It all began simply enough, with a charge from our school's President, to consider how we, as Wyoming Seminary teachers, could incorporate the ideals of sustainability and environmental responsibility into our classrooms. Preschool was ready for the challenge, and what resulted was a journey upon which, most egocentric three and four year
olds rarely go, to compassion, empathy, and care.
Our journey began, when one brisk, January day, as a light blanket of snow covered the lawn, outside of the Little White House, The Preschool class, with tools in hand, set out, into our outdoor classroom, to prepare for the newly developed thematic unit of environmental study.
As little hands grasped a ladder, squirrel feeder, rust-proof nails, a squirrel-proof bird feeder, suet and a suet basket, hammer, peanuts, and bird seed, Preschool set out, on our mission to equip our outdoor classroom, as well as our indoor theme shelf, which has aptly been named, by the children, "THE NATURE SHELF."
In setting up the nature shelf, one boy, announced that the tree ring that existed on the Science shelf was nature. He also told us that the big piece of coal, and the beautiful rock were nature too, and said, that those things would have to be moved to the nature shelf.
We discussed helping those who could not help themselves, the birds and the squirrels, and others less capable than we, which one little girl, announced, was called, “community service!” Our squirrel chaser, now has become, our squirrel feeder.
Another boy, reveled in the new cardinal
replicard work, doing it over and over again, since he had spotted a male and female cardinal outside our window!
Once, when a group of children were playing with the squirrels, tree ring, and wooden acorns, our most egocentric student, wearing a bird puppet, swooped down to grasp an acorn between the puppets beak. In that moment, what could be heard, was NOT the conflict that would usually arise, in a preschool classroom, when one preschool-aged classmate takes the things, that others are using, but rather, a chorus of young voices agreeing that, “That’s OK. The bird needs that acorn to feed her babies!”
As many as six preschoolers now have bird feeders at home. One little girl built hers with her Grandfather. Another little boy, now knows that woodpeckers will not damage the trees in his back yard, that he so loves.
One of our student's favorite bird is the black-capped chickadee. Two others, now know, that the cardinal’s call is, “
woodja,
woodja,
woodja.” They know, as well, that cardinals mate for life and travel together. Still, another little girl, tells us that the blue jay says, “peep, peep, peep.” The last of our students, is happy that our bird and squirrel friends visit every day!
The squirrel babies are now coming out of their
dreys, and the goldfinch are beginning to turn their brilliant yellow. Join us, as Preschool welcomes the truth, beauty and goodness, that are the wonders of spring.
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