Greetings from Macdonough (Kind of)!

Greetings from the Macdonough Kickstart team!

Everyone is excited for circle time!

It's been a crazy week and a half, and we're excited to announce that it's been going great! We spent the first three days of our program at Macdonough, before we were unexpectedly moved to Green Street because of the water damage. Turns out everything is fine and the building just needs some minor repairs.

M, A, and X
painting with fruits and vegetables

We've had between 8-12 students so far, and we're expecting up to 16 at the start of next week. After absences due to illnesses, holidays, family trips, and confusion at the change of location, it'll be nice to be finally settled into a routine. 

X, D, and M
on the playground

Our schedule is very similar to that of our Green Street friends, although with a few differences because of the change of location. Our lunch and rest time are a little bit earlier, which means that we get more outside time in the afternoons. Our kids aren't particularly bothered by which playground they're playing on, but love the opportunity to run around and engage in pretend play. They've particularly enjoyed being "princes" and "princesses" as Ms. Taylor acts as "Queen Taylor." Queen Taylor has her loyal followers and her regular bandits, and some who just switch back and forth to trick their friends.

S making ice cream with Ms. Julie

Our new classroom has been great, with the dress-up bin and kitchen in dramatic play, and the car table in blocks and puzzles being particularly big hits.

C constructing a pasta scene

This week was food week, which meant that everything we've done has centered around food. So far, we've read Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss, Pancakes, Pancakes by Eric Carle, Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban, and Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey, and they were all big hits. We made pasta necklaces, painted with different fruits and vegetables, constructed a delicious meal, and made scenes out of pasta shapes in arts and crafts. In our stories center, we wrote about our favorite foods and wrote ingredients down for some delicious cooking, and in our games center, we did some playdoh pizza math, and helped Mr. Panda serve his guests in a Dinner at the Panda Palace. 

J with her new friend L

One of the most exciting parts of our week has been our special activities, especially because we got to do them with out friends from Green Street! On Monday, we made healthful, no-bake energy balls with Mr. Andy out of oats, peanut butter, coconut, honey, and a few chocolate chips. Tuesday, Ms. Julie taught us how to make ice cream from scratch, and Wednesday, we got to decorate cupcakes with Ms. Crissy. 

M blowing bubbles

As always, everyone is trying new foods every day. This week alone, we tried pears, avocados, peaches, peppers, and cucumbers. Everyone tries everything, even if they don't like it.

Almost time to get up from quiet time, but stay tuned for more coming very soon!

Check out pictures at http://ribnerphotography.zenfolio.com/f411647875 and keep checking for more updates!