Zigzy-Zagzy

Yesterday, Max's mom brought in a very astounding toy to share with the Turtles for a few days. As you can see, it is quite the contraption, but it had no name. So, this morning we decided what we would call it - The Zigzy-Zagzy! This was one of the most popular choices at Choice Time.

At Morning Meeting, Robbie's mom, Margaret, came in and read us two of their family's favorite holiday books: Runaway Dreidel and Night Tree. The Turtles really enjoyed both stories and, afterwords, Margaret told them about another surprise. She told the kids that she'd brought books that were going to be gifts to children who would be in the hospital over the holidays and asked that each Turtle sign a card that would go inside one of the book gifts. She explained that this was a season for giving, and that this would be a good way to share that tradition.

Turtles used their Choice Time today to continue working in groups on some very complex buildings. The teamwork in evidence in the block area these days is producing many complex structures, as well as requiring serious negotiation skills.

Still other friends worked with the watercolors, producing increasingly colorful and detailed pieces.
Oh, and it should be mentioned that, for quite a few Turtles, all of these activities occurred while they were Superheroes. Yes, capes have become a regular part of the Turtle uniform over the past few days, so you families can relax knowing that our classroom has an extra level of protection from evildoers.

Today, for the first time, we asked the Turtles to reflect on the choices they had made at Choice Time - specifically what they liked about their choices. This is an extension of "Plan-Do-Reflect"cycle of activity. As the children become more familiar with the idea of reflection, they are providing deeper and more complex answers to the questions.