PreK Jammies Campout

Tuesday morning. Dateline Jolly Jumpers. What could be more fun than a PreK P.J. wearin' campout? How about a PreK P.J. wearin' campout, that goes on a "Lion Prowl"?? Yeah, now that's the ticket for serious, delirious PreK fun!! March showers bring April flowers, or something like that. Do you just love the flowers from the room of the 2.5 year olds? I'm thrilled that the teachers have allowed the children to 'assemble' their own flowers according to their own sensibilities. What a continuum of projects and what insight into our little Rembrandts. I'm just wild about all of that color! Spring really has arrived. Yahoo!!

Guitar Hero Anyone??

Monday morning. Dateline: League. Who wants to play guitar hero? Who wants to be a hero with a guitar?? Allow children the feeling of playing the real instrument. Empower them by forming the chords and let them do the strumming: that way everyone's a winner!! We sing each other's names. It's always a hit to get them up 'on stage' for their moment in the spotlight. That last picture is my favorite verse for the Hokey Pokey: "You put your tongue in, You put your tongue out......... and that's what it's all about!" My favorite bumper sticker: "What if the Hokey Pokey IS what it's all about?"

Left, Right, Left, Right

These pics are choreoghaphed as tightly as the June Taylor dancers from my mind's eye. Following directions: 10. Joie d'vivre: 10.
Eagerness to return to their classrooms with new tools: 10.

"Where is Pointer??"

Pointer, where are you?? And a little bit of 'left-to-right, left-to- right.' The afternoon was all handwriting preparedness, all the time. We moved the show upstairs but kept the enthusiasm at the same full tank level. Those are some good lookin' smiles. That's a whole lot of group participation, if you ask me!

Licking Co. Pathways

How good does this group look for 8:30 on a Saturday morning?? I think they're rev'ved up and ready to "Celebrate." We gathered together in the Reese Center of COTC in Newark for the second annual Licking County Pathways Early Childhood Conference. Last year's innaugural event was scheduled during the freakish March blizzard, where we recieved 22 inches of snow overnight. The weekend that it was rescheduled to, I was unable to participate as I was in Indy for their state AEYC convention. So this was my first-time. Responsive folks. Helpful. Enthusiastic.

Teacher Training/Sharing

After the communal concert, we regrouped and had time for teacher training -- with me sharing some of my latest ideas and encouragement. Here are a trio of enthusiastic teachers demonstrating their form on, "Ride My Bike." We're all in agreement that a minute goes a long way: core training, indeed. Last but not least are the classroom pets from Brittany's room. As our time together concluded she shared that she was the student who was honored with the scholarship in Akron, from their AEYC two years ago, when I presented the keynote (small world alert!) Today was my 2nd "cancer-versary" and the evening gathering where Brittany was honored was just after my initial diagnosis and surgery. She remembers being a part of one of the very first groups to tie a ribbon on my BC (Breast Cancer) scarf. Today was a walk down memory lane in more ways than one.

Bring on the Preschoolers!

What exactly does a group of 80 preschool children look like, you ask? Here you have it! All gathered together in one old-fashioned, wooden floor gymnasium. Eighty preschoolers, one "performer" in polka-dot, asymetrical skirt, a guitar and the top favorites of the Debbie's Ditties collection. (When I was walking down the hall, one of the children said to her friend, "There goes our performer for the afternoon.") How do you spell fun? To add to the excitement, the local TV camera crew was on hand..... including a pre-tip-off interview of me. Wonder what I have to do to track that down??