IPS/Butler University Laboratory School

Some friends build a tower with some of our interesting materials. It keeps falling down!

This morning, the kids’ arrival activities included looking at books and building. I laid out a variety of building materials, including many of our new interesting materials, particularly caps and lids as well as small plastic fruit baskets .  THe kids have really taken to the plastic baskets and have used them a lot this week in different ways. Cameron, Zek, and Christian began to create a large tower out of the plastic fruit baskets but noticed that it kept falling down.  We brainstormed ways to make the baskets stronger. Monica came up with an interesting idea. “What if we stacked them like this?” Monica began stacking the baskets in a pyramaid like formation, alternating the basket location. The kids began adding to her structure and it got larger and larger. We were very excited for our new discovery!

Monica shares a new way to build with the materials. "It's stronger!"

We also continued our exploration with problem solving in math workshop today. The kids were challenged to work in pairs and work together to show their thinking.

Dylan sharing her work with the class.

Math workshop exploration continues. Ruth and Angela share their thinking.

We had quite the productive and exciting day today!  We continued to discuss being a bucket filler to each other and those around us today.  Every single child said they were a bucket filler so that is exciting to hear!  I also heard throughout the day many compliments going around which I praised the children for and told them that they were really showing that they were bucket fillers.  DeOnna and Selam said, “We are going to be bucket fillers everyday!”  I gave each person a flower that I made for them on Wednesday, and they are currently sitting in a vase at school.  Tomorrow we are going to finish up our buckets and then aim for each friend having a flower from another friend in their bucket.  Then, they will come home with their flower!  The buckets will stay at school so that we can continue to explore and build on friendship, respect, and kindness.

I opened the watercolor paints today in our classroom for the first time, and boy was that a hit!!  The mini studio table was filled the entire time with the kiddos painting and chatting…it was very fun to see their creative and social sides at work!

Sydney, Shaniyia, and Cha’kyra the last week or so have been building hotels in the block area so I put up some pictures of hotels near their structure (where they put a sign that read “Please do not touch.”), and then some other friends decided to build another hotel next to the previous structure.  There was some good conversation about hotels so this might be an area worth exploring more.

Today, after we did some problem solving in Math Workshop, I pulled out pattern blocks and pattern sheets for them to make pictures with the pattern blocks.  Woah, I was so impressed with how hardworking and excited they were to do these pattern block pictures!  I had so many kiddos asking for more and more pictures!

We are diving deeper into our reading, writing, and our mathematical problems solving…Here is a glimpse into our day!

Aaliyah and Heleria sort studio materials during free choice time.

Paris and Chloe use the computers during literacy stations.

La'Mount works with friends to build a block city during free choice time.

Here are some pictures from today of when some friends were creating buckets…

Some of our friends working hard on creating their buckets.

Cha'kyra showing her bucket!

Selam proud of her bucket!

Last week I sent home a paper explaining our environmental print study we are starting.  It was an exciting day today because we have a few friends bring in items to share!  We now have enough to start building our Environmental Print Word Wall.  If your child would like to bring a few things in that would be great.  So far we have cereal boxes, toys, and some bags from stores!  Send in anything you have!