Virtual Brainstorm with Early Childhood Educators Part 2
—> View Zoom Recording HERE <—
Present:
Andrée Zaleska - (K) The Garland School (Waldorf inspired school) Brattleboro, VT
Jack Wright - Forest Friends Program, Wright-Locke Farm Winchester, MA
Laura Knight - (K/1) Plainfield Elementary School Meriden, NH
Jacey Norton - Framingham Centre Nursery School Framingham, MA
Janey Fryer - Riverbend School Natick, MA (Montessori school up to 8th grade)
Kathy Balman - Educating Children Outdoors Tempe, AZ
Maeghan Booska - Annette’s Preschool Hinesburg, VT
Stacie Schaefer - Boulder, CO
Resources Shared:
Social Story for Going Back to School: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NX9hui-UaEO-EZPEKK4C3BoixX_6u2LM/view
Virtual Video Tour of Green Meadow Waldorf School’s outdoor spaces (start at 2:30 to see their incredible lean to structure to at least inspire you): https://youtu.be/2A_3dXAdAfk
Questions and Answers:
How can we spend more time outside during the school year?
At least outdoors some of every day.
Backpacks for each child with discovery tools and hygiene supplies. This will be part of the parent/family supply list.
Backpacks with personal belongings and hooks in trees so packs aren’t sitting on the ground.
Supplies for children:
clay and other art supplies! Eye droppers, shovels, twine, pots and pans, small picnic table, clay, magnifying glasses, burlap, paint and brushes, chalk, mortar and pestle
Other possible supplies that can help extend learning: baskets, pulleys, hammers, shovels., scales, rulers, tape measures, geo boards,
Tools are good for teachers to have: hammer, nails, saw, knives, hand saw
How to build a structure/shelter for outdoor time?
tents or lean-to of some sort, EZups, PopUps,
Cut up yoga mats to use as sit-upons
Don’t use structures, bought a few tents from the local tent business and children have been taking leadership over their structure building.
How do we address academics outdoors?
State early learning standards…
How do we deal with bathrooming issues outdoors?
rent porta potties and porta sinks, which get serviced for us
Where do we get Rain/Snow clothing for each child?
Laundry line and each backpack has a carabiner so children can hang their pack up in between trees.
Are we going to actually expand our outdoor education program - is it outdoor education or is it learning outdoors?
For those of you who have worked all day with a mask what mask do you find the best for you and any recommends?
Disposable masks
Clear face shield
In VT you can take the mask off
Bandanas for older children to wear
Curriculum Ideas:
Project Bud Burst
Earth Echo
Cornell Lab Ornithology
creek critters thru Audubon naturalist Society
(Hinesburg, VT) - we can't take field trips, and must stay under the group size guidelines. also not a public school.
Now that we are open during the summer we are using Google Classroom as a way to provide visual documentation for families.
In MA - screenings for each child every morning… but it can happen on-line, wondering if this will make it easier (or less serious) if parents/guardians answer the questions on-line before drop-off?
Health screening stations have normalized pretty quickly! It seemed like it would be super daunting, but so far no problems and seem to be getting the hang of it. Same with the additional cleaning and sanitizing.
We provided families with a social story that proved to be helpful. We made name tag/picture badges bigger and sturdier so children can see actual faces. Teachers have the option of face shields or face masks. Having screening stations set up outside and having the parent there (for both people’s symptoms - child and parent/guardian), if you can see that someone has a lot of snot, etc. you can address it in private. Parent might not be fine, so these conversations can happen privately and there’s an “out” for anyone to leave if there is a concern. Being super careful of everyone’s privacy and unique situation.
Having staggered drop-offs and creating strategic drop-offs so children who really struggle with drop-offs have a little more time, etc.
