Dear Rainbow Families,
So much has been happening in the Rainbow Room! The caterpillar and butterfly study ended with a bang as the children observed, cared for, and delighted in their caterpillars, which grew larger and larger and then transformed into chrysalids. It was very exciting to see the chrysalids hanging from the top of their netted container, shaking and swinging as the pupae metamorphosed into butterflies, and then finally, after several days, seeing the butterflies emerge. The Rainbows released the butterflies in the side yard last week, exhorting them to fly. The same day we said good-bye to our butterflies, we also said good-bye to our music teacher Greg. It was a very touching last class as Greg let the children choose favorite songs from the year (“Freight Train,” Woody Guthrie’s “Why, Oh Why”), and the Rainbows gave Greg a big, homemade card that they had made for him.
Summer has become a new curriculum focus in the Rainbow Room. The children read the book “Summer Days” by Roger Pare and Bertrand Gauthier, then talked together about what they like to do in the summer – please check out the chart of replies on the wall in the circle area. The Rainbows also made sand drawings of a favorite summer activity using oil pastels on oak tag, then gluing on different colored sand to complete the picture. They also made their very own Frisbees out of paper plates, which they decorated with oil pastels. And what fun to celebrate summer with a trip to Ample Hills for Ice Cream Day!! Thank you so much to Brian and Jackie (Kaleo’s parents) for hosting our Rainbows, with Brian opening the shop early just for us. The children had a wonderful time going to the counter and ordering their flavors of ice cream, even getting sprinkles. They also asked Brian lots of questions, such as “Do you make the ice cream?” and “What’s your favorite flavor?” Please check out the photos by the door of this wonderful trip.
Have you noticed the volcanoes in the Rainbow Room? One day the children were making volcano shapes with the play dough and talking about volcanoes. The teachers, observing this interest, found the non-fiction book “Volcanoes” by Stephanie Turnbull to read to them. The next day the children made their own volcanoes by mixing salt, flour, and water together, then forming the mixture with their hands into a volcano shape and pressing a plastic cup into the mixture to make a cavity. After the volcanoes dried and hardened over several days, the children were ready for the next step. They placed vinegar and food coloring into their volcano’s cavity, then sprinkled baking soda on top, and voila!! Their volcanoes erupted – very exciting, indeed!!
Words of the Week:
eruption – erupcion
volcano – volcan
summer – verano
hot – caliente
sand – arena
sun – sol
IMPORTANT: This Thursday, July 3, is Sports Day in the Rainbow Room. Please have your child dress in something one wears for a sports activity (e.g., soccer, biking, baseball, etc.). Also, this Wednesday and Thursday are our last yoga classes for the year.
And finally, I’m sure you’ve heard by now that Iris is in Pennsylvania with her new granddaughter, Teresa, born on June 21. Everyone is doing well, and Iris plans to be back at the Collective on Monday, July 7.
Cheers,
Martha