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A note from Classroom Support Co-chairs

The school day of a Maple Street School child is filled with rich educational and social experiences. We thought of Curriculum Collaborations early in the year, with the idea that it would give families some insight on the happenings of the classroom.  With teachers, parents, and administrators getting together (virtually or otherwise) to observe, write, document  and talk about specific areas of learning, our hope is that CC can enhance children's learning experiences by building a connection between home and school.

Enjoy!

Cindy Lang and Kali Paguirigan

Classroom Support Co-chairs

A note from our Director

Dear Families and Teachers,

This picture below is of Caroline Pratt, an innovative teacher who founded unit blocks at City and Country School in New York City in 1914.

Every day, when I see children balancing, carrying, building, and playing with structure,  I am thankful to Caroline Pratt for creating these important mathematical shaped wooden learning materials.  I am also thankful to our children for shaping our world again and again into neighborhoods, garages, castles, hospitals, and worlds.  When a child gets to construct their world, we have done our job at Maple Street well.

Wendy Cole

Director

If you would like to read more about block building, go to: http://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/blocks/blockbuilding.html

 Blocks in the Stars

Helen and Kimberly talked about the blocks, showed the different shapes and told us how to respect our friend's buildings.

Stars Block Quotes & Observed Reactions--

We are not supposed to knock our friends' buildings down and if we do, we should help them rebuild it.

Nelson:

Built a car and a tower. His blocks fell a few times. He then called Helen..." I want it to stand to stand still."

Walker:

" This is perfect", he loves the triangles. I want the circles. He was very curious about how the different shapes fit together to build his car.

Samuel:

Was building a boat on wheels. He wanted to make sure Nelson did not hurt himself. "Be careful with your fingers, don't get hurt" he says. He was also taking the blocks out of the crate which are on wheels and replacing them, moving the crate back and forth trying to see how hard it is to move.

Fiamma:

Built a room with beds for her family. "This is mommy and daddy's bed, this one is Rocco's and this one is for Sofie, our dog. She sleeps in our room. Here is mine."

Rose:

Used the blocks for making music, taking different shapes and hitting them together.

The Beauty of Blocks

by Jennifer Smith (Roots)

Blocks are special. Blocks can contribute to all areas of a child's development. When we introduce blocks we talk about working together and collaborating. We define simple rules, such as respecting space- choosing areas and building areas. We respect each other; if we knock over someone else's structure we help them fix it. If a group labels their structure or is working together on a project we ask before we add to it or change it.

Blocks help children understand mathematical concepts such as symmetry and patterns, shapes and sizes, measurement and classification. Science is explored through balance , gravity, trial and error and more.

Through this work we discover language, by working together, questioning concepts, exchanging ideas, creating stories from our structures. Sometimes we love our structures so much we draw them , we identify patterns  and we or we decorate them, incorporating Art in our block area.

Blocks help develop out social emotional skills, cooperation, self-confidence, initiative and respect for others work.

Blocks in the Roots

Roots Block Quotes--

Makeda:

"...making a tower to the top of the ceiling!"

Simona:

"I like building buildings!"

JoJo:

"Look I made a house!"

Makeda:

"We're not making a house, we're making a ticket booth!"

Blocks in the Waves

Questions--

" Do you build with blocks?" asked to Noah and Rocco, "..yes!", I then asked, " What do you build?"

For Evanna I said can you tell me about some of the things you make with blocks.

Waves Block Quotes--

Evanna:

" We worked together to build an igloo"

Rocco:

" I build Luke Skywalker ship!"

Vernessa:

" Andrew made a small battleship. Micha, Elliot, Shiyanne and Parker made a MEGA battleship while Clyde played the guitar. Then Evanna and Isobel joined in and Tabor brought disks (the lilly pads) to the battle ship."

Thank you to the Classroom Liasons for contributing to this project by gathering information and interviewing our littlest readers.

LETS PLAY BROOKLYN!!

Maple Street Summer Camp 2011

to download the brochure click here

for more information: summer@maplestreetschool.org