National Read Across America Day at WBC!

March 2nd is National Read Across America Day!
Our Extended Education Program came to visit the Pre-Kindergarten Classroom to celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday by reading some of his books together. This was such a huge success that the Extended Education Program plans to come visit and read with our Pre-Kindergarten classroom more frequently! What a great experience it was for all involved!

Preschool Pizza Party

Our Preschool Classroom enjoyed a Pizza Party today! Their classroom has incorporated an age-appropriate reward system, that manages behaviors by rewarding students through positive reinforcement. It encourages the children to work at being kind, generous, grateful and helpful. Over the course of some time, the children get to add Pom Poms to their Pom Pom Jar when they are caught in the act of doing something positive. Once it is full, it is their choice (within reason) to choose how they want to celebrate. They have the choice of DOING something fun, like celebrating with a party or certain experience. They filled their jar this week and they chose to have a Pizza Party! They helped make their pizzas, read a story together and then ate their yummy creation for lunch! Way to go Preschool!

WBC Extended Ed sells Cookbooks!

The Extended Education children love engaging in imaginary play, forming store fronts and retail exchanges, and selling their paper crafted goodies once they have created them. So naturally, when the opportunity arose to sell something real, with actual money, the children put on their sales hats and got to work. The White Birch Cookbook: Recipes from Cooks and Kids, served as a great opportunity to harness the children’s interests.  

First, we conducted “job” interviews where children were asked why they wanted to sell cookbooks and what their sales pitch would be. All applicants were hired for the job, but we used their individual strengths to determine which part of the sales process they would be involved in. After the interview process, the children got to work within the marketing department. They created flyers and posters that were hung up in the classroom, highlighting the information in the cookbooks. Our sales team then went to work, establishing ways on how they could politely ask people to buy the cookbooks. Then the sales began! The children set up a table with their flyers and a copy of the cookbook. They took turns greeting people when they entered the building, talking to them about the cookbooks, showing them examples of their own recipes, and taking money and recording cookbook sales.  

The cookbook sale has been a great opportunity for the children’s individual skills, knowledge, and interests to emerge and grow through a multi-step, multi-day project.