Welcome E! E has joined us on Fridays, so we’ve gotten to play. Today was special. E joined Mulberry and stayed and played the whole day! Yay! E heard our new song, “You gotta ask me first.” E shared news.
E pulled anyone who wanted to ride in the wagon. E cut some paper. E made some swirly marks with a few of us who were cutting and gluing and marking. E built towers with almost everyone. E hung out in the sandbox. E observed.
E helped sing the Goodbye Song. E hugged Mama hello. E waved goodbye.
You had the red hammer. You like red. You were using it as a crash hammer. Crashing needs lots of space. I built a tower. You crashed it. I built another. You crashed it. Soon others came to join our game.
You decided to turn the blocks into stepping stones. The stepping stones became a lava bridge. It was tricky to balance on the stones. Sometimes, you had to take a really big step to get to the next stepping place. Sometimes, you had to take a step up, sometimes, a step down. Sometimes, the steps had a hole in the center. Sometimes, they were little. Sometimes, they were skinny.
You balanced along the path one way and then the other way back, meeting others. I wonder how you got around them safely.
We care for ourselves, for each other, and for Rainbow School. We help each other. One person wanted to put something on top. It was too high, so a taller person helped. Another wanted to push something in, but it kept falling over. An older person was able to help.
Someone wanted to go up the hill, but it was too slippery. A person standing by asked another to hold their gate while they helped push.
Two were building something tall with eyes. It was wibbling and wobbling. They were worried it might fall. There was a third there who saw it tipping and was excited for the crash. The two building started to feel angry, but then, one said to the other, “We can build it again.”
You helped someone today. I wonder how. I wonder who helped you.
“We hate Annie.” Ouch! Words can boom too and be really ouchie. Hate is an ouchie word. At Rainbow School, we care for each other. That’s Rule #2. Sometimes, I don’t like someone, but I love everyone. We can care for everyone.
Maybe when I come into school one day, I really want to play with Jaime, and I don’t want to play with Annie. Jaime is playing with me. We’re having fun. Annie comes running over to play. I say, “We hate Annie,” before I can stop to think. I see Annie’s face fall. Ouch.
I wonder what you think I could do. I wonder what you think hate means.
I scooched into the tent backwards. My head touched the top. One of you saw me just as I disappeared inside. They came over, decided they needed a blanket, and went to get one. Then they decided they needed one more blanket. Two others came over.
They peered inside and saw the blankets. One thought that maybe the first would give them a blanket, but the first wanted both of their blankets. Both people went to get more blankets. Soon we were cozy in the tent. There were four of us.
The grownup that’s in this story you wrote together today shared it with me. I was delighted to hear that with a little help from a phone call, you were able to save Woodland. Here is the story:
There was a giant poop that invaded Woodland. It was stinky and brown and also blue and purple. Three Mulberry students knew that they needed to step up and protect the town.
One thought that they should poke it with their markers, but that didn’t work! The poop liked being poked and it became happier.
Another had an idea, he thought they should slice it with a sword. That didn’t work either, now there were two poops coming towards Rainbow School.
Another thought that they should shoot it with a gun, but there were no guns around anywhere. They ran to a house and grabbed some Nerf guns and Nerf darts. They all boomed the poop with their Nerf guns, but it just absorbed the darts and started moving faster; it was almost at Rainbow School!
A grownup showed up with an idea to call an expert. It was another Mulberry student. She called him on the phone, and he raced over to school with his firehose. He sprayed and sprayed and sprayed his hose until all the water in Woodland was gone, but so was the poop! It washed away and down into the sewers.
They all gave each other high fives and went to take a nap; they had saved the school and the whole town.
Love, Teacher Michelle
And here is the picture writing that inspired the story:
You asked to swing, and then you asked to sing, “We will rock you.” Another person on the swing started singing, “Mud on your face.” You joined in. There were three of you on the swing. Someone else started a new song, “Itsy bitsy spider climbed up the water spout.” You added poop to the song.
I thought that maybe everyone likes poop since you talk and sing about it a lot. You said that it was because poop is funny. Later someone else said it’s because kids think it’s funny, but adults don’t. I wonder if your grownup thinks poop is funny.
While we were on the swing, you asked me to sing Spiderman. I explained that I don’t know it. I think that I will look it up now.
Spider-Man, Spider-Man, Does whatever a spider can Spins a web, any size, Catches thieves just like flies Look Out! Here comes the Spider-Man.
Is he strong? Listen bud, He’s got radioactive blood. Can he swing from a thread? Take a look overhead Hey, there There goes the Spider-Man.
In the chill of night At the scene of a crime Like a streak of light He arrives just in time.
Spider-Man, Spider-Man Friendly neighborhood Spider-Man Wealth and fame He’s ignored Action is his reward.
To him, life is a great big bang up Wherever there’s a hang up You’ll find the Spider-Man.
“Meow.” said the kitty. Soon there was a chorus of meows filling the air as the other kitties joined the first kitty. One kitty crashed into their home, and it tilted to one side. The kitties couldn’t get in. They asked us to rebuild their home.
They couldn’t go in their home. I wondered if they would figure out how to fix it after smashing it. Later I looked. They had. It was taller and skinnier, but all the kitties had gone inside.
You wanted to connect the white pipes together. Someone went to get tape. You learned that there were connectors. Someone asked another if they could help them. You figured out how you could make them stand up in the sand.
Much later, at the end of the day, you pushed one into the sand, twisting it back and forth. You noted that it made a mountain up around the pipe.
“I want to be alone in the hammock.” “I want to be alone in the hammock.” “We want some alone time.” Hmmm… Rainbow School is for everyone. There’s no, “You can’t be here.” We’re in charge of our own bodies as long as we’re taking care and being safe, following our three rules:
We take care of ourselves. We take care of each other. We take care of Rainbow School.
So what to do, what to do. Sometimes, I feel like being alone too. There is the snuggly. There are the desks. I wonder if you’ve found a spot where you can be alone at Rainbow School.
