The letter R was a perfect time for rocket ships, rope and our new story, Rapunzel! The kids loved building towers out of lots of different materials. It was a perfect time to practice measurement and comparative math language. As with all our fairy tales, we read diverse versions representing various cultures. Students also became engineers, thinking of better ways to escape a tower than climbing your hair! We developed empathy exploring how lonely it was in that tower and comparing to feeling lonely ourselves. We also began our study of famous women in history with art activity inspired by Alma Woodsey Thomas. She didn’t start her career as an artist until her 70s and we could relate as the day before we celebrated the 100th day of school by being 100 years old. Our leftover marshmallows from the 100th day snack became building materials as we made marshmallow towers. We used hard spaghetti to brace our structures and cooked spaghetti as the rope to escape. Students had to be sure their rope was longer than the tower to ensure success. It was also a great physical reminder for our spaghetti breaths- another mindfulness technique we have learned. To try it you simply make your body verse straight and stiff like uncooked spaghetti as you inhale. Hold it for a few seconds and then let your body loosen on the exhale like wiggly cooked pasta! As always our week was filled with lots of time outside, lots of music and lots of dance parties. Currently our group is obsessed with Encanto and a song about girl struggling with the burden of being with superhuman strength seemed pretty fitting for Women’s Month.