WPNS News

Dear Mulberry,

We use our bodies to navigate space. Our bodies tell us where we are. You can close your eyes and touch your nose. Try it. Your body tells your hand how to move to where your nose is. You can stand in the middle of the room. Your grownup can stand at the edge of the room. Find them. Now close your eyes and walk to them.

Our ability to know where we are and where others are and where things are is called proprioception. It’s one of our senses. Proprioception. Others include sight, touch, hearing, taste, smell, vestibular, and interoception. How we sense things with each of our senses is different in different people. Part is just how we are. Part changes as we have more and more experiences.

Moving our bodies while pulling, pushing, and/or carrying something is part of proprioception too. Fill up a box, basket, bucket or pan with something like blocks. Really pile it up. Now walk as quickly as you can without spilling. Propioception.

Today, two of you ran up the ramp following another. That person started to climb the ladder to the slide. The next person was moving towards and then climbing the ladder faster. The first person was in the way. Depending on our sense of proprioception, how we navigate this situation safely varies. I wonder what you would do if you were the first person to make sure there are no booms; the second person. I wonder how you could help each other.

Love,
Teacher Michelle

Dear Oak,

We had a Rainy Day Marching Parade. Two of us had picked up two wooden puzzle pieces each. The puzzle pieces became cymbals: Clack Clack Clack Clack. As the two played and marched, they sang making up words to go with the percussion and the drip drip drip drops of the water.

Soon others joined. One used a shovel like a parade baton keeping time on the sidewalk: Wick Wick Wick Wick. One used a stick and a pail: Ding Ding Ding Ding. Others grabbed more puzzle pieces: Clack Clack Clack Clack.

I smiled and marched along.

Love,
Teacher Michelle

Note: No Rainbow News today. We practiced how to be safe if there were a fire.

Dear Mulberry,

One climbs up the ladder to the top. Two climbs up the slide. Three climbs up the slide right behind two. Three slides down. Two slides down. Swoosh. Swoosh. One slides down. Swoosh. We watch.

Two climbs up the slide. Three goes up the ramp, then up the ladder. Three holds two. Two is slipping, slipping. Two slides down. Three slides down. Three holds their feet wide taking care of two. Three’s feet go wide around two’s body.

We watch. We laugh.

Love,
Teacher Michelle

Dear Oak,

Glue so sticky and gooey, it drips in long strings from the paint brush onto the paper. It drip, drip, drips round drops onto the paper. It falls in a column of glue and puddles on the paper. It oozes in a stream following the arc of your hand to land in a curve atop the paper. It slowly trickles to the paper as you move your hand straight making a line of glue on the paper.

You work and work with glue, brush, and paper every so carefully until the whole page has curves, lines, dots and puddles from edge to edge to edge.

Love,
Teacher Michelle

Dear Oak,

Only one will fit in the nest. One climbed out. Another climbed in. A third came over to climb in too. There looked like there might be enough room for two. Now there are two who fit in the nest. One doesn’t want to be touched. The other asks as they climb out of the nest, “Can I touch you?” There is not enough room in the nest for two and no touching.

Love,
Teacher Michelle

Dear Mulberry,

You sat on my lap. We watched. There was a monster, not too scary. The monster smiled. The monster chased the children. They ran into the Sleeping Barn. They ran up Rainbow Mountain. They ran down Rainbow Mountain. We sat and watched.

They ran to the Hello Goodbye Gate. They ran up the ramp. They slid down the slide. One child had a box. It wasn’t a box. It was a shell. It was a house. Soon three children had houses. One child rolled in their house like a snail.

Love,
Teacher Michelle

Dear Oak,

“I hate everyone!” The small angry mouse roared in their very biggest voice which didn’t come out very much louder than a squeak really.

The squirrel heard and chattered and chittered angrily, “I hate everyone!” The racoon heard and hissed angrily, “I hate everyone!” The bobcat heard and snarled, “I hate everyone!” The bear heard and roared in a fearsome roar, “I hate everyone!” Rainbow school shook.

While the angry ouchy booms caught and spread like a fire gusted by the wind, you skipped merrily carrying your baby and keeping them safe. I heard you singing, “…I love you. I love you in the morning. I love you in the noon. I love you in the evening and underneath the moon …”

I noticed the bear went quiet listening. The bobcat listened. The raccoon listened. The squirrel listened. The mouse listened. Soon they were scampering and running and climbing. They’d caught the love for love is stronger and fiercer and more powerful than even the biggest bear’s fearsome roar.

Love,
Teacher Michelle

Dear Mulberry,

One of you helped me fold up the box. They wanted to put scissors in the box and deliver the package to their house. The scissors were red. Red is their favorite color. Scissors stay at the scissor table. No problem. They found cars to put in the box for special delivery.

Three of you unfolded the box. All three took the box to the Music Garden. They painted it. They painted the cars. They drove the cars through the paint making tire tracks through the paint.

Another person waited on a bike for someone to drive them. Emergency! Emergency! Two people came over to help. One drove. One gave pushing help. Uh oh! The bikers reached the three painter drivers. The bikers wanted to go. The painter drivers were in the way.

No problem. The painter drivers directed the bikers to drive through the paint after they moved the cars and their toes out of the way.

Love,
Teacher Michelle

Dear Oak,

I want to spin. You want to swing. Spin. Swing. Spin. Swing. Louder and louder. We could spin and swing at the same time. No? No. First, let’s spin. Then we will swing. Okay? Okay.

You can get on here. We have to stop the swing, so they can get on. There’s room for you.

Love,
Teacher Michelle

Dear Oak,

You were putting on your jacket. You asked for help from each person in Oak before you asked me. I helped, and someone helped me help you. We take care of each other at Rainbow School.

Two people had different ideas. The yes and the no got louder. Someone got boomed. I got sand in my mouth and eyes. It’s hard to wait your turn. Corinna helped and someone helped Corinna help. We take care of each other at Rainbow School.

Someone asked me if I was okay. Thank you. I wasn’t. I don’t like sand in my face. I had a hard time getting it out of my eyes. Someone made me soup with rice to help. It was delicious. Sometimes things go wrong, but we can check in on people and make things right. We take care of each other at Rainbow School.

Love,
Teacher Michelle