Creatures at the Ocean -Numéro Cinq - Finale & Curtain Call

This past Tuesday was our last class of Creatures at the Ocean at the house on Davis Street. We missed one of our mates who is vacationing on
Cape Cod this week, but we were joined by a visitor just back from her vacation.  It was fun to see her enjoy our class!

It’s always interesting to watch and listen for the children as they enter the house.  After five weeks, I have learned to recognize certain footsteps as they race down the hall from the front door after depositing their shoes by the bench.  Certain ones thunder down the hall, race over to the Kindermusik blanket, and throw themselves down to check out what’s new this week. 

Others dance down the hall and peek around the corner.  Our youngest found her own place just down the hall where she could see what was going on and be protected by the bookcase from hurtling bodies coming behind her.

After we sang “Ahoy” to all our friends, we began to “row, row” our fishing boats, counting all the fish we caught:“1 for father, 1 for mother, 1 for sister, 1 for brother”, ending with a loud YUM! YUM!

Then we had another visitor to class who had eight – yes – 

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 arms!

 

Beautiful rainbow streamers danced through the air as we enjoyed “Si Fe’e” – The Octopus and pretended to be octopi ourselves! 

After that, we found ourselves leaping and swimming and talking just like dolphins!

This week, our focused listening was the whale. 

Their voices sound so beautiful, calling through the water to their families and friends.  

 We took our humongous scarves and pretended that we were swimming down deep in the sea, rising every now and then to take a deep breath, blow a water spout, and dive down again!

     

 Each week we have enjoyed “The Water is Wide” and have come to treasure that part of our class as a very special parent/child bonding time – time to slow down and enjoy holding each other close.   

This week was a little different as our two sets of siblings decided to rock together as family units.  One set piled in together in their caregiver’s lap while the other (sister and brother) wound up in the floor, piled up together.

I always enjoy watching the interaction of siblings, especially as they find ways to express their affection for each other.  <wink>

 

Our storybook this week was entitled “Hello Ocean” by Pam Munoz Ryan.  It is a lovely picture book with large, detailed illustrations by Mark Astrella.  We really enjoyed examining each picture and finding all the details. 

 

It was a very appropriate book for our last week, ending with: 

“The sun dips down; it’s time to go.

But I’ll be back to see your show,hear the stories you have to spin,

taste your flavors once again,take deep sniffs of briny air,and feel the treasures you have to share. 

Goodbye, ocean, my old best friend…..” 

You can find more information on this book and the author at her website: 

http://www.pammunozryan.com/helloocean.html 

Our craft this week was to build an ocean scene, picking out just the right fish with just the right color seaweed  to place on our “ocean” plates.

While we worked, Miss Merri and Miss Faith prepared our treats – banana rowboats with pretzel oars, floating in a sea of multi-colored fish crackers.

YUM!

 

Some of us were too busy working to take time to eat our treats. 

    

After we finished, we rowed back over to our circle, shook our wave drums and seashell castanets, and danced to “Mary Ann” for the last time at the House on Davis Street.

Our “Sailor’s Jig” was fun and we laughed and giggled as we circled the floor, going in and out, stepping and kicking, and relishing how the music moved us. 

As we ended our class, Faith and I were given lovely bamboo plants (for good luck) in beautiful ceramic planters to remember our visits on Davis Street, and  I particularly enjoyed hugs from all of my students as they hurtled across the floor and grabbed my neck. 

We sang “Goodbye now, Mates” for the last time to each and every class mate and waved goodbye until next time-  

 Goodbye now, mates!  Goodbye now, friends! 

Let’s wave goodbye to Connell!

Let’s wave goodbye to Avery!

Let’s wave goodbye to Lila!

Let’s wave goodbye to Maddy!

Let’s wave goodbye to David!

Let’s wave goodbye to Michav!

Let’s wave goodbye to Josie!

Let’s wave goodbye to Ian!

Let’s wave goodbye to Rafaella!

Let’s wave goodbye to Ella!

 Let’s wave goodbye to everyone! 

Goodbye now, Mates!

Goodbye!  Goodbye!