Tuesday SOL The paper chain

 This is a Tuesday "Slice of Life" for Two Writing Teachers. Check out their website for lots more reflections on teaching.

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Today, I worked with a reticent few preschoolers
to create a paper chain
where
each link denotes a different day,
each link is inscribed with the day of the week and its date,
and the total chain shows
how many more days we have left in the Big Cats.
This morning, the total was 25,
including weekends.

To a preschooler,
25 is huge,
and therefore this is delightful news -
25 more days!

Preschoolers don't want school to end.
This year, in particular,
because
next year - Pre-k - is the big unknown.

We are not going to be at the same school?!

Our school is moving to a new location.

This delights me and terrifies the preschoolers.

We are not going to be at the same school?!
Things are going to change?

In recent days,
I have fielded so many questions -

Will you be going to the new school, Ms. Ingram?
Will Ms. Duskin (our principal) be at the new school?
Will there be Zebras and Elephants [our Pre-k classes] at the new school?
Ms. Ingram, did you hear there is going to be a new school?
Ms. Ingram, why do there have to be new schools? 

Thus, the paper chain.
A visual.
We will watch it decrease in size.
We will breathe in, breathe out.
We will visit the current classrooms of Pre-k Zebras and Elephants.
We will trust that all will be well.

Change is a comin'!

At closing, the Gathering Helper [Alyja] broke the first link,
gone,
Tuesday, May 27th.
24 days left.