Today was an exciting day in the Early Childhood classroom! The young authors and illustrators in Mrs. McLean's ECP class shared their published books with the staff members at Blanchard!
Mr. Bates- "I was so impressed with the students' ability to read their Love Books. I enjoyed learning all the special information about each of the authors. It is always a joy to take time to visit in the ECP. It makes me remember all the important aspects of student learning."
Mr. Ralls, our head custodian, stopped by to listen to our books and to enjoy a few snacks as well. The children served fruit, homemade banana bread and lemonade. Taking complete ownership of their special day, they planned the menu and designed the invitations on our laptop.
Mrs. Tremblay, "It was so exiting to see the children's eyes as they shared their personal publications. The pride that they took in themselves as authors and illustrators shined brightly in their smiles!"
Mrs. Mannherz- "Love is seeing the face of a child reading her first published book ...so proud!"
Mrs. Kilcommins- "You're serving my favorite drink and lemon snacks!" Sahithi, "Me too!"
The children did a fabulous job hosting their event.
THE CHILD IN THE COMMUNITY
"As the circle of a child's experience expands from family to school to community, so does awareness of self and others."
Activities outside the family, such as play dates and preschool, broaden children's horizons and widen their social, emotional, physical and cognitive growth. "Excursions to the playground, library or fire station offer new and exciting opportunities as well as challenges. Feelings of attachment to a neighborhood, community or local landscape develop. Whether new or familiar, communities can be places that nurture cultural identity, diversity, responsibility, adventure, and a sense of belonging." (Eric Carle Museum staff) When children create relationships with places and people in their community, this involvement begins to build the foundation for citizenship and social responsibility.
WHAT INSPIRED US TO WRITE BOOKS ABOUT THE THINGS WE LOVE?
Throughout this school year, the
children in the Early Childhood Program were immersed in studies about
friendships, maps, our community and the things we love. In the beginning of our investigations, we
worked hard at defining what it means to be a good friend. Our am and pm classes created a
"Friendship Tree" with Mrs. Kilcommins' Kindergarten class. Our friends also became very interested in
exploring our outdoor environment surrounding our school by going on several
nature hikes and by researching important information on Google Earth using our
new classroom Ipad (A special Thank you to PTF!). We designed
3-dimensional maps to deepen our knowledge and understandings of our community.
We also made predictions about what we might discover before venturing
outdoors. Some of our predictions included,
"a beaver dam", "a library", "curvy trees" and
"maybe a dump across the street!” As we explored the great outdoors with
our "thinking pens" and sketchbooks in hand, we discovered that the
fire station is across the street not the dump!
These are just a few of the investigations that inspired our thinking
for these wonderful books.
Collectively, we also published a class book. The children loved brainstorming ideas,
listening to each other, presenting their work at "share chair" and
creating their illustrations at our writing studio. This documentation demonstrates, values, and
celebrates a large range of developmental learning stages in a multi-age, Early
Childhood classroom. This experience taught our children that they are valued
thinkers, writers and illustrators. The
entire process also fostered a sense of belonging to our school family and the
larger community. This book will soon be available for you to enjoy at our school library and at the Sargent Memorial Library. 
Wishing everyone a fun and safe summer vacation! Happy reading!!
Mrs. McLean's Early Childhood Program
June 2013
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