Numbering Our Days

 "So teach us to number our days

    that we may get a heart of wisdom. " Psalm 90:12

We're numbering our days.

Every morning,  we put the date on the calendar. We count how many days we've been together in class. Every day is a precious gift from God, an  opportunity to learn new things, to bring honor to God,  and to make a difference in our world. We want to use each day wisely and to make the most of every opportunity.

We never know what tomorrow may bring, so we don't want to waste the time we have today. With three unexpected days off, this past week did not go according to lesson plans. But we still managed to accomplish quite a few things. The class had its first experience in the science lab, where we used our five senses to explore God's world. The students tasted different flavors, experienced different sensations as they explored their sense of touch, and used their sense of smell to identify different substances. They investigated whether they needed both eyes open to be able to accurately throw a ball in a basket. (Oddly, some students were better able to land the ball in the basket when they closed both eyes....which goes to show that depth perception was not the only factor influencing the accuracy of their throwing. We need a lot more research before we can make a definite conclusion.)

We had lunch in our newly remodeled cafeteria; we're still refining our procedures, adjusting our schedule, and working out the kinks. And, true to form for Early Childhood, on our first day in the cafeteria, someone lost a tooth.

In Early Childhood, routines and procedures are very important, but the hurricanes disrupted our schedule by sending tornado alerts at Centers time on Wednesday and rain at recess time on Friday. But in spite of all that, we managed to find time for our students to take the STAR Early Literacy test and to make progress in math, handwriting, phonics, and sight words. 

We even celebrated a couple of birthdays.

We're learning to number our days and use them wisely. 

A Friend Loves at All Times

"A friend loves at all times."  Proverbs 17:17

We've got some new friends in our class. Here's a peek into some of our first-of-school activities.

One of our new friends is made from a spork!

With a few materials and a little bit of imagination, we made our own Forky.

 Forky thought he was trash. He ran away, but luckily he left us some clues as to his whereabouts. We used our QR code scanner to read the clues.

We chased him around the school, but in the end, he returned to the class to be with his new friends.

I hope he made it home in one piece!

                      We had a special snack: Duke Caboom's Raisin Pop Caboom Road Trip Snack Mix.

We did a science experiment to determine whether Forky would sink or float.

                                        We even celebrated a couple of birthdays.

                                                     Birthday boys got their own Eli the Eagle,

 

We "wrote the room" and found new words all around the classroom.

We matched upper and lower case letters. We're learning all about the alphabet.

We're developing listening skills.

We're using technology.

Letter sounds are all you need. Put them together and you can read.

We've been practicing our writing, too. Every day we're getting better and better.

Our Thursday Chapel service looks a little different since we're keeping our distance from other people and not gathering in large groups. But we worshiped in Chapel with Mrs. Cathy and Mrs. Bonaventure via Zoom. 

Sometimes we don't appreciate what we have until we have to do without it. After having to finished the fourth quarter of school by Distance Learning last semester, I was so happy to begin the new school year with face-to-face learning. In early childhood, the students are learning so much more than just academics. Social skills comprise an important component of early childhood education. As we come together as a class, the students are learning how to make new friends. They're learning how to take turns, how to speak politely to their classmates and to listen when their classmates talk. They're learning to help one another, to celebrate one another, and to be kind to one another. 

Our Chapel lesson this week was on friendship. Proverbs 17:17 says, "A friend loves at all times," and Mrs. Cathy taught the children that a good friend loves in good times and in bad times...whether his friend is happy or grouchy/

In-person instruction gives the students plenty of opportunities to practice being good friends. It's good to be back together, even if it means that I have to wear a mask or shield. It's worth all the extra hand washing, table-wiping, and sanitizing. I'm hopeful one day we'll be able to freely hug, huddle up, and hold hands. But until that time, these friends are learning to show love (at a  safe distance, of course).

You've Got a Friend in Our Class

Welcome to our Disney-themed classroom. You know, animated characters often have rich lessons to teach us. Though it may not be the express intention of the writers and animators, the lessons we learn in animated children's stories often remind us of Biblical truths. 

Take Toy Story 4. Forky is the new character in the fourth Toy Story movie. A little girl named Bonnie created Forky out of a spork, some play doh, googly eyes, and a few other craft supplies. Forky's famous quote is, "I am not a toy. I'm a spork. I'm made for soup, salad, maybe chili, and then the trash. I'm litter. Freedom."

Forky needs to learn to stop jumping in the trash can and to stop running away from Bonnie. He needs to learn that he's valuable to Bonnie because she created him. She loves him. 

One of the first lessons our students will learn during our Bible time is that each human being is created by God, and so each one of us is loved by him and is valuable to him. We are each created in God's image, and so each person is important and worthy of respect. 

So God created mankind in his own image,

    in the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them.   Genesis 1:27 NIV

Another recurring theme in Toy Story is friendship. Woody, Buzz, and the gang go out of their way to rescue Forky and return him to Bonnie. I hope the students will soon discover that our classroom is a place to meet new friends and a place to learn what it means to be a friend.

Which reminds me of another Bible verse: "A friend loves at all times." Proverbs 17:17

So welcome to T1. You've got a friend in our class.