relationship – Page 2 – Opal School Online

Supporting Habits of Heart and Mind in New Terrain

by Matt KarlsenFriends November 6, 2015June 19, 2016No Comments

Since “retiring”, Opal School Founder Judy Graves has been busy continuing her efforts to inspire greater educational opportunity for all children. Here’s her report on her latest breakthroughs, exploring the implications of Opal School’s research with new communities: Teaching Preschools Offer Opportunities at Two Sites Two teaching preschools opened this fall to provide opportunities for some …

Children and Teachers as Researchers

by Kimie FukudaBeginning October 21, 2015June 14, 2016No Comments

Researchers pay attention to their questions, theories and ideas by listening for what provokes, inspires, challenges and engages them. At Opal School, the teachers see themselves as researchers alongside the children with much to learn from them. As Loris Malaguzzi, founder of Reggio Schools, states, “The things for children and about children are best learned …

The Class of 2015

by Matt KarlsenTeaching and Learning June 5, 2015September 15, 2016No Comments

Today was the final day of the 2014-’15 school year, and tonight we celebrated the Class of 2015. From the podium, three of the students reflected on what they saw as the most important things they learned at Opal School. What they said tonight seems important for others to hear: DW: Sometimes it’s really hard …

Interdependencies

by Susan Harris MacKayIntermediate January 11, 2014June 14, 2016No Comments

As children journey through Opal 1 and Opal 2, they spend a lot of time considering with their teachers and their peers the ways in which we depend on each other in this world. What is a community? What is our relationship to the natural world? “The we that …

Our Trip to the Farmer’s Market

by Lauren AdamsBeginning November 15, 2013February 12, 2017No Comments

In preschool we try to offer as many experiences as possible for our whole group to come together to share and listen to each other’s ideas. After a trip to the farmer’s market we had one of our first reflection meetings in order to have this exchange of thoughts, memories and connections with one another’s …

Transaction

by Susan Harris MacKayIntermediate, Teaching and Learning November 14, 2013June 21, 2022No Comments

In recent years, much has been said about creative thinking, teamwork and research as positive resources that will support the advancement of human culture. I believe that it is important for those of us who work with the children and youth of today to constantly rethink these concepts, and make connections between them and contemporary …

The Power of Materials: A Group’s First Exploration into Foil

by Lauren AdamsBeginning October 24, 2013February 12, 2017No Comments

Materials, they can draw you in to look more closely. They can draw you in to touch them, interact with them, …play and dance with them! Children’s attraction to a material can invite them to approach and explore within the arts, to begin a dialog with materials, to begin to think and communicate through using them. Materials offer …

Change

by Susan Harris MacKayTeaching and Learning August 4, 2013September 15, 2016No Comments

It’s August and at Opal School that means there are 3 of us here ready to begin the ball toss that will evolve into our 13th year of school. Every year, this ball we toss first is a little different than the one we tossed the August before. At Opal School we listen, we pay …

Synthesis Thinking, Materials Work, and the penultimate week of school!

by Levia FriedmanIntermediate May 31, 2013June 16, 2016One Comment

This was a four day week, but so much is happening in Opal 4, I had to share. Practicing our songs for graduation with Carrington (above) Making sense of the text of the Declaration of Independence… who were those men and what did they declare? Working with Judy H: Stand on the line to show …

“It’s a Soup For Everyone!”

by Lauren AdamsBeginning December 3, 2012February 12, 2017No Comments

As the weather turns colder, our bellies and hearts remind us that we’ve got to work together to stay warm and loved inside and out! Small groups of children have been scurrying around our beloved play spaces, preparing recipes of mud soups for our community. They’ve been collecting and gathering bits and pieces of natural …

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