the 100th day of school February 19, 2009

Today was the 100th day of school.  We were supposed to have six adults in the room, but my usual volunteer from the university spent the night in the hospital after fainting a few days ago, and she said she was going to take the week to rest, and the little boy whose grandparents were going to come was sick, so it was just going to be me, Miss Nelson, and Miss Slinger. 

Then the little boy’s grandpa came anyway!  What a nice man.  I need to get his address and send him a very grateful thank you note.

Anyway, during our centers time we had some special activities.  Grandpa manned the table with the 100th day glasses — paper glasses in the shape of the number 1oo.  Very cute.  They are a big hit every year.  Unfortunately, I forgot my camera! 

Miss Nelson and I took turns at the art center with yarn necklaces and cheerios — the idea was to string 100 cheerios on a piece of yarn.   Most of the kids got tired after about forty, but it was fun all the same. 

Miss Slinger was in charge of the ink pads and blank 100 grids — the kids at her table got to put their fingers in the ink (for once) and make 100 fingerprints.

The mentor teacher who will be doing my formal observation next came in a watched for a while.  She teaches older kids and said she just didn’t know how I do it.  I told her I think it’s why I’m tired all the time — I teach preschool.  Things were going smoothly, though, so I was glad she got to see that.

Grandpa asked me about Chester — he was pretty perceptive in noticing how low Chester’s skills are, just from the cutting project.  He also noticed how very smart Swimmy is, just from that one project.  I’d be happy to have him back in the class anytime — he was a really helpful, thoughtful volunteer.  And I like anyone who notices kids that way.

At morning meeting we shared our homework, and only about 5 kids did the 100 collections.  In past years about 15 have done it.  Kind of says something about this group, and their families….

Then for our activity, we ate 100 snacks!  The kids were so excited.  They each got a blank 100 grid, and then they had to fill each spot with a small food item — we had chocolate chips, little crackers, teddy grahams, froot loops, raisins, and m&m’s.

When they had 100 snacks on the paper, they got to eat.  It was pure contentment throughout the room.

my five amigos November 19, 2008

Five of the boys in my class speak Spanish at home.  Three of the five speak some English.  They are wonderful, adorable boys, and I love them.  Right now, they are engaged in some sort of epic battle of friendship.

At first, this fall, I would hear them call to each other, “amigo!” and I would beam, it was so cute.  At first it was three boys:  the two non-English speakers (let’s call them Chester and Wilson, after the friends in Chester’s Way) and one of our class leaders, a boy I’ll call Swimmy.  Then Ferdinand got involved, and that was wonderful, because he has been a bit slower to figure out social skills.  Then a fifth boy joined in.

Then Chester and Wilson got clique-y, and sometimes they would include Ferdinand, and sometimes they wouldn’t.  Sometimes Ferdinand and Chester and Wilson would exclude Swimmy, or the other boy.  Now they are at the point of pushing, hitting, and what’s worse — saying, “you’re not my friend.”

Today Chester and Wilson said, “you’re not our friend” to Swimmy, right after I’d had a little pep talk with him about good behavior.  Even though he promised me he wouldn’t, he pushed them.  Later, they said the same thing to Ferdinand.  And Ferdie, my little angel….gave them the finger!

So I need to find a translator to call Chester’s parents, and Wilson’s parents, and let them know what’s going on.  And I need to arrange for our Spanish-speaking social worker to do a little social skills group with those five.

The girls will be the next issue, I can tell.  Lola 2 is only four, but I swear she’s a teenager in the making.  I think she was flirting with Chester the other day, over in the house corner!

lola’s friend September 11, 2008

On a brighter note, at the end of our rough morning, I noticed that a little girl we’ll call Lola — who speaks not a word of English — was whispering at story time.  She was whispering to someone invisible, sitting in the empty space beside her on the carpet.

Lola has an imaginary friend!  (Just like the original Lola, in I Am Too Absolutely Small for school, whose friend has the wonderful name of Soren Lorenson.)

That did put a smile on my face.  I’m so glad Lola has “company,” so she won’t feel alone in her big, bewildering school.