Same, Same but Different
One of the hallmarks of the Lower School is the vibrant diversity of smiling faces. What all our students have in common are families who care about their education. The Preschool 4 class, where our students have the opportunity to befriend children from a variety of cultures and backgrounds, is no exception. Our first and most important focus in the beginning of the year is to help the children get to know each other. We want to establish an air of friendliness and kindness in our classroom. We accomplish this with the All About Me unit activities and explorations that are designed to build relationships and help children learn to work together.
Fun, Family, and Me
During our first months of school, the children and their families created posters to tell about themselves. They shared about their families and what they do for fun by using pictures to tell their story. Each child in our class related the interests they enjoyed and shared favorite photos of their family with their teachers and classmates. Like many of the activities in this unit, this All About Me project helped to highlight the characteristics we share as we celebrate our individual differences.
The Loose Parts Face Wall
At D-E we embrace diversity. Outside our room is The Loose Parts Face Wall, which simultaneously highlights the similarities and honors the differences within our preschool community. For example, each child’s likeness shares the same facial features: a mouth, a nose, ears, and eyes, but each child created their face in slightly different ways. Every student carefully studied their reflection in the mirror and chose recycled loose items to build their features. Their self-portraits are constructed with nuts and bolts, wires, feathers and other materials. Purposeful art projects, interviews, and family collages help preschoolers build cohesion and reveal similar interests that serve as a springboard for budding friendships and build a sense of community.