Creative Learning Circle

Teaching through the Arts: Positive Change

2009-04-21T12:21:00.000-07:00

I was invited by Jeffrey Billard of Northeastern University to participate in their Teaching Through the Arts online community. I like what he recently posted in their blog regarding positive change in the classroom, especially his comment about teaching kids and not content. It's the way we interact with children and respond to them and their needs and interests that teaches them the most, about content, relationships, and life in general. Click here to read his full post.

CLC Mock Election

2008-11-05T20:12:00.000-08:00

Thanks to those who participated in the National Student Parent Mock Election, and sponsored by School Perceptions!
Here are our results.
Question: Make your choice for President of the United States. (Vote for one)
countpercentage
a) Barack Obama (D)

7 63.63
b) John McCain (R)

3 27.27
c) Alan Keyes (America's Independent Party)
0 0.0
d) Bob Barr (L)

1 9.09
e) Cynthia McKinney (G)

0 0.0
f) Ralph Nader (Peace and Freedom Party)

0 0.0
g) Write in 0 0.0

Question: If you are a student, what grade are you in?
countpercentage
1st 1 9.09
2nd 3 27.27
3rd 0 0.0
4th 2 18.18
5th 2 18.18
6th 0 0.0
7th 0 0.0
8th 2 18.18
9th 0 0.0
10th 0 0.0
11th 0 0.0
12th 0 0.0
No response 1 9.09

Question: In your opinion, how important is it for the government to focus on the following issues in the next four years?
(items are sorted by average highest to lowest)
ItemResponseCount%
The cost and quality of health care Absolutely Critical 1 10.0
Very Important 5 50.0
Somewhat Important 2 20.0
Not Important 0 0.0
Not Sure 2 20.0

The economy Absolutely Critical 2 22.22
Very Important 2 22.22
Somewhat Important 3 33.33
Not Important 0 0.0
Not Sure 2 22.22

The educational system Absolutely Critical 1 12.5
Very Important 3 37.5
Somewhat Important 1 12.5
Not Important 2 25.0
Not Sure 1 12.5

Global climate change and the environment Absolutely Critical 3 37.5
Very Important 4 50.0
Somewhat Important 0 0.0
Not Important 0 0.0
Not Sure 1 12.5

The high cost of energy Absolutely Critical 1 11.11
Very Important 4 44.44
Somewhat Important 3 33.33
Not Important 0 0.0
Not Sure 1 11.11

National security Absolutely Critical 2 22.22
Very Important 4 44.44
Somewhat Important 3 33.33
Not Important 0 0.0
Not Sure 0 0.0

The war in Afghanistan Absolutely Critical 2 22.22
Very Important 3 33.33
Somewhat Important 2 22.22
Not Important 0 0.0
Not Sure 2 22.22

The war in Iraq Absolutely Critical 3 33.33
Very Important 2 22.22
Somewhat Important 2 22.22
Not Important 0 0.0
Not Sure 2 22.22

Question: The government is limited to how much money it can raise through taxes. In your opinion, which one of these issues would government spending help the most?
countpercentage
The cost and quality of health care 4 40.0
The economy 2 20.0
The educational system 0 0.0
Global climate change and the environment 4 40.0
The high cost of energy 0 0.0
National security 0 0.0
The war in Afghanistan 0 0.0
The war in Iraq 0 0.0

Question: If miracles could happen, which one of the following Presidents would you want to lead the nation?
countpercentage
a) George Washington

4 40.0
b) Thomas Jefferson

1 10.0
c) Abraham Lincoln

2 20.0
d) Teddy Roosevelt

0 0.0
e) Franklin Roosevelt

1 10.0
f) Harry S. Truman

0 0.0
g) Dwight D. Eisenhower

0 0.0
h) John F. Kennedy

1 10.0
i) Ronald Reagan

0 0.0
j) Bill Clinton

1 10.0

Science and the Arts Course

2008-04-20T16:29:00.000-07:00

We've had three illuminating sessions of our newest integrated arts course, Science and the Arts with Kirk Fisher. Weeks 1 and 2 we delved into the principles of light with a visually informative Powerpoint presentation, several hands-on experiences and art projects. Week 1 we learned that light is made of wavelengths that our brain perceives as color, and that each color has its own frequency. We experimented with mixing colors and learned that the primary colors of light [red, green, blue] differ from what artists typify as primary colors [red, yellow, blue]. We saw how mixing colored light also differs from mixing colored paints.

Week 2 we continued our look at light and the concepts of reflection, refraction, and diffraction. We learned that reflections form when the bounces off a surface, and refraction occurs when light bends as it travels through different materials (a pen placed in a cup of water appears to bend). The kids most enjoyed looking at diffraction, or interference in rays of light that causes the rays to separate into the spectrum of colors, through diffraction glasses, a prism, and by shining a flashlight through the fine barbs of a feather. The kids then each made their own "whirl stick," an art-toy that mixes light by spinning the rainbow colors so fast they appear to glow a greyish white.

With Earth Day in mind, for week 3 we focused on scientific and artistic properties of molecules and water. We learned that molecules are made of combinations of atoms and that the water molecule is made of 2 hydrogen and one oxygen atoms. We compared molecules to magnets and learned that molecules have positive, negative, or neutral charges that attract or repel other molecules. We learned why lipids (fats or oils) and water repel, and then we saw this first hand with jars of water, vegetable oil, and food coloring. We added soap to see how these repellent properties can mix when their charges are balanced. Then the kids painted posters for our upcoming Earth Fair with themes of water conservation, observing first hand the repelling of water and oil as they drew first with crayons and then water-colored over their designs.

Literary Musical Theater in Full Swing

2008-02-26T15:23:00.000-08:00

We're in the midst of our newest offering, in which kids "play" with folk tales and music to create their own dramatic musical renditions of classic children's literature. Each Friday, eight kids gather to sing and play for two hours. We start each class with a singing game and then either a music or drama game. After a storytelling, the kids are then invited to dramatize the story. We then develop some musical accompaniments [such as an adaptation of a folk song to fit the story or a percussion medley] and incorporate these into our enactment of the story.

During the first several weeks, we played with a different folk tale each day. These included Hare and Tortoise, The Awongalema Tree (a traditional Zambian tale), Tiddalik [or The Greedy Frog] from Australia, and the well-known Little Red Hen story [our retelling of this one included a "rap"].

For the last four weeks, we are creating a performance piece with our own unique rendition of the classic tale, Stone Soup. After writing our own script, adapting folk songs, creating a medley with xylophones and glockenspiel, painting our own sets, and making up a celebration dance, we'll invite family members to watch our first full-blown production!

New Science and the Arts Course this Spring!

2008-02-14T16:53:00.000-08:00

We're offering an exciting new Integrated Arts & Academics course this Spring:
"Science and the Arts"
Here's the description:
Scientists, artists, and musicians share a very important trait: imagination. Exercise your innate scientist and artist in this unique class as you learn new ways to think about the world and develop creative problem-solving skills by applying your imagination and curiosity to scientific concepts and processes.

Kids ages 6 - 12 will have a great time as they:
*explore the science of chromatography
*perform experiments in capillary action and testing surface tension
*investigate kinetics, equlibrium, vibrations and waves
*create their own musical instruments and visual art projects
*develop creative problem-solving skills
*collaborate with other scientists in a small-group environment

Fridays 1:30 - 3:00
April 4, 11, 18, 25; May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
Location: Creative Learning Circle's Home-school in Wildomar
Cost: $22/class includes all materials [session total: $200 or $180 with prepayment discount]

Taught by Enicia Fisher and her "Little" brother Kirk Fisher, recent honors graduate with a Bachelor in Science [focusing on neuroscience] from UCR who is also an incredible artist and super nice guy.

Two teachers + maximum 12 kids = maximum fun and learning potential!!!

Creative Learning Circle is a vendor for Dehesa, Julian, River Springs, and Sky Mountain Charter Schools. 10% Prepayment discount given to those who pay in full before the start of class.

Reserve your child's space today by emailing "eniciafisher" at "gmail.com"

Possible Offerings for the New Year

2007-12-17T14:40:00.000-08:00

I am thinking about next year (January - June) and what I might offer through Creative Learning Circle. For the past few months I've been seeking a site outside the home where I could offer all the wonderful classes that I want to teach, including a two-day integrated arts program. I have not found anything yet, so I will continue teaching out of the home and therefore teach only one day per week (most likely Fridays). Before I set my schedule, I'd like to hear which programs most interest prospective families. Here are the options I'm considering [keep in mind I'll have to choose just one of these per 10-week session, so let me know your top one or two interests]:

Creative Music Circle [ages 6 & up; one hour per week; $15/week] -- Children will explore musical elements through singing, movement, chant, percussion and melodic instruments, along with improvisation and composition. [We now have some wonderful performance quality xylophones!!!]

Recorders, Rhythm & Rhyme [ages 7 -12; one hour per week; $15/week] -- Kids will learn musical improvisation, composition, theory, and more through poetry, recorders and a variety of percussion & melodic instruments. Some musical experience or proficiency needed for this faster-moving class.

Literary Musical Theater [ages 6 -12; three hours, one morning per week; $30/week] -- We'll take folk tales or other children's literature and write our own scripts, songs, musical accompaniments, and more! Kids will create their own costumes, sets, etc. A wonderful integration of literature, art, music, drama, multicultural appreciation, and collaborative learning. Includes a lunch break so kids can socialize.

Integrated Arts "Circle Day" [ages 6-12; five hours, one day per week; $40/week] -- We'll study thematic units and integrate all academic areas with art, music, literature, and small-group or independent projects. Includes lunch break & social time as well as time for kids to choose self-directed learning activities.

As always, Creative Learning Circle maintains small class sizes (10-12 students maximum), so each child reaps the benefits of individualized, small-group instruction.

Creative Learning Circle is a vendor for Dehesa, Julian, River Springs, and Sky Mountain Charter Schools.

Email eniciafisher@gmail.com if you'd like to save a spot for your child in one of these programs! Visit our website for more information about Creative Learning Circle.

Kids Embark on International Studies Theme

2007-05-06T13:22:00.000-07:00

This week we embarked on a new learning theme for the month, “Children Like me Around the World.” Since several kids in our Learning Circle have loose teeth, we enjoyed an interesting slant as we introduced this theme with the picture book, “Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions from Around the World.” The kids delighted in learning the similarities and vast differences in the traditions surrounding this central rite of childhood. [In Costa Rica, baby teeth get plated with gold and are made into earrings; in the Phillipines kids hide their teeth in a special place and make a wish—if they can find it a year later, they get to make another wish!] We also talked about how amazing it is, really, that kids all over the world, in every land and culture, experience the same sensations and emotions as they wiggle their loose tooth and their adult teeth begin to emerge.

With a nod to the Mexican Cinco de Mayo holiday, this Friday our Music Circle explored elements of melody through a Spanish folk song and dance. We began with the universal basic melody found in children’s folk songs around the world [sol-mi] which children recognized as the “teasing” melody, learned the handsigns for these notes, and sung the interval in various patterns. We extended our practice in matching pitch and recognizing this foundational melodic interval by then “singing” our names using just these two pitches with various patterns. The kids stayed completely engaged through this process which might sound rote but actually gave them room for individual creative expression. And even if they didn’t realize it, they began solo singing as they each composed their own name melody and sang it to the group. We then learned “El juego chirimbolo,” a rather complex Spanish folk song & dance. Because of our mixed-age group, we were able to have fun with a dance that would probably not be attempted by any typical class under grade 3, but the older kids in our little group enjoyed leading the younger kids through the movement and we all enjoyed the community learning experience of this game. I was able to work with the kids’ voices, striving for more attention to vocal quality, pitch and melody, as the kids learned the singing game and repeated the same song countless times without even realizing they were practicing a song over and over again. ; )

Later in our Circle Day we read the book “Frida” by Johan Winter, a beautifully illustrated biography of Mexico’s famous artist, Frida Kahlo. This book explores how imagination and art lift the spirit and restore life even during the most difficult conditions, as was demonstrated in the life-work of Kahlo. We also pored over Unicef’s great book “Children Just Like Me,” along with an oversized atlas, as the children discussed and decided upon the countries that interest each of them for their next learning project. We had some negotiation as we tried to get one country from each continent; between the five kids we’ll have projects on these countries: Iceland, Spain, Congo, India, and New Zealand, and I’ll cover Argentina since I love tango music and dance.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll continue our world travels and each child in the Learning Circle will gain in-depth cultural knowledge of one country through project-based research, and then the children will share what they’ve learned through an International Festival on June 1st. I look forward to seeing where this journey takes us over the next few weeks!

"Home in the Sage"

2007-04-17T20:13:00.003-07:00

Home in the Sage
Written by Creative Music Circle
April 2007
Inspired by the book, Where the Buffalo roam by Jacqueline Geis
Featuring wildlife of the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Preserve

Sing to the tune of “Home on the Range”

Oh, give me a home
Where the coyotes roam
Where the mule deers and brush rabbits play
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word,
And the skies are not cloudy all day

CHORUS
Home, home in the sage,
Where the deer and the brush rabbits play
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word,
And the skies are not cloudy all day

Oh, show me a land
Where the tall live oaks stand
And the bobcats and ground squirrels run
Where the rattlesnake lies still
As the horned lizard will
In the warmth of the afternoon sun

Oh, the cottonwoods grow
Where the creeks in Spring flow
And the young golden eagles are seen
Where boulders hold water
For the creatures in summer
When the meadows are no longer green

CHORUS

Oh, give me a place
Where the hummingbirds race
And the red-shouldered hawk flies so high
Where the wild lilacs bloom
And there’s plenty of room
For the quails and woodpeckers to fly

I’m so glad there’s some space
For the chaparral and sage
For the badger and tarantulas to be free
For the diving beetles to swim
And the frog’s life to begin
And the yellow-rumped warblers to sing

CHORUS
Home, home in the sage,
Where the deer and the brush rabbits play
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word,
And the skies are not cloudy all day

Kids Passionate about Nature, Naturally

2007-04-17T20:13:00.002-07:00

In April we expanded our Life Science studies to an emphasis on ecology, with special events for Earth Day and National Wildlife Week. I knew we were venturing into passionate territory when we began to talk, read, and sing about endangered species and the rainforest. Once again kids pursued their individual interests within our overall theme with project-based activities. In collaboration with our new Young Naturalist Club, the kids each chose a special topic to work on for their individual projects. We had a beautiful display on litter such as styrofoam and plastic bags and its effects on wildlife, a hands-on display explaining how and why to choose earth-friendly toys with samples to pick up and play with, an anti-litter campaign DVD/habitat/poster exhibit, a poster plea on simple ways each person can save the rainforest, and a tri-fold poster on the relationship between cell phones and loss of gorilla habitat. Phew!!! Did we learn a lot about the interconnectedness of all life on earth! Please read the Earth Fair coverage (http://youngnaturalist.blogspot.com/) to learn about the wonderful community education event sponsored by our little group at the local public library.

In our music circle we were inspired by the book, “Where the Buffalo Roam” by Jacqueline Geis, to write our own song featuring the wildlife, plants, trees, and landforms of our local Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Preserve. Sung to the tune of “Home on the Range,” the kids’ own poetic rendition of this one-of-a-kind ecosystem deserves its own post.

We also learned about fascinating symbiotic relationships through the beautiful book “Friendships in Nature” by James Gary Hines II with paintings by Jan Martin McGuire. We read the picture book “For the Love of Our Earth” by P.K. Hallinan along with “50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth” by The EarthWorks Group to inspire our Earth Day projects. Over the two weeks we read Jean Craighead George’s chapter book “One Day in the Tropical Rainforest” in which a young native boy saves his rainforest home by finding a nameless butterfly. Each time we read some chapters out of the book I’d have kids jumping up from their seats saying things like “We have to do something!” or “It’s just not fair that we have homes and the animals are losing their homes!” and then they’d proceed to draw or paint or work on their Earth Fair projects with renewed resolve and interest.

Celebrate National Wildlife Week!

2007-04-17T20:13:00.001-07:00

This week, go on a bird walk, research your favorite wild animal, hike in a nature preserve, hang a bird feeder, fill a bird bath, or plant some flowers to attract butterflies.
Visit the National Wildlife Federation's website for inspiration and ideas for ways your family can get outside and celebrate:

Springtime, Phenology, and Lifelong Learning

2007-04-17T20:13:00.000-07:00

This is what I love about learning alongside children: I’m brimming with excitement over learning something new. While thinking about our Spring study of the “life science” of plants and animals, my interest was tempered by a feeling of “been there, done that.” At first, all I could think of were the typical science experiments with sad plants in cups in the classroom window and lifeless drawings of the anatomy of a plant. I also felt like it would be overwhelming to fit together a study of plants, insects, and animals because each is such a huge topic area. I knew I needed some fresh inspiration for a holistic study of this wondrous process.

During an internet search, I stumbled upon the term phenology on a wonderful site for “nature detectives” in the UK. This may be a common term in Great Britain or among climatologists, but I had never heard it, and it’s such a great concept! Bingo! We’ll study the relationship between climate and living things and nothing could be more relevant to these precious kids who will be part of the solution in an era of climate change.

Once the kids and I got going, following our interests in this area and getting dirty with some good hands-on measuring, planning, digging, planting, watering, and observing, we sure covered a lot of intellectual territory in a few short weeks.

As always, a variety of great literature inspired us on our journey. We read a great picture books like “Growing Wild: Inviting Wildlife into Your Yard” by Constance Perenyi and “Sunflower House” by Eve Bunting, both of which inspired us to plant flowers and trees that attract, feed and shelter birds, bees, and butterflies and to hang up seed and nectar bird feeders. We also measured and plotted a bean-pole teepee and planted peas, nasturtium, and passion vines around it. The kids crowded inside to see how many can fit and look forward to being shaded in their home-grown garden retreat once the vines grow big. After reading the hilarious story “Tops & Bottoms” by Janet Stevens, the kids were even more interested in the carrots, broccoli, and corn growing in our kitchen garden. I also used several good reference books [Sunflower Houses by Sharon Lovejoy, Seeds of Change: Learning from the Garden by Mannes & Rehns, and Gardening Wizardry for Kids by L. Patricia Kite] to guide us in experimenting with seedlings and watching how plants respond to temperature, light, soil, wind, and also practical gardening outdoors.

Of course the kids needed no encouragement to dive into learning about a variety of animals too. We read some fun poetry about animals and a great chapter book, “Funny Frank,” by Dick King-Smith (author of Babe: The Gallant Pig). The kids delighted in hearing the story of a chick who wants to swim with the ducks and the inventive way his human family helps him to follow this seemingly absurd dream. We also read several Aesop’s Fables about animals that each kid had identified an interest in, and it was fun to hear some of the “morals” being brought up later to resolve conflict during outdoor play.

Our month ended with fabulous presentations of the projects each child pursued at home and during Circle Days. We had a poster teaching all about wild mustangs, a diorama with facts about the endangered Pacific Pocket Mouse, a fan book and diorama about the life cycle and habitat of frogs, a beautiful diorama and lapbook about dolphins, and a creative picture book about a pet bunny with accompanying poster featuring cottontail rabbits. The kids presented their projects individually and loved sharing all that they had learned together with the group.

And all of this enriched with songs, rhymes, music & movement renditions, paintings, drawings, and poetry writing. The colors of Spring, along with scientific exploration and discovery, reflected in a colorful array of learning and celebrating together. I'm so glad to be learning along with these children for my own lifelong learning adventure!

Celebrating African-American Heritage and History

2007-03-01T15:12:00.000-08:00

For the latter half of February, we focused on the challenges and contributions of African-Americans to our cultural heritage and history. We read some wonderful literature (recommended titles to follow), went on a field trip, sang spirituals, and created art inspired by what we were learning.

We enjoyed a field trip to Riverside Community College to watch a play, “Letters to Harriet Tubman.” This well-done performance featured only two actors but kept a lively audience informed and entertained with spirituals, work songs, and stories from this inspiring woman’s life.

We read excerpts from a chapter book, American Diaries: Zellie Blake by Kathleen Duey. This historical fiction followed its hard-working heroine as she started a new life in a boardinghouse for factory girls. As an African-American in the North in 1834, Zellie was “free” from slavery but still endured segregation and discrimination. Her bravery and integrity shines through.

We also read and sang “This Little Light of Mine” with a gloriously illustrated rendition in a picture book title Let it Shine by Ashley Bryan. The kids marveled at the cut-paper collage, appreciating the intricate illustrations even more after their own experiences with this art form. The kids also played a host of authentic African percussion instruments during a repeat of the song.

Our art class featured creating a paper “story quilt” inspired by our readings. Several books we read featured the symbolic quilts used in the Underground Railroad to convey secret messages to runaway slaves. Students in art class created their own autobiographical story quilts and made paper collages with a variety of patterns. Some created very symmetric or geometric “quilts” while others made fun “crazy quilts.”

One parent asked, so I'm sharing my current Top Three books related to African-American History:

1. Show Way (Newbery Honor Book) by Jacqueline Woodson (Author) and Hudson Talbott (Illustrator).
This wonderful book gives an overview of African-American history-in-a-nutshell through the autobiographical story of one family line from slavery to the Civil Rights Movement and beyond. The beautiful illustrations include quilting patterns in the frames along with symbolism found in the quilts, and the book emphasizes the power of love and strength prevailing through hardship. I highly recommend it.

2. Barefoot: Escape on the Underground Railroad by Pamela Duncan Edwards (Author) and Henry Cole (Illustrator).
This fictional account creatively shows how animals help a runaway slave.

3. Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom (Caldecott Honor
Book) by Carole Boston Weatherford (Author) and Kadir Nelson (Illustrator).
This one illuminates the spiritual leading Harriet Tubman followed to find freedom and lead others to freedom in the North. Very well done, if you are interested in a book with a lot of religious inspiration.

The Art of Letter Writing, February Field Trips

2007-02-08T20:52:00.000-08:00

Taking advantage of our Valentine’s holiday tradition, we’re focusing on letter-writing this month! While we may not be writing love notes, we'll have plenty of creative fun while expressing ourselves through the medium of words on paper. Yesterday’s Circle Time included a reading of “Dear Peter Rabbit” by Alma Flor Ada, a fun and creative new tale featuring favorite storybook characters. The children were delighted to discover that Goldilocks is actually Mr. McGregor’s daughter, and secretly befriends Peter Rabbit through a letter exchange. She also corresponds with “Baby Bear,” who happens to be friends with Pig One, and well, you’ll just have to read all the fun letters to enjoy the twist of a story. After reading this, the kids were inspired to write their own letters to both fictional and real characters, including letters to Darth Maul, George Lucas, a best friend, and grandma. We also sang and played the circle game, “A- Tisket, A-Tasket” and imagined what tantalizing information might be written in that lost letter.

In the afternoon we thoroughly enjoyed a field trip to the Escondido Children’s Museum and Arts Center for some creative playtime and a dance performance. The kids mostly enjoyed playing school in a turn-of-the-century one-room-schoolhouse featuring a primer for each grade and dresses, bonnets, and button-down shirts. They experimented with surface tension inside a big bubble, and they put on a one-of-a-kind multicultural dress-up song and dance puppet show. Then we all ventured over to the auditorium for a high-energy performance by the San Diego-based teen Unity Dance Ensemble.

The kids (and moms) seem to really enjoy our close-knit community, a circle of friends to learn and adventure together.

Check back to read about our other field trips this month:
“Letters to Harriet Tubman” by Performance Riverside
Wildomar Post Office

Winter Eurythmics and Playing with “Snow” to Learn about Polymers and Osmosis

2007-01-30T21:42:00.000-08:00

We’ve continued having fun and learning with our winter theme through more great poems, stories, songs, and musical movement. . . and playing with magical fake snow—indoors! During one circle time the kids explored multiple and divided beats with songs about winter animals. We also read a poem about hungry birds in winter and a beautifully illustrated rendition of Robert Frost’s poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” (I highly recommend this picture book version illustrated by Susan Jeffers.) We made bird feeders with bagels, peanut butter, and bird seed. Another day we played with anapest (short-short-long rhythmical pattern) with a song to spell January and another song about January weather, and then we “ice skated” the anapest pattern in our socks on the wooden floor.

A side-note about Eurythmics: this is a method of teaching music with the body as the instrument. Eurythmics activities use movement as a vehicle for experiencing music in a way that engages the “whole person”—rather than learning music by rote or mechanical repetition, a musical concept is explored first through the child’s basic vocabulary of movement which leads to a deeper understanding of the elements of music. When children eventually approach written music, they will have internalized the elements of music and the notation will make more sense to them. This resembles the way children naturally learn to read and write words, after they have explored language through song, rhymes, and listening and have developed an internal drive to use the language independently.

This winter has been very dry in our area, so we haven’t even enjoyed the usual winter view of snow-capped mountains. But that hasn’t kept us from playing with snow. The kids enjoyed a science lesson on polymers and osmosis by playing with artificial snow in a big tub. They watched a few tablespoons of powder turn into a fluffy, cold, white substance the consistency of snow when they added water. As we filled the tub and the kids played with the “snow” we talked about the definition of polymers (“many molecules,” or repeated linked units, each a relatively light and simple molecule) and discussed how this substance seemed to match that definition. We also observed osmosis as the water moved from outside the dry powder to cause the “flakes” to swell.

To cap off our winter theme, we’ve been reading the chapter book Blizzard of the New Moon by Mary Pope Osborn. While I wouldn’t call the Magic Tree House series high quality literature, I value series like these when they engage kids in reading and learning. This adventure took place in depression-era New York City, so the book offered a bit of historical and cultural insight.

Up next: Owl Moon, a classic by Jane Yolen, and Snowflake Bentley followed by sun prints and further exploration of hexagons. . . and who knows what else the kids will lead us to explore and learn together!

Celebrating Winter with art, story, math, science, and more

2007-01-18T18:31:00.000-08:00

We’ve had real winter weather the past week or so, with temperatures below freezing at night! Of course we’re finding fun ways to celebrate winter through new songs, science experiments, art projects, and even “snowflake geometry.”

We started back to our Circle Days last Friday after an extended holiday break, and the kids were so happy to be together again. I see new dynamics emerging in the group as the kids adjust to having one fewer child enrolled this session and as they realize how close their relationships with each other really are.

Last Friday’s Circle Time included a story, “The Winter King and The Summer Queen,” which got the imaginations of several kids rolling as they talked about how they would turn it into a play. (They’ve been playing the roles during outdoor time—but we haven’t decided to make costumes or anything yet.) The kids also learned a new song, “I Like Winter,” for which they created their own hand movements and then a little skit. (This is a good way to encourage kids to practice a song repeatedly without it becoming repetitious).

During an exploratory session, I introduced the art of Kirigami snowflakes. This was one of my favorite pastimes as a child—I just didn’t know it had Japanese origins or a fancy name. As we folded and cut intricate patterns into white paper, and then wondered at the unexpected and always beautiful results, we talked about symmetry. When one of the students said, “Well, it’s symmetrical—sort of,” I explained the difference between “bilateral” and “radial” symmetry. We talked about how our bodies are examples of bilateral symmetry, while a sea star would have radial symmetry. When I sensed that one of the younger kids was ready to begin a new activity, I got out the pattern blocks and asked him if he could make something symmetrical. Well, he amazed me with creating complex examples of both bilateral and radial symmetry, and then even made a fabulous pattern that would have been perfectly symmetrical, except for one fun piece intentionally placed to throw it into asymmetry. He showed me this one with a mischievous grin.

Now, the State of California would not expect a child in public school to grasp these terms until about 4^th grade. I was introducing the terms to my older students (a 2^nd and 3^rd grader) because one of them mentioned symmetry, while this kindergarten-aged child worked quietly at the table. The kindergarten child may not tell me the difference between radial and bilateral symmetry in words or on a worksheet, but he clearly showed his understanding of the concepts through informally “playing” with pattern blocks as he lay comfortably on the carpeted floor. One of many thrilling moments that reinforce what we’re doing with our integrated arts curriculum and multi-age class group.

After some chilly outdoor play, we experimented with the laws of thermodynamics. While we warmed our chilled hands, I wondered aloud, “Does it take longer to boil water or to melt ice?” The students made some predictions as they measured two cups of ice into one pot and then two cups of water into another pot. We observed thermodynamics in action as each pot sat over the flames on our gas stove. I’ll let you satisfy your curiosity with your own experiment. Check back soon for more about our winter celebrations and learning experiences.

The Resilience of Children

2007-01-18T17:30:00.000-08:00

The Thanksgiving through New Year holidays were a time of great loss in our family, but through it all we were sustained by the shining resilience of the children in our family. My beloved dad, Brian Fisher, became ill in November and then passed away on December 1st. I honor his dedication and incredible loyalty to his family. He was ALWAYS there for his seven children and his wife. My husband's loving dad, Philip David Blake, passed away January 5th after several months of illness. I honor his quiet unconditional love and will always be grateful for his example of expressing affection. He was always interested in what his kids (including daughters-in-law) or grandkids were doing.

Even though our kids lost both Pappy and Papa in one season, they have helped all of us adults cope with the hardship through their unequivocal ability to keep laughing and having fun, even through tears. I’m so grateful for the kids in my life, and not just my own two children, for giving me constant reminders that life is good, and that depth of feeling, whether sorrow or joy, can simply be part of the movement of life that impels personal growth and progress.

Dia de los Muertos

2006-11-02T14:31:00.000-08:00

Today we launched our new theme, Traditions at Home and Around the World, with a celebration of the Mexican Holiday, Dia de los Muertos. We began our Circle Time with a reading of John Updike’s poem, “November,” and relished the fact that we’re still wearing short sleeves even into November.

I introduced a collection of Latin percussion instruments and asked the kids to guess what part of the world these instruments came from—the kids guessed either “African” or “Spanish” and then settled on Spanish. We looked at an atlas to see where Spanish is spoken and traced the journey of Columbus from Spain to Latin America. We then looked at some pages in the book Children Just Like Me Celebrations (by Unicef) that showed how families in Mexico celebrate the holiday by cleaning up the cemetery and holding a party there at night with music, food, and flowers. Lydia and I shared the ofrenda we made on my family piano to honor my departed sister Sara and my great-grandma Polly.

We then played a musical circle game with Jose-Luis Orozco’s song, “Dia de los Muertos” and a variety of Latin percussion instruments. The children danced in a circle, and when the music stopped, they would look behind them and if there was an instrument there, they’d pick it up and play along with the song. We added one instrument at a time in this way until each child had an instrument, and then they swapped around so everyone had a turn with each instrument.

For our snack, I made my dad’s special treat which he called “Mexican donuts” when I was growing up. (They’re simply tortillas heated over the open flame & buttered then sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar and rolled up). Yum.

During exploratory time, all the kids decided to work on their illustrations of their “Favorite Things” poem. Most are nearing completion of this long-term project and are quite happy with their individual books-to-be.

For our art lesson today, Ms. Spramani introduced the craft of paper-mache’ (a popular Mexican folk art). We decided to make Mexican “tree of life” sculptures using a paper bowl and toilet paper roll as the basis for the paper-mache’ sculpture. Tomorrow, we’ll paint these and in the next art class we’ll add clay figurines to complete the project.

Working and Playing Hard Together

2006-10-30T13:13:00.000-08:00

Looking back at this month, I am amazed at how much we’ve done together. We’ve explored the topic of “family” by graphing data regarding family members & pets, looking at American history by developing a timeline based on the lifespan of our oldest living relative, and starting “Family Tree” scrapbooks full of family recipes and more. We’ve celebrated the beginning of Fall season with songs, movement, and art projects too. We enjoyed our family pot luck and a field trip to an apple orchard.

Last Friday we celebrated October’s big holiday with our own home-made Halloween Carnival. The kids arrived in costume and did a costume parade. We had Cinderella, Ariel/The Little Mermaid, Briar Rose, a rock-star-diva, an army soldier, and an evil scientist in our parade.

Our Circle Time featured a singing game “Witches Brew” [which exercised the kids’ language arts abilities (pronoun & imaginative noun substitutions) along with musical development (matching pitch, solo/chorus)]. We also played a movement game with the classical piece by Grieg, “In the Hall of the Mountain King.” We first learned a chant that matched the melodic motifs in the piece. Then the kids took turns being “sneaky people” or “terrible trolls” and took turns acting out their parts as the musical motifs directed the movement. They had no idea they were developing interpretive music capabilities as their game developed into wild frenzy. They absolutely loved this activity and asked to do it again and again and again.

Our chapter in “Ramona the Pest” for this day just happened to be the one title “The Baddest Witch in the World” with Ramona in her own Halloween parade.

Because of the smoky skies (the Esperanza fire) we had to stay indoors all day but we kept busy and happy with some fun cooperative games invented by me and the kids. We finger-painted Halloween icons with black and orange fingerpaint. We pinned tails on the black cat. Instead of bobbing for apples, we played an apple relay game where the kids had to pass an apple back and forth from their own toilet paper roll to their partner’s toilet paper roll without dropping the apple while getting through a tricky obstacle course together. We also made up a cooperative challenge in which the kids as six baby spiders had to make it to the web (across the room) together without breaking the web (three hula hoops) or leaving any others behind. This took quite a bit of problem-solving, but working together they did it!

Now that the skies are clear, perhaps you’d like to do a Sickening Scavenger Hunt, egg yoke relay, and map of the neighborhood (a.k.a. trick-or-treat map) at home with your child today or tomorrow. Let me know if you do!

Apple Picking & Feeding Catfish

2006-10-26T10:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon we carpooled up the hill to Tenaja (past the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Preserve) to an organic apple orchard and pond (Apple Creek). Mark, a "retired" professional, started the orchard and built the pond about five years back and he was very generous in sharing his time and passion with our small group. He showed us fish "nests" (spawning circles in the shallows of the pond), the windmill that pumps oxygen into the bottom of the pond (keeping it healthy in an all-natural ecological way), and some cottonwood trees that towered above us and were just "sticks" about four years ago.

The kids clamored onto the dock which extended into the pond and got to feed the fish big chunks of raw meat. We were amazed to see huge catfish with their whiskers and to learn that there were about 10,000 fish in the pond.

After a picnic by the pond, Mark walked us to the orchard and gave us each a big grocery bag and invited us to pick golden delicious apples from his trees. We were fascinated to discover some seemingly intact apples that were actually hollowed out and hiding voracious yellow jackets inside. When our bags got too heavy, we ventured over to the organic vegetable patch where Mark showed us his towering tomatoes, new beds of sugar snap peas, and strawberry patches. We purchased some purple sweet potatoes, white eggplants, golden pear tomatoes, and butternut squash and carried our treasures to the car full of thanks for our generous host. What bounty at the end of harvest time!

Family Dinner & Dancing

2006-10-26T10:11:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night we enjoyed getting all the families together—the first time we’ve been able to get all the dads, moms, & kids here at once. We were thrilled to see how everyone related so well to each other. What wonderful families these kids have!

Each family brought a favorite family recipe to share with the group—we had Jeff’s chili mac, Elbert’s Polynesian chicken, the secret Bellah Waldorf chicken salad recipe that’s been authentically replicated by California Pizza Kitchen, and Alden’s favorite dutch apple pies.

The kids shared their be-bop rendition of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. We had our Always Vivacious Actress play Goldilocks, and Lydia played the papa bear drum, Laurun played the mama bear drum, and Alden played the wee bear drum while Elex and Grace accompanied with shakers saying “yeah!”

I’d like to elaborate on the process used in teaching what might seem like a simple percussion accompaniment to this story/song. Using what I’ve learned in the Orff-Schulwerk process of teaching music to children, I first taught the children body percussion based on the call & response elements in the story/song. For the papa bear response, the kids patted their laps in the rhythm of the words, for the mama bear they clapped to the words, and for the baby bear they snapped. This helped them quickly learn a rhythm pattern that included quarter notes, eighth notes, and rests. If I had attempted to teach the kids this rhythm by asking them to follow the notes, or even “one-and-a two-and-a three—rest,” it would have taken a long time and would probably have caused frustration and anxiety. Instead, by following the rhythm of the word pattern, they quickly picked up on the rhythm pattern, easily replicated it with body percussion, and then effortlessly transferred this to percussion instruments. And we were able to share our creative results with only a three minute impromptu rehearsal. You’ll learn more about the beauty and joy of the Orff process in future entries here.

One of the kids wanted to sing our poetic rendition of “My Favorite Things,” so we gave an unrehearsed performance of this piece too. The kids are still busy illustrating their books based on this poem/song. We have some artists illustrating with cut paper, one with pencil sketches, and others with colored pencil illustrations.

The kids then helped their parents learn a simple and delightful folk dance to “The Chimes of Dunkirk.” It was very special to have some kids dancing with their parents as partners, one pair of girls partnering off, and one parent couple actually dancing with each other!

Our wonderful evening together ended with more great conversation, the kids running around and having tickle contests with their dads, and as Alden told me later, some impressive speed-crawling by one dad. We are grateful to have such a fantastic group of families in our “Circle” and to see the special friendships growing.

"Our Favorite Things" Collaborative Poem

2006-10-08T14:51:00.000-07:00

Our six kids collaborated to write this poem, modeled after the song "My Favorite Things" from the Sound of Music soundtrack:

"Our Favorite Things"

Chocolate cake, cookies, and all kinds of candy,
Hummingbirds sipping nectar from flowers,
Snow-covered mountains and clouds in the sky,
These are a few of our favorite things.

Easter in springtime, Christmas and toys,
Swimming in summer with the sun in my face,
Leaves turning colors, we celebrate Fall,
These are a few of our favorite things.

When my cat scratches,
When I fall in the dirt,
When no one wants to sit by me,
I simply remember my favorite things,
and then I don't feel so bad.

Legos and TV and stuffed animals too,
Toy trains and puzzles and pencils and glue,
Dressing my baby doll, combing her hair,
These are a few of our favorite things.

Rainbow of colors, orange, pink and green,
Dress-up and painting and a rainbow of flowers,
Goosebumps, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid,
These are a few of our favorite things.

When my cat scratches,
When I fall in the dirt,
When no one wants to sit by me,
I simply remember my favorite things,
and then I don't feel so bad.

Celebrating Fall & Family

2006-10-07T10:51:00.000-07:00

This week we began our new theme for the month, "Family & Community," which we'll explore through an engaging variety of song, stories, art projects, math and language, social studies, and even science. We're also celebrating the beginning of autumn, which may be mild in our area but we still enjoy crisp breezes, blue sky, and a little bit of warm autumn color.

Our Circle Time this week included a song, "Riding Along the Open Road," which the kids learned to sing and then improvised with the lyrics through a movement game. They devised all sorts of ways to enjoy a Fall day, by skipping, marching, galloping, hopping, wiggling, and slithering "along the open road/under a sky that's clear/all in the Fall of the year."

We read together "Grandfather Tang's Story: A Tale Told with Tangrams" by Ann Tompert. Each child had their own set of tangrams to arrange in different animal shapes during this interactive and suspenseful story. This task may sound simple, but it's actually quite challenging. The kids worked cooperatively, guiding each other when one would get stuck. I shared with the kids that this fun puzzle actually gave them practice in important mathematical skills and stretched their visual-spatial capabilities.

Friday's Circle Time included "Show and Tell" (inspired by Ramona the Pest), where the children shared items from home that told something about their family.

For one of the exploratory sessions, the kids traced and cut their own set of tangrams out of construction paper to take home and create their own tangram stories and shapes, and to challenge their parents too. Did any of you try to make a rabbit or a fox out of the seven shapes? What about a hawk or crocodile?

Another exploratory session included collecting leaves from trees in the yard. We examined the shapes together, noticed the variety of shapes and edge patterns but also the symmetry in shape and even in the veins of each leaf. The kids created a beautiful fall leaf banner by cutting their own symmetrical (and some asymmetrical) leaf shapes from fall-colored construction paper.

During our art lesson this week, Ms. Spramani guided the children to begin a family portrait, building on the attention to detail that the kids exercised when creating their self-portraits two weeks ago. This time they looked at the shape of an egg to visualize the head shape for each family member, and they thought about proportion and spatial relationships when deciding where to draw each family member's head on the page, and how to size them.

The children stretched their literary skills in our final collaborative project of the week, transforming their pre-writing on "My Favorite Things" into a poem modelled after the song. Look for the delightful result in our next post!

What we did last week

2006-10-03T17:19:00.000-07:00

We wrapped up our theme "All About Me" this past week. During Wednesday's Circle Time we listened to a recording of the song "My Favorite Things" (from the Sound of Music soundtrack) and then we collaborated on pre-writing our own "Favorite Things" poem. I recorded three pages of notes based on what the kids identified as their favorite seasons, things around the house, pets, wild animals, dress up food, and also a few things that make them sad or hurt. Next week we'll listen again to the song (read as a poem) and then draft our own collaborative poem.

The children finished assembling their "All About Me" paper quilts onto banner paper. Even though they worked with the same materials, each one was laid out completely differently than the others. I love to see individual creativity in action!

The group created a "Growing Tree" to record everyone's height, and then during another exploratory session the kids each completed Measurement Riddles. They worked in pairs to measure & record their own height and weight with a tape measure and scale, used a ruler to measure the length of their hair, and used a calendar to determine their age to the month. During our Quiet Reading Time I read their riddles and the kids loved figuring out who each riddle referred to just by considering the measurements. We also began reading our first chapter book together, Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary.

Wednesday's art lesson with Spramani was nice and MESSY! Spramani led the kids in using tempera paint and their fingers or hands to paint an image of a "favorite thing." They mixed primary colors to paint with favorite colors like purple and pink, and mixed in white to get just the right shade of blue, etc. You can bet the kids loved every messy minute of this project and created wonderful paintings.

Friday's Circle Time featured a song, "Remember September," to celebrate the beginning of Fall (and to learn about poetic imagery). I sang the song and played it on the piano, then led the kids in singing the song line by line as we discussed how the writer used poetic imagery rather than plain language. The kids then developed a beautiful movement skit with scarves and ribbons to accompany the song and bring the imagery to life. We'll use our deepened understanding of poetic writing as we continue to write our group poem next week. You can look forward to reading the results here in a few days!

"All About Me"

2006-09-23T15:46:00.000-07:00

For our second Circle Day, we explored our theme for the month, "All About Me" and delved into several content areas, including language arts, world geography, math/logic, and a special visual art lesson.

Our circle time included a storytelling of a Russian folk tale, "The Clever Maiden" (we found Russia in the atlas, of course). This story ended with the idea of choosing what one treasures the most, and the children were so anxious to share their personal treasures in the Treasure Troves they decorated last week and filled at home. We learned a lot about each other as each shared hobbies, favorite colors and foods, special people, sports, toys, significant life events, and more through the objects in each treasure trove. [Sshhh! What the kids don't know is that they each gave an oral presentation and organized their thoughts into narrative form as a pre-writing activity.]

Some students chose to accept the "bean challenge" during an exploratory session, a math/logic puzzle related to the story in which the player had only three moves to get a certain number of beans into each of three piles. Tricky. We also enjoyed some riddles from three different continents (again related to today's story) and located the respective countries on the globe.

During two exploratory sessions, the children worked diligently on their "All About Me" paper quilts. They wrote and drew fabulous pictures on paper panels, revealing diverse aspects about themselves. I was thrilled to see the interest in drawing and writing.

In another exploratory session, one of the older students offered to teach a younger student a lesson on symmetry using pattern blocks. The younger student grasped the concept of symmetry quickly and created an increasingly complex pattern while maintaining perfect symmetry. Soon three kids were each making their own incredibly diverse symmetrical patterns on the table together and giving each other wonderful compliments, too!

During quiet reading time, I read the picture book "Horace and Morris but Mostly Dolores" by James Howe and Amy Walrod to address the tendency of grouping along gender lines. In the story, three best friends become divided when they decide to join a boys' club and a girls' club. The book avoids becoming moralistic but conveys the messsage that boys and girls can share adventure and companionship in an inclusive way.

At the end of the day, Ms. Spramani lead the kids in a special visual art lesson in which the children each drew their own self-portrait. The kids maintained focus and interest on this challenging task for a full hour. Spramani guided them in feeling and seeing the shape of their head, then drawing this. The kids all sat in front of a large mirror and then drew their hair and each facial feature in both sketch pencil and colored pencils. As the kids added more and more detail, their unique personalities and sense of self-expression and style emerged.

We'll continue these projects next week, and I know the parents will be absolutely delighted when they see the results. (The kids were certainly pleased with their work throughout the process).

Our First Circle Day

2006-09-16T20:29:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful first day of "school" on Friday, September 15. All the children arrived with eager faces and immediately began spending quality time together. It was great to see everyone so comfortable with each other in a new group and new environment. I think the small size of our group helps (only five students our first day).

Here's a brief overview of the day:
For about the first half hour, the kids checked out the place a bit and then all went outside to play on the back yard swingset. A glorious, sunny, breezy & cool Fall day set the perfect tone for "back to school."

I then sang our new song to call the children in for circle time. I composed a special song just for this occasion. It worked like magic as all the children dropped what they were doing, followed me inside, and joined hands in a circle without me "telling" them to do any of this. We played a fun introduction chant game (also created for the occasion) in which the kids first learned the chant, and then the kids interviewed a partner to find out two things the other likes/likes to do. The kids did a great job of inserting new information into the chant-- demonstrating great promise for musical improvisation already!

I told a story, "Apple Dumplings," and invited the kids' participation by using props related to the story line which allowed them to play out sections of the dialog & plot. At the end of the story, three of the kids decided to re-tell and act out the whole story on their own! Wonderful, spontaneous dramatization! We ended circle time with a special snack of warm apple dumplings.

I gathered the kids together again to give them an overview of our "rhythm of the day" and explained the purpose of their "exploratory" times, during which they'll choose an activity from a center or work on a project individually or collaboratively. The three girls chose to work on pattern block puzzles together. They were very diligent about solving the geometric puzzles even when the task proved to be challenging. The two boys decided to draw together and get an early start on decorating their "treasure trove" boxes. The girls joined in on this activity, and soon they were all busy creatively personalizing their boxes with unique designs. (I had planned for this activity to take place at the end of the day, but my goal is to allow plenty of space for the kids to direct their own learning activities, and I was thrilled to see this happening so quickly.)

The kids enjoyed lunch together on the patio and then some more time playing together outside. They tested my guideline of not creating games centered on "boys vs. girls" by establishing separate forts and visiting each others' frequently. I have a great story that I'll read to them next week to address the boy vs. girl issue again.

We decided to stay outside for "quiet time." I spread a tapestry on the grass and we sat and explored a book/box set called "Treasure Trove of an Ancient Egyptian Child." The children took turns holding & guessing about each object, and then I read to them a description of each object which revealed much about the fictional Egyptian girl's culture, interests, and lifestyle. I explained to the kids that their project for the week is to collect items in their "treasure trove" boxes that will tell us something about themselves & their life, and to bring these back next week to share during circle time.

For the last bit of our day together, some kids returned to work on their treasure troves, while a few went upstairs to play together in the loft. One child read to herself in the windowseat while another did a puppet show and another set up "house" behind the puppet show and created a story for the others to play, gracefully incorporating the reader and the puppeteer into her own story.

All in all, we had a very happy, productive, and harmonious day together. I had several activities planned that we never got to. I had thought I might need to keep the group extra busy on our first day together to set a tone of productive & creative collaboration. However, the kids did this so well already that I felt comfortable letting them lead the way more than I would have thought possible on a first day together. We are blessed with a vibrant, intelligent, enthusiastic, and perceptive group. I know this will be a fabulous learning adventure!

Our First Family Gathering

2006-09-10T20:23:00.000-07:00

On Friday night Creative Learning Circle families gathered at our home-school for our first get-together, an informal pot luck. Though we were missing half of our guests, we had a nice time. Cool breezes made our al fresco dinner a bit brisk, but the kids enjoyed playing on the play structure after dinner until dark. We came inside for some ice cream (gelato) that Lydia and I made earlier in the day. Then the kids played more upstairs in the loft as the parents enjoyed conversation and challenged each other with tandem tangram puzzles.

It was fun to see the dynamics of a mixed-age group of children. As I had hoped, the oldest enjoyed taking a leadership role in some aspects while the youngest were leaders in the dramatic play. They all delighted in each other's company and really got along well. We look forward to our first "Circle Day" together later this week.

Our First Informal Field Trip

2006-09-10T20:09:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday we met at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido Children's Museum in the afternoon. The kids enjoyed playing in the tree house, speaking to each other from a distance through the voice tube, trying out different instruments, comparing the weight of objects in a scale balance, and setting up camp in the play cabin.

The Escondido Children's Museum offers a group guided educational visit, which I'd like to do for a future field trip. You can visit their website to learn more. (http://www.escondidochildrensmuseum.org/)

We then headed over to the auditorium for the 4:00 "First Wednesdays," a free performance arts series. This month's program featured a troupe of young tap dancers -- "Tapsounds." Lydia especially enjoyed the dance with life-size bird puppets. I appreciated how the troupe presented tap as accessible to youth and maybe even hip--but Alden was not convinced of the hip factor. At this point he thinks the only hip dance is hip hop.

We plan to go to each monthly "First Wednesday" program as an informal field trip with Creative Learning Circle. I will announce each program and invite the other parents to join us there. Perhaps a few times during the year we can go early to include a visit to the children's museum. To see the schedule of "First Wednesday" events, go to the Arts Center website (http://www.artcenter.org/firstwed.htm).

Our Home Page

2006-09-10T14:33:00.000-07:00

We've been working hard on our "home" on the web. You may visit it our main web page at www.creativelearningcircle.com to learn more about our blossoming integrated arts private school.
Or click here for a direct link:
http://www.creativelearningcircle.com/

Our website discusses why we think integrated arts education is so important and shares what we're currently offering to give children this wonderful model of learning. For the 2006-2007 academic year, we're offering a 2-day-per week homeschool enrichment program called "Circle Days." You can learn more about this program at the following page:
http://www.creativelearningcircle.com/homeschool_enrichment_program.htm

Check back soon for updates on our "Circle Days" kick-off, field trips, and special interest classes.

Introduction

2006-07-24T13:48:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our new blog. On this site I'll share the development of our new K-5 integrated arts private school, based in Wildomar, California and serving families in Lake Elsinore, Murietta, Temecula Valley and surrounding areas. Check back for more about our unique program and its goals and activities. Once our school session begins, I'll post our daily activities so you can see the Creative Learning Circle in process!
Cheers,
Enicia