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Community Event: ARTSHOP!

Our amazing teacher-led Art Committee put together the sweetest event this weekend... the first ever ARTSHOP!! This was an art workshop where families made artwork together. There were several stations, such as collage, mask making, dot painting, sculptures and more. Check out these pictures in case you missed it!

Making a collage for dad for Father's Day. They used different types of patterned paper as well as photos from old National Geographic magazines.

Using different types of circular lids to make circle prints.

Making dot paintings using Q-tips.

Kids and parents experiment with play dough and craft sticks to create a variety of different structures.

Kids and parents alike enjoyed making masks with Lelia. Co-op schoolers could select a pre-cut mask and decorate it with markers, glitter, feathers and flower petals.

Working together on a large scale drawing using a variety of graphite pencils.

Art: “I'm a Roly Poly Artist and I'm happy to create."

Our 2 year old Roly Polies have been exploring what it means to be an artist. Out with the crayons and in with Queen's very own Run DMC. They began their unit throwing it down, “muggin”, and scratching to Run DMC’s “Wake Up”! They learned the first few lines of the song, which encourage us to wake up and be better people, to ourselves and to each other like Vvgotsky explains: “hence, we may say that we become ourselves through others and that this rule applies not only to the personality as a whole, but also to the history of every individual function.” 

By utilizing art and the culture of the city in which they live to scaffold their social/emotional, cognitive, physical, and language development they hope to instill in each Roly Poly a sense of confidence, empathy, camaraderie, and the importance of being a good person. They have also been discussing the importance of the word RESPECT. Many Ropos have begun to utilize the word in their every day language when interacting with friends on the playground. Our RoPos have truly taken to the role of young rap artists, each Roly Poly has come up with his and her own MC/DJ pseudonym and they are SO proud and excited!  They went around the Circle asking each RoPo to make up a name that fits their idea of who they are and boy did they have us laughing! They''ve got MC Machine, Lightzout, Flowers, Flip, Olympia, Moo-Moo,  McMuffin, Dinosaur, etc.

 They took it even further by writing our own raps! They have begun rapping them on stage in front of a very respectful audience of RoPo friends building up our confidence, memory, language development and a different modes of expression. These Roly Pollies are incredibly talented artists, and they know it!

 Hey! I’m MC Flip and I’d like to say

MC Flip and Mommy come to play

Backflip and go to sleep

When You wake up, sun up

Play. Spin around the rosy.

Play and flip.

 Hey! I’m MC Moomoo and I’d like to say

Moomoo MC he’s a cow

Cows have milk

Moomoo has pink milk.

 Hey I’m DJ Duffel and I’d like to say

Hmmmmmm.

I like to go out – to restaurants

To eat, to eat and to stomp my feet

To stomp, to stomp to stomp my feet

Hey! I’m MC Monster Jamz and I’d like to say

Monster trucks are fast, Mater and a firetruck

Wee ooo wee ooo digger too

Basketballs and motorcycles all day

Sleep all night and Cooper says - wake up next day.

Community: Get Dirty and Plant Day!

Project Work: Pipe & Plumbing Study

After many questions about how the water "gets in the toilet," the 3 year old Crickets have been investigating water and water pipes.

The Crickets work together to connect the pipes. Once all of the pipes were connected, they had to figure out a way to make the water flow through the pipes without getting "clogged." The Crickets decided that if they hold the pipes up, the water would move.
Well, that didn't quite work so they came up with a different idea.
"What if we hold the pipes up and down, up and down?" 
"Okay guys! Turn on the faucet! Oh no! The water is leaking!"
The water flowed through the pipes and made its way to the water table.

We measured the length of PVC pipes.
"This pipe is taller than me!"

How many blocks long is this pipe?      

 "I think we need like 100 million blocks." 

The Crickets wanted to know where the water went after we flushes, so they went on sewer hunt and continued to discuss the water cycle. During our walk they spotted a few fire hydrants. "These are really big pipes! Water comes out." 

So, why do we need water?

"So a baby can take a bath." 

"Flowers need water to grow!" 

Literacy: Children's Book Author Visits The Co-op

The First Grade Chipmunks had an writer read aloud this week, local writer Caron Levis, author of the book "Stuck With the Blooz..."

Awesome: The Caterpillars Hatch Baby Chicks!

The Caterpillars were asked to incubate some chicken eggs on behalf of the community garden located at 100 Quincy Street at Franklin Avenue.  They took their job very seriously...

They watched them carefully in the incubator looking for signs of

hatching! They  knew it would take 21 days, but we checked every day just in case.

On April 23, their babies were born!  They were wet.

They kept them nice and warm in a cage and watched them eat, poop, and sleep. 

They  took them out for exercise and loving.

They made new friends.

They  visited the mommy chickens at 100 Quincy to let them know that their babies were safe with us.

They love kale!

 The Caterpillars will go back to 100 Quincy when the babies are old enough to live there in the end of June.  They can’t wait to be reunited!

Get to Know a Co-op Teacher!

The 10 Question Teacher Interview : Prek Teacher Alistair Paxton

1. How long have you been working at The Co-op School?

Almost three and a half years now.

2. What’s your favorite part of being part of The Co-op School?

 

Being part of such a wonderful community of families and staff.

3. What do you like to do for fun?

I compose and record a lot of music. I also enjoy soccer, biking and the 'great outdoors'.

4. What’s your favorite restaurant?

In my neighborhood it would probably be Amarin Thai but I do have dreams about Mother India in Glasgow.

5. What’s your favorite sandwich?

Probably a good old BLT (add avocado)

6. What’s your favorite song?

Too many to say but anything 'Lonesome Crowded West' era Modest Mouse usually makes me happy and nostalgic.

7. Where do you want your next vacation to be?

Maybe Southern India to visit my brother or Nicaragua to visit some beaches. I have a short road trip in Colorado and Utah already planned for the start of Summer.

8. What are you reading right now?

 "Desert Solitaire" by Edward Abbey. 

9.  If you could buy yourself anything what would it be?

An 'unlimited ride' valid on all transatlantic airlines.

10. What TV sitcom family would you most like to be a member of? 

I'm struggling to think of any sitcom families I'd like to be a member of... Can I just keep mine?

Blocks: Hair Salon

The first grade Chipmunks present their Imagination Playground Hair Salon on the playground roof:

The Annual Bottlecap Mural Reveal and Ribbon Cutting!

The students at Brevoort worked very hard this past month on their annual collaborative bottlecap mural. They worked with Glenn in the woodshop to nail bottlecaps to a wood panel painted and cut out to look like a cupcake.  Earlier this year, each class took a vote on their favorite treat and cupcake was the winner! We had a cupcake celebration and ribbon cutting on Friday to reveal the adorable mural which will be hung in the school hallway... come check it out!

Get to Know a Co-op Teacher!

The 10 Question Teacher Interview for Irving Preschool Teacher, Eliza Cutler

1. How long have you been working at The Co-op School?

A little more than 4 years

2. What’s your favorite part of being part of The Co-op School?

The Fireflies and all that they do.  I also really like cutting construction paper.  Oh and the Co-op School throws a killer party.

3. What do you like to do for fun?

Draw, go for long walks, eat baked goods and travel

4. What’s your favorite restaurant?

Pho Grand or Aita or Difara or NoMad.

5. What’s your favorite sandwich?

Most sandwiches really.  Ultimately I think it's a toss up between a torta and a bahn mi

6. What’s your favorite song?

That's tough but here are some songs that I like and in no particular order:

I Wasn't Born to Follow by The Byrds

Can This Be by The Wipers

Swallow My Pride by The Ramones

Don't Cry No Tears by Neil Young

Instant Karma by John Lennon

Into Your Arms by The Lemonheads

Looking For The Magic by Dwight Twilley Band

and almost anything by Big Star or Reigning Sound or Ike and Tina and mostly everything that Phil Spector ever produced even though he is a psychopath.

7. Where do you want your next vacation to be?

India or Cambodia

8. What are you reading right now?

"Loving Frank" By Nancy Horan and a lot of pretty bleak news

9. If you could buy yourself anything what would it be?

A brownstone, a big floppy dog and a better cat.

10.  What TV sitcom family would you most like to be a member of?

I don't know, maybe Roseanne's family...?

Community: Town Hall

Yesterday we had our monthly Town Hall at Brevoort, hosted by our Kindergarten Teacher, William. The kids showed off what each of their classes are working on right now.

 The prek Bumblebees showed how they work with their 5's Rekenrek by singing a song about 5 birds.

 The prek Beetles showed their drawings of an experience with a grandparent for their Grandparent Study... they also talked about what they think "old" is!

 The kindergarten Jets shared their hilarious All About Books (ex: "All About Being a Big Sister" Aww...)!

 The prek Grasshoppers showed off their amazing buildings they made for their Construction Study in woodshop. They also talked about their next woodshop plan, to make birdhouse for their Bird Study!

The first graders showed off their karate moves from Karate class with Sensei David.

 The prek Dragonflies show off their amazing culminating project... their Bug Encyclopedia!