Settling In - Learning and Teaching the Way of the Catbirds

Catbird Parents! We will be making Nature Journals out of recycled materials. We will be using empty cereal boxes for our covers, and would appreciate if you would bring some in for us. (Please don't feel obliged to run out and purchase healthy cereals - Captain Crunch boxes make fine journal covers!)

Monday:

We read books - lots of books. 

The Catbirds are book-lovers.

We signed in. For the older Catbirds, this was something most were use to and for the younger set, it was a brand new activity. Many of the oder Catbirds hung around to cheer on their friends, and tell them some of what they know about letters.

Friends put their names on the attendance chart.

The Catbirds are making new friends.

We made our first batch of flubber (if you've never played with flubber, have your Catbird show it to you). This is a task requiring counting and measuring and group decision-making. It's also a bit magical.

We also had new playdough, so there was a lot of cutting, building and shaping today.

Outside was a chance to play with new and old friends.

To read more books!

And play music!

We had our first Morning Meeting. Returning Catbirds explained the process and helped teach new friends a couple of our favorite songs.

Carol explained the Choices that were set out around the room.

We painted our picture frames for our family photos.

(By the way, families - an impressive return of homework to start off the school year!)

We used the geo-boards to form all kinds of shapes.

Of course, we put out the fresh flubber.

Here's a friend explaining the shapes and design he had made to a new friend.

Tuesday: Out on Our First Adventure

After Sign In and Free Choice time, we made another batch of flubber, because the Catbirds noticed that we didn't have enough when they divided it up among all the friends who wanted to use it.

We had a meeting to talk about going on adventures. Returning Catbirds carefully explained the important things to remember, and we answered questions about what we might do on an Adventure.

We had some time in the outdoor classroom, while we got ready to go.

We got the wagon out of the shed and loaded it up with water bottles and snacks.

Then we were off!

We stopped at the wall for some balancing and jumping.

Then went to the soccer field for snack.

We played an extensive game of imaginary baseball - pitching, batting and running the bases.

We found and shared treasures.

Although it wasn't on our route, the Catbirds were unified and quite convincing in their desire to go to the creek.

We fished.

We did a Tornado Dance.

On the way back, we stopped at the big kid's playground. 

We also visited the garden and harvested a few tomoatoes.

Then it was lunchtime.

We did a bit of reading, writing and drawing to round out our day. Here, a young Catbird is explaining the note he has written.