in Oberlin, Ohio) in German studies and French Horn performance. I moved to the Twin Cities in 2006 to work for Americorps as a literacy coordinator, and then I spent a year in Berlin, Germany, teaching English. After I complete my degree, I hope to work either as an early childhood or early childhood special ed teacher. I enjoy knitting and crocheting, biking, gardening and shopping at farmers markets, reading, music, and being with friends and family.

Becky Barth
I am originally from LaCrosse, WI, but I have been living in Minneapolis for the past five years. I am in my second year of the Early Childhood/Early Childhood Special Education masters program. My undergraduate degree is in Theatre/Dance from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. My passion for dance and movement led me to study somatic movement therapy with various practitioners throughout the country; I am particularly interested in the early movement patterns and reflexes of infants and toddlers. After completing the education program, I hope to work in special education in a birth-to-three program or a special education preschool. In my free time you can find me at the local farmer's markets, in my kitchen, outside taking walks and bike rides, and at home snuggling with my two cornish rex cats, Henri and Pippin.

Bob Reilly
I grew up in the Hudson River Valley, in Hastings-on-Hudson, just outside of New York. Before coming to Minneapolis, I had worked for ten years as a unit manager in broadcast television, with the "Today Show" in New York, and the NBC News Bureau in London. In 1990, my wife and I moved to Minneapolis to expand her background in cancer research into the area of epidemiology. After many years as a dad at home looking after our two daughters, now aged fourteen and sixteen, I entered the Early Childhood/Early Childhood Special Educations Initial Licensure/Masters program. I look forward to working with preschool children and becoming involved on issues of quality, funding and universal access to preK programs. I enjoy reading (usually non fiction) and doing successful home repairs. I also love observing nature. Minneapolis is a wonderful place to live and raise children.

I have been working with young children in various capacities for as long as I can remember. I remember being convinced that I could teach my younger sister how to read at age 2 (I was in first grade and learning to read myself) and I was quickly struck by the fact that her brain worked differently than mine, thereby sparking a lifelong fascination in child development. I have also worked in international banking, early childhood policy and program development and have helped start up child care centers. My particular areas of interest in education include second language learning and the development of creativity. My interests outside of work include music (I sing, play guitar and piano,) dance and travel. I love to eat, garden and take advantage of the cultural opportunities in the Twin Cities. This summer I went to Ireland with my mom and dad (they are both in pink in the photo above) and met many Irish cousins. I grew up in New York, have lived in Venezuela, Spain and China but have called Minneapolis my home for the past 20 years.

This is a photo of my family from last June, when my son, Henry, graduated from high school. I am the proud mom in blue. My younger son, Jack, is behind the camera. Jack will be a senior at Minneapolis South HIgh School this year. When I started teaching preschool, my sons were the same age as the children I was teaching, so I knew the toys and the music and the movie references my students were likely to make. Now, I have to work a little harder to stay current with preschool culture. I am always interested in what music your child knows and enjoys and I will try to work it into our classroom. Music is a wonderful way to connect with young children.

August 30, 2009

Dear families,

Greetings! I hope you have had a wonderful summer and are enjoying the beautiful weather of late. Welcome to the Shirley G. Moore Lab School. I will be your child's teacher this upcoming year. This is my 8th year at the Lab School and my third year teaching the youngest age group. I feel very fortunate to be teaching the two to two and a half year olds and look forward to meeting you and your child in the next few weeks. I will be calling you the first week of September about setting up a time for a visit. This is an important part of our "beginning the school year" routine. When I get a chance to spend 20 minutes or so with your child, it goes a long way to helping them get started at the school on a positive note.

For those of you with older siblings who have been through this before, you know (hopefully!) that it is a pleasant visit when you also get a chance to ask some of the initial questions you may have about the school. Know that your child is likely to be a little reserved when they first meet me - after all, I am a stranger and it pays to be a little cautious. We will begin the relationship where it makes sense to begin it - don't worry that I am judging your child at this point and push them to interact, I believe children are wise enough to connect with me when they are comfortable and ready. In fact, as with many things at this two year old age, encouraging them to do something before they are ready sometimes causes them to dig in their heels. You might want to have a few of their favorite toys nearby -- this is frequently a good ice-breaker. I will also bring several things to look at with your child.

I will also take a photo of your child (and whoever is around) to put in their cubby. This helps them when they first visit the classroom. I will give you parking passes and a parent handbook. If your paperwork is finished, I can pick that up from you then. All children must have their forms turned in before parents can leave on the first day of school. On most things during the year you will find us extremely flexible. However, this is one area where we cannot be lenient because the State requires this for licensed child care programs. It also makes good sense to have all the medical and emergency information taken care of before you leave, just in case.

Please prepare a change of clothes to bring on the first day of school. We will need this, (as well as a few diapers and a small pack of wipes for children who are not toilet trained) for your child's tub by the diaper area. A backpack or consistent bag is also very helpful, especially as we move into sweater/jacket/boot time. Most children this age tend to not always recognize their own clothing (there are exceptions!) and it makes it much more likely that you will get your child's clothing back if it is put in a backpack with their name on it. Please label all clothes you send with your child.

In addition to the home visit, we will have a morning when you can bring your child to the classroom to explore before the first day of school. This allows the children to get acquainted and comfortable with the classroom with a familiar adult around. We will hold this "visit day" Friday, September 18 from 9:00am to 10:30am. The time is close enough to our regular schedule that it can serve as a "dry run" for your drive to the school. I ask that families come with just one parent/caregiver that morning simply because the main reason for the event is to help the children feel comfortable - and when there are too many adults in the room it can become overwhelming and counterproductive for this purpose. Please know that we will have many events during the year when the whole family (including grandparents and other important people) can come and see the Lab School classroom in action. Our main focus at this point in the year is that the children settle in well. If you think your child would benefit from a quieter time exploring the classroom and getting more familiar with me, I can let you know what days I will be in the classroom getting things set up during the next two weeks.

I look forward to meeting you, your child and your family and working with you this year. It is very special to have the opportunity to be with your child in this stage of his/her life. I am excited about the fun, adventure and learning we will engage in this year.

Sincerely,
Frances Durkin



Here I am with my cat, Sam