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Sometimes the road can look long and winding. However, the journey together is worth it for many reasons. Through our shared experiences, facing challenges can be turned into welcoming opportunities. Having someone to lean on and share moments with can make difficult times more manageable and fun!  The moments we create together become cherished memories. These shared experiences often have lasting emotional significance and provide a sense of continuity and shared history. Brooks and Fides spend their last day together playing on the slide. Their laughter fills the air as they slide down. This moment captures the essence of our friendship, filled with laugher, trust, and the joy of shared experiences. Even with the slide as a simple piece of playground equipment. It becomes a symbol of our bond,-a place where we could be adventurous, supportive, and most importantly, ourselves. As some friends move on to kindergartens, this memory will be our lasting reminder of our connection. We will miss you … Brooks, Vivaan, Margo, and Felix! Kalyan, being the youngest friend at the moment, is observed to be increasingly interested in social play. Today, he engages in a lively game of peekaboo with his friends and educators. This simple, yet powerful, learning experience becomes a bridge for Kalyan to connect with the group, as well as experiencing the joy of being part of a group. This interaction highlights the importance of creating opportunities for us to engage in simple and repetitive games that build confidence and foster our social bonding. Emily is observed to be enjoying our time together with the group with this action song Ram Sam Sam. It is a popular traditional children's song and folk dance tune. Its catchy melody and simple, repetitive lyrics makes it inviting to sing along. We include a differentiation of different parts by tapping on the knees, rolling fingers, and raising arms up high. We bring Sara (our child-sized doll) to talk about the transition to kindergarten which is something that our children are experiencing in this moment. We ask, How do you think Sara is feeling about her first day? Margo listens attentively and acknowledges Sara's feelings, and says: "Maybe she is scared because she wants to stay in her (old) school". Margo's expression, through the aid of the child-size doll suggests that she is beginning to process her emotions which is a natural uncertainty of the unknown. We will continue bring it up Sara to provide children a safe space to express our feelings. On Kay's first day, there is an immediate connection with Margo. Despite being new to the environment, Kay seems at ease, mostly due to Margo's welcoming and nurturing presence. During our outdoor time in the park, both are playing as if they have known each other for a long time, running together, and sharing spontaneous hugs. Margo's kindness and enthusiasm provides Kay with a sense of belonging, turning what could have been a challenging first day into a positive and joyful experience. A moment of discovery turns into a learning opportunity for the group. During outdoor play, some children find a spider and react with a mix of curiosity and fear. However, Kay, showing both confidence and knowledge, reassures the group with a thoughtful explanation: Spiders are good because they eat the bad bugs. Kay's willingness to speak up provides a valuable learning experience for everyone, turning a moment of fear into an opportunity for growth. Also, underscores the value of outdoor play as setting for spontaneous, meaningful learning moments. We embark on a creative and meaningful project that allows us to visualize and understand the connections we share with each other. This project, which we name the Web of Friendship, is an interactive way to explore the bonds that hold us together, using something as simple as rubber bands and a wooden circle. The idea for this learning experience emerges from an intention to raise our understanding on sometimes abstract concepts of friendship, connection, and community. While we often discuss being friends and supporting each other, these ideas can be difficult for young minds to fully comprehend. The Web of Friendship is designed to make these concepts tangible and real, helping us see how each of our relationships contributes to the larger community. We use a circular wooden board as the base. Around the edge of the board, we securely place several sticks, each representing a member of our class. Every child is given an elastic band, which symbolized our unique connections within our group. Each stick on the board represents one of us, and that our elastic bands symbolize the friendships and connections we have with one another. As we take turns stretching our elastic bands from one stick to another, a vibrant and intricate web begins to form a Web of Friendship that visually captures the bonds we share. What makes this learning experience truly special is how it allows us to see, in a concrete way, how our individual connections create a strong, interconnected community. As the elastic bands crisscrosses the board, we observe how our relationships intertwines to form something much larger and more complex—a web that is both strong and supportive because of each and every one of us. The Web of Friendship visually and physically represents the connections and relationships among us in a group. It helps us understand that everyone plays a vital role in our community, showing how our friendships and bonds make the group stronger and more united. By participating in creating the web, we learn the value of each connection, realizing that every friendship contributes to the overall strength and stability of the group. This learning experience also fosters a sense of belonging and reinforces the idea that everyone is important and valued in our community. However, the elastic bands in our hands turn out to be another symbol of our creative minds. We learn creativity thrives in collaborative environments where ideas are freely exchanged and appreciated. We connect the elastic bands by looping them together to a certain length. Another creative idea leads to another!  We think of directions this time round! How should we move in a direction that keeps us in a harmonious arrangement? A symbol of arrows using tapes to be pasted on the floor indeed requires a collaboration among Nora, Kai, and Margo. When one cuts pieces of tapes, one helps to paste them, and another friend ensures the direction is accurate. Seeing others' creativity and passion can be incredibly motivating. It can inspire us to contribute our own ideas and strengths, creating a dynamic and engaged team. It is time to enjoy the fun now! Some of us are having fun in doing forward flip when others jump over the elastic band rope. Sharing the spirit of summer fire camp, we carefully learn about the safety of setting-up a safe and controlled fire grill for roasting marshmallows. We ensure it is in a secure area and we have proper fire safety measures in place. Friends learn how to roast marshmallows to our preferred level of gooeyness. Some like them lightly toasted, while others prefer them charred. We include a pinata afterward to learn how to aim our swing skills when the area is clear of obstacles. By combining the excitement of a pinata with the deliciousness of roasted marshmallows, we create a memorable end of summer celebration that all of us enjoy! Kindest,
Children & Friends.
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