Fours Turning Five Class
Sassafras
The Sassafras class meets from 9:15 am until 11:45 am with a choice of three-five weekly attendance days (subject to availability).
The Sassafras class consists of our oldest learners who eventually leave this program imbued with a love of learning, their own personal creative expression and a sense of global responsibility. As these children prepare to move onto Kindergarten, they will practice self-advocacy skills, collaborative play and expand their sense of wonder about the world around them.
Follow the journey of one student’s Portrait Project from September to May.
Each month, every child in this class created a self portrait. The first portrait is made using black permanent marker on white paper. Every other month, similar materials are used making it easy to observe the children’s growth. For the months in between, other art supplies were used to help each child extend their creative abilities, while also helping children to take note of different details they may see when looking in the mirror.
For some this task required perseverance, as what they saw in the mirror, or imagined in their minds did not look the same when put on paper. Working through frustration, and making multiple attempts helps promote a growth mindset, setting the children up to see themselves as positive players in their successes. Looking back at previous months, children could see the change in their skills, recognizing the growth and accomplishments they had made.
This project also encourages love and respect for others. As children noticed things about themselves, they saw similarities and differences in their classmates. Coupled with guidance from the teachers, these observations became moments of connection and appreciation, with children complimenting each other on their skills and ideas.
The act of creating artwork helped to strengthen muscles, and develop hand-eye-coordination and spatial awareness. Different art supplies required children to pinch, drag, hold, press and make all sorts of movements that strengthened their fine motor muscles in a healthy, well-rounded way. It also provided a wide range of sensory input with crinkly paper, sticky glue and fuzzy puff balls, which is crucial for children to experience for both cognitive learning and emotional regulation. This project also helps kids move from real to abstract as they look at real faces and create abstract representations of faces, laying groundwork for other intellectual skills.
