q-tips + paper + tape =






q-tips + paper + tape =







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permanent marker stitching with watercolor to make a school quilt.


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quilts and blankets from home all week made for some cozy play.
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can you make playdoh into a quilt for the dollhouse people? i bet you can!

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we had a preschool mama come as a real quilting visitor.

we saw a finished quilt, quilts in process, and the tools used.





we figured out that by taping the quarter to a piece of cardboard, it was less wiggly!


who says cootie has to be for 2-4 players? just building the cootie creature is good enough.

seriously, though, they LOVE this game. i think that for our MW/F classes it has something to do with this guy who always plays with them.
oh, i get it! mister means dad!

well, kind of. in this case, yes. mr. rob is also a dad of one of our preschoolers. we are grateful to officially call him a teacher in our MW/F classes. the kids are thrilled with him and i appreciate his dedication to treating children with respect and humor. you can see why they love him:


wow, i’ve gotten really good on the balance beam. i can go fast. and on two feet at once!

i didn’t burst their bubble to point out that the regular balance beam is a third the width.
during circle time we sit on little pieces of tape.

but when it is story time, children are invited to move so they can see.
our preschoolers learn very quickly that…
if you can’t see, move.
if you are squished, move.
if you are crowded, move.
if you are too far away, move.
if you are too close, move.

they can move at any point in the story, as their needs change.
right on cue, by mid year some of the oldest kids stay in the back. they realize they can still see and they are less crowded.
this. is. why. i. love. the. multi-age. classroom.

our youngest student with one of our oldest.

connecting, honing compassion, learning new skills, modeling patience, finding common ground.
while there are no doubt challenges, this is the environment i find ideal.
a satisfying challenge:


to build a tower taller than you are.

i like watching the number of kids who move in and out of this project as it’s going on.

happy valentine’s day.

we enjoyed days of a mailbox made fancy and looking through valentines “show and tell style” (where i hold up each one to find out who brought it).


just like gus didn’t give any valentines, but got one, everyone at school gets valentines whether you bring them or not.
