Category: Uncategorized

Dear Mulberry,

“Teacher Michelle, come look at this.” I followed you to Mud Mountain. We were wearing our rain gear, staying dry, and taking care of ourselves. We were being like the road workers and mail and delivery people wearing our rain gear and stuff and working out in the rain. We had on a rain jacket with the hood up. We had on rain pants over the top of our rain boots to keep the water out.

We felt the rain on our faces as we walked, so it feels like you’re getting wet even with all the rain gear on though your body is staying dry.

Once we got near Mud Mountain, you started running. Then you jumped right into the giant muddy puddle at the bottom. When you got out, I jumped too.

Love,
Teacher Michelle

P.S. The slide was super slippery fast. You all went flying down it. A couple of you even climbed up it. And it was too wet to write our news today.

Dear Oak,

Tape is fun! Rainbow color tape is even more fun. It’s tricky to separate a piece from the roll. It’s sticky and sticks to itself. Tape can only be used one time. Once all the tape is used, it’s gone. No more tape. No more tape means no more tape fun. I see you using just what you need, so there will be more tape tomorrow.

Today, you had an excellent idea. I ask you to use tape and scissors at the mark making table. It’s easier to just use what we need there, and the sharp scissors don’t end up where someone might step on them barefoot. Ouch!

I was surprised to see you with the tape and scissors taking care of the babies at the doctor’s office. I didn’t remind you about using the tape and scissors at the mark making table. I watched instead. You had an excellent idea. I had not thought of it. You used the tape to bandage the babies.

I did remind you to only use what you need and to return the scissors and tape when you were done. It’s easy to forget. You took care of the babies, each other, and Rainbow School too.

Love,
Teacher Michelle

Dear Oak,

Let’s decorate ourselves for a party. We can use the stickers. The stickers were sparkly and bright colors. Look, I put on happy stars.

Love,
Teacher Michelle

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