We are so excited to welcome our newest Tugboat, and just in time for T week, his name is Trip! All of the children are excited to see our number of male students grow. They bring such a great addition to the classroom dynamic. During our dance parties, for example, many of the girls love to put on ballet skirts, tutus, and other dress-up clothes. Trip quickly encouraged all of the children to dress up for dance, helping the other boys to don cowboy hats, hard hats, and even a police riot helmet!
T Week has brought a variety of T-themed projects, including Eri’s contribution of origami T shirts! Each child was given a piece of origami paper that Eri and Myle’s big sister had folded into T shirts. They also selected a circle of paper for a face, then glued their shirts and faces to paper. Using markers and crayons, each child created his or her own self portrait. They turned out beautifully! Some of the children even went so far as to match their crayon selection to their T shirts. And we all know, the Tugboats never turn down an opportunity to use a glue stick!
We also developed a new game we call The Secret Sack. At Circle Time, we passed around a small canvas bag with a toy inside that began with the letter of the week. Each child had an chance to feel the bag without peeking and try to guess what was inside based upon the shape! We Secret-Sacked a turtle, a toothbrush, a train track, and a tractor! Relating the shape of the toy to the letter of the week was a stretch for many of the Tugboats, but they did a great job of analyzing what they felt inside the bag. On the day we used a toothbrush, for example, many children felt the bristles and guessed a paintbrush. They are quite conceptual thinkers!
Another fun project that involved thinking conceptually was our Tin Turtles, which are now proudly displayed above the cubbies! Kristy created this beautiful sorting and color grouping activity using tin pie plates and paint swatches. Each child was given a pie plate with a color taped to the center, and there were 4 different colors at each table. In the center of the table, we placed several panels of the 4 colors in a large pile. The students had to work together to sort the panels into color families, because each panel was a different shade or tint of the base color. This required the children to think broadly about colors in groups, as opposed to simply matching. Once they were sorted, they glued the panels onto their “turtle shells.” The resulting turtles are so colorful and vibrant, it feels a little bit like Key West at Harbor City School!
Today, we are practicing social and life skills with a special guest educator: Peter’s dog, Charlie! Charlie is a border collie mix and has a lot of classroom experience working with children with autism to practice safe, appropriate behavior with animals. He is patient, sweet, and never says no to a good belly rub! The Tugboats today have enjoyed petting Charlie, brushing his long fur, and even helping to hold his leash on a walk around the neighborhood. Many parents begin to consider bringing pets into their homes when children are around this age, so Charlie serves as a great introduction for students who don’t already have exposure to dogs. Practicing with a safe dog and responsible adults helps them to learn the appropriate ways to approach and interact with new animals. They learn to ask before touching and to use soft, gentle hands. Exposure to dogs in a comfortable environment like this contributes to safe behavior and can help to decrease the potential for fear later in life.
