Hello Magnolia families!
We hope you’re holding in there. We know that this week might feel harder than last week. Kids are used to one week vacations from school, but as time goes on, we imagine that bigger feelings might be coming out, especially with the uncertainty of when we’ll be heading back. We are now planning ways to address those feelings virtually, the best we can. Let us know how feelings might be manifesting at home. In the meantime, here is today’s curriculum (and here’s the doc version):
Morning meeting: Join Teacher Patricia for our morning meeting this morning, with a fun song!
Storytime: Teacher reads an all-time silly favorite, Secret Pizza Party.
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A note from Rachel: When reading the names of the author and illustrator, I didn’t know who they were or what they looked like. In the video, I inserted the pictures (we think it’s important for kids to know that books are made by real people.) However, this means that I didn’t address that they are both white men. If you would like to, you can talk to your child about this: “Hmm, what do you notice about the author and illustrator? What do they look like? Do all authors and illustrators look like that? People of many different genders and many different skin colors can write and draw books.” Next time, I’ll make sure to look it up beforehand and be more thoughtful!
An activity: Continuing the feelings wheel (to start, look at Wednesday’s activities) Not only can the feelings wheel help your child think about and communicate the feelings they are feeling in the moment, it can also help them think about how they would feel in certain scenarios. Give them scenarios and have them move the pointer to what feeling they think they’d feel in that scenario. Remember, they can choose more than one feeling! “Sometimes you can feel two or three or more feelings all at the same time!”
Some examples:
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When I can’t see my friends, I feel _____________.
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When someone pushes me, I feel ______________.
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When I make a mistake, I feel ______________.
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When someone won’t share with me, I feel ______________.
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When someone will share with me, I feel _____________.
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When someone smiles at me, I feel ___________.
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When I get a snack I didn’t expect, I feel ____________.
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When I see my teachers and classmates on the Zoom meeting, I feel ____________.
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Make your own!
You can also turn it into a practice of perspective taking. Instead of them answering for themselves, they can answer what they think someone else might feel. They can guess how you’d feel, how another family member might feel, how one of their friends might feel, how one of their teachers might feel, etc.
An activity: Mud! Yes, you’ve all heard of mud, but have you tried bringing mud inside? (On purpose?) This is an easy sensory play opportunity after all this rain we’ve had! Head out with a shovel and pail (or spoon and bowl) and collect some mud. Then, bring it inside. Put it on a baking sheet or in a big bowl and add in toys — plastic animals, small cups, tweezers, dolls, small bits of paper, old keys. Putting new objects together can suddenly give them new life and make them inspiring. And afterwards, practice handwashing!
