End of Year Picnic!

Today we had our Native American Showcase and 1-2 Picnic on Sargent Field (a relief after the worry that we would have to picnic in the gym!). After such a successful showcase, there was no better way to celebrate than a huge family picnic on Sargent Field. All of the kids had at least one family member in attendance which made for a very special end of year time together. All of the kids have grown so much over the course of the year and have become very connected to one another. It's hard to imagine that we only have 3 1/2 days left together, but as we tell all of our beloved students: Once a member of the 1-2s, ALWAYS a member of the 1-2s!

We hope you all have a wonderful summer full of fun, adventures and relaxation. A special thank you to all of you who volunteered to do some watering for us over the summer to keep our garden hydrated, healthy and happy!

Enjoy the pictures below from our playful picnic party!

Native American Stations - Round 2

 Over the past few weeks, the kids have revisited our Native American Stations which have been furnished with new learning experiences! At one station, the group chose one of the many Native American folk tales we have read and performed it as a play. At another station, kids performed a traditional Native American chant to their own rhythm using authentic instruments such as drums and rattles to keep the beat. 

Another station gave kids the opportunity to create their own shield design based on animals or symbols that resonated with them. There was a Native American reference tool that kids could look up their animal clan based on when their birthday falls in the calendar year. Some kids chose that animal to be the focus of their design. 

At the weaving station, bead looms were replaced with looms for making potholders out of stretchy loops. Kids had to remember the "over, under" patterning that keeps the loops from coming apart once it's taken off the loom. 

This time around, the kids were tasked with a daily chore for Native American women and girls - grinding corn into flour to make cornbread each day. Using stone and wood mortars and pestles, the kids took turns smashing open kernels of corn and then grinding them down into something like a powder (some kids got a finer grain than others). All the while, kids sang a traditional song as the Native Americans themselves would have done to pass the time doing such a mundane task. While we advised them not to actually use or eat their small sample of ground corn, the experience was a powerful one. 

Finally, there were new games at the games station to test their skill as well as shrewdness. One is a Native American version of rock, paper, scissors called Tillikum. The symbols for this iteration are fingers down (water), fingers up (fire), and fingers flat (earth). Water puts out fire, fire scorches earth and earth absorbs water. The kids had fun having mini-tournaments of this game! There were also guessing games that involved hiding a rock in one hand behind your back and having your opponent try to correctly determine which hand the rock was hiding in and a game of stick-in-the-hoop in which the players toss sticks over their shoulder into a hoop that lay four feet behind them. 

Enjoy the pictures below. They are just a preview of what will be at the showcase next week!