El Cerrito Preschool Cooperative
Play, Learn and Grow at ECPC
When: May 2, 9 am-2 pm
What: The ECPC yard sale featuring housewares, furniture, kid and baby clothes and gear, etc contributed by our more than 60 families. Our Snack Shack will serve treats throughout. No early birds please.
Where: At ECPC, 7200 Moeser Lane, El Cerrito
During a visit from the East Bay Vivarium last week, a presenter introduced the enthralled ECPC kids to a variety of reptiles and insects. At one point, he showed them a Whip Scorpion and explained that it produces vinegar in its tail for defense.
“You know vinegar — we put it on salad,” he told the kids. “We have it for making potions!” piped up a child.
The kids sat rapt for an hour as they learned about tarantulas, lizards and other Vivarium pets in a show that wove gentle wisdom in with fun and learning. The introduction of a harmless reptile that postures to scare off potential attackers became a lesson on bullying: “Let me let you in on a secret,” intoned the visitor, leaning closer. “Bullies act scary because they’re scared.”
And the whole presentation was a reminder to treat our world, and the animals who share it, with respect. “Wild animals have as much right to be here as we do,” said the presenter. “We are the caretakers of this whole planet, and it is our responsibility to give these animals good lives. You can start by leaving them alone. When you leave today, you might see a wild animal, a lizard or a tarantula. I hope you enjoy seeing a wild animal and I hope you show it respect.”
At ECPC, our philosophy of play-based education includes practicing preschool art as process, not product. We don’t make models of projects for children and just let them get into making their art, without focusing on what they create. Messy Art Day was designed to showcase that approach, and, boy, did the kids get into the process! At our 8th annual MAD, kids from the community joined ECPC students in some truly hands-on (and feet-in) art and science.
Projects included tire-swing spin art, enormous pools of oobleck (corn starch plus water, which behaves as a solid or liquid depending how much pressure you apply to it — crazy!), baking-soda-vinegar explosions, and splatter painting.
Thanks to all the volunteers who helped make this free community event a beautifully messy success!
Starting this week, children in the morning program are taking turns bringing home a special guest from school.
“Baby Bear” is a stuffed bear who travels home with each participating child, carried in his own backpack along with a notebook. Baby Bear spends the night, and the children record their experience on a page of the notebook with drawings, dictated words or photos of Bear’s time in their home.
Back at school, the children share their page at group time. They’re invited to describe it or to have the teachers read the page for them. We’ll see what adventures Baby Bear gets up to this year!
Lately, teacher Par has been playing pictionary with our kids. They sit in a line and take turns drawing while the others guess. It’s sweet and surprising to see how detailed some of the pictures are — and how quickly the kids can guess them.
Check
out the drawings below. Any guesses what the first one was? The kids suggested a cucumber with wheels… The second is obviously a sweet bike. And the third was a cloud raining down on the ocean — and one of the kids correctly guessed all of that!
In February, ECPC held our first Grandparents & Special Friends Day. For an hour during the morning program and an hour during the afternoon program, the children welcomed their grandparents or other special friends and got to show off their school.
Kids and grandparents/friends played and sat down together for a group time, with readings of the stories, “How to Babysit a Grandpa” and “How to Babysit a Grandma.” The visitors also enjoyed a grownup snack and posed for family pictures.
The kids loved showing their grandparents around and the parents loved seeing three generations of the ECPC community gathering together. (Kids whose grandparents or special friends couldn’t participate were invited to bring photos or letters from them.)
Among comments from parents about the event:
“Incredibly heartwarming”
“Super special”
“How fun was it to see family resemblances?!”
Come on, co-op — let’s make this an annual tradition! 
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