The Beginning of New School Year

The beginning of each school year is such a magical time.  

We see such transformations as entirely bare classrooms (we pack up our entire school each May to make room for an art show) turn in to warm, bright, inviting spaces. 

Because we are a cooperative nursery school, our parents have been and continue to be an integral part of this transition.  They help us unpack the boxes and place the furniture, clean the toys, clear the debris from the playground, plant flowers and fill our kitchen with food, just to scratch the surface.  Then they join us in the classroom each day as one of our assistant teachers.  There is a great deal of adult learning going on as the parents learn the routines of the classroom and how each teacher sets up activities or wants snack prepared.  There are meetings and orientations and committees to join.  

And then it arrives….the first day of the first week.  Children who were tentative about leaving their care givers' side start exploring their new surroundings.  New friendships start forming and old ones are reconnected.  A special relationship begins between child and teacher. 

I am looking forward to a wonderful  school year learning along with and from my new students.  We enjoyed getting to know each other this week while we…

cooked... for real,

 and pretend,

dressed up,

played music,

worked at the work bench,

read,

wrote,

built,

painted,

blew bubbles,

slid

climbed,

counted snack,

explored the sensory table,

graphed,

and so much more.