By Sarah Bayzick
PreKindergarten Lead Teacher
Early in September, a PreKindergartener asked, “Why is the world so beautiful?" We thought it was a question worth exploring.
The answer began to take shape during GFA’s Centennial celebration, when each student was invited to write a poem about something special at our school. Unsurprisingly, many of the children’s favorite PreK experiences were connected to the natural beauty of our campus—finding a butterfly in the courtyard, visiting the herb and vegetable gardens, watching birds nest outside our classroom door, playing in the snow, harvesting and planting seeds, learning about the beehives (and making beeswax candles), walking to the marsh, and celebrating as the wisteria and cherry trees blossomed. As the students reflected, they each identified an object—or gift—that captured their memory. A collaborative piece was born: One Hundred Years of Gifts.
We wondered, “Why is the world so beautiful?”
Because we live in a world made of gifts.
Some gifts take one hundred years to make –
Maybe longer…
We say one hundred heartfelt thank-yous
For one hundred years of gifts.
The children’s work was refined over several months and represented in two videos: The Poem and Building the Poem. They also created a photo journal, capturing the process of creating the poems and building their corresponding projects, as the students endeavored to both illustrate and construct each stanza.
Our Gifts:
A mentor I admire often says, “Teaching is joyous because it is joyous to discover the world.” The PreKindergartners easily uncovered GFA’s gifts; young children have a way of finding unexpected treasures in the world and its people.
In this spirit, we invited students to reflect on their own unique strengths. Recognizing one’s gifts can be challenging, and perhaps as we grow older, the things we want or value most are also the things we become hesitant to say. With that in mind, each PreKindergartner recorded an understanding of their gift and how they contribute to the well-being of the world. Children, unfailingly, find the best in others. We hope this project helps our children to see the best in themselves.
From the photo journal:
One hundred years of Red.
Red who warms and welcomes.
You are the courtyard bricks
A place of surprises! Where dragons hatch and butterflies burst.
Leading us to school, past the apple trees, to a brand-new day.
One hundred years of Green.
Green who sprouts and stretches.
You are the herb gardens Alive with mint, basil, and lemon balm.
Leaves full of chloroplasts, chugging along Like tiny sugar factories.
It’s time for tea and lemonade!
One hundred years of Orange.
Orange who dazzles and delights.
You are the sweet potatoes and carrots
We dig up from the garden.
Crowns of marigolds, too.
Fall is here; the smell of cookies fills the air.
Treats to taste and share on Market Day.
One hundred years of Brown.
Brown who caws and crackles.
You are the birds Gliding between wooden posts
Like kites through trees.
Gathering twigs, chestnuts, and crunchy leaves.
One hundred years of White.
White who swirls and settles.
You are the snow that blankets our playground
Cascading from popcorn clouds
Forming mountains.
Snowflakes – each one special and unique –
Just like us.
One hundred years of Black.
Black who persists and provides.
You are the seeds
Drifting to the ground like falling stars.
Treasures –
Food for needling beaks.
Buried in soil, never giving up.
Your nature is to bloom.
One hundred years of Blue.
Blue who ripples and reaches.
You are the big sky reflected in the water
Glittering raindrops fall –
Then rise through roots and stems.
We splash in puddles while birds take sips.
Dreaming of summer at the beach.
One hundred years of Yellow.
Yellow who hums and harvests.
You are the honeybees
Programmed for pollination.
Making wax for glowing candles
As daffodils look on.
Dissecting signs of spring.
One hundred years of Pink.
Pink who flutters and fans.
You are the cherry blossoms
Dancing on trees.
A kaleidoscope of petals who twirls in the breeze
Whispering, “Rainbows are hiding nearby.”
One hundred years of Violet.
Violet who sways and soars.
You are the oldest – Wisteria, who has seen it all.
And the youngest – Big, puffy allium.
Like balloons at a party
You make us feel cheerful.
Waving good-bye for now
Floating into summer.