Jane Horn writes: Using nature as a classroom is central to the mission of Sandwich Children’s Center, and SCC friends love being outdoors. They regularly bundle up in the winter to play in the snow, and exploring the natural world continues year round. As for school buses to get places, who needs them?
Sandwich Central School kindergarteners (“morning friends”) take a noon “walking school bus” – an SCC teacher meets them at the school and walks with them back to the Children’s Center for the afternoon. Preschoolers walk to the library on Friday mornings for story time, and even the infants and toddlers join in the fun on May Day when the children deliver potted flowers to neighbors’ houses. So when it was time for the preschoolers to go on a field trip to the post office, I knew to wear my snow boots!
As Valentine’s Day approached, the preschoolers wrote love letters to family members. Actually, they dictated their letters to scribes, then signed their names and drew pictures. What’s the #1 activity that the children love doing with their parents and relatives? Playing, of course! (“I love to play with you night and day.”) They also love to color with markers, make snow angels, and bake cookies. Who doesn’t?
Sandwich Central School kindergarteners (“morning friends”) take a noon “walking school bus” – an SCC teacher meets them at the school and walks with them back to the Children’s Center for the afternoon. Preschoolers walk to the library on Friday mornings for story time, and even the infants and toddlers join in the fun on May Day when the children deliver potted flowers to neighbors’ houses. So when it was time for the preschoolers to go on a field trip to the post office, I knew to wear my snow boots!
As Valentine’s Day approached, the preschoolers wrote love letters to family members. Actually, they dictated their letters to scribes, then signed their names and drew pictures. What’s the #1 activity that the children love doing with their parents and relatives? Playing, of course! (“I love to play with you night and day.”) They also love to color with markers, make snow angels, and bake cookies. Who doesn’t?
On Tuesday, four very patient SCC teachers (Sarah, Christina, Chanda, and Tawnya) helped the children into their snowsuits, boots, hats and mittens, and led them up the road to the post office. The children took turns sliding their letters into the mail slot and then peering through the opening to try seeing where the disappearing envelopes went. (“I can’t see anything!”) The mystery was cleared up when Postmaster Deb Lindsey invited the children through the door into the workroom where mail is received, sorted, and sent out.
They were introduced to the giant orange rolling bins (called “pumpkins”) used to transport letters and parcels to and from the loading dock. (One friend declared, “That’s a bed. I could sleep in it!”) And they were fascinated by the lift used to move the pumpkins in and out of delivery trucks.
Postmaster Deb welcomed questions (“Do you know where my cousins live?”), and the children were encouraged to write to Santa, as the letters are actually sent out. This suggestion caused quite a stir, as you can imagine, and one child helpfully volunteered that she knows how to get to the North Pole: “You take a train and there are coyotes.” Sounds dangerous!
The preschoolers seemed less than enthusiastic about the walk back to the Children’s Center until one teacher assured them, “We’ll have time to play in the snow when we get back.” With a resounding chorus of “Yay!” off they went. No bus needed.
They were introduced to the giant orange rolling bins (called “pumpkins”) used to transport letters and parcels to and from the loading dock. (One friend declared, “That’s a bed. I could sleep in it!”) And they were fascinated by the lift used to move the pumpkins in and out of delivery trucks.
Postmaster Deb welcomed questions (“Do you know where my cousins live?”), and the children were encouraged to write to Santa, as the letters are actually sent out. This suggestion caused quite a stir, as you can imagine, and one child helpfully volunteered that she knows how to get to the North Pole: “You take a train and there are coyotes.” Sounds dangerous!
The preschoolers seemed less than enthusiastic about the walk back to the Children’s Center until one teacher assured them, “We’ll have time to play in the snow when we get back.” With a resounding chorus of “Yay!” off they went. No bus needed.