Across classrooms

At Summers-Knoll we believe in the value of having children from all the classrooms share time together. The time might be spent performing for another class, teaching each other, or sharing an experience together.  This week the kindergarten class had opportunity to do all of these things with the older classes.

After making "Wild Thing" puppets out of toilet paper rolls, the children practiced acting out Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak.  I asked them if they would like to perform the show for Mrs. Carpenter's class. They said yes , so Thursday morning, they performed.  Nilay was the narrator, Eli was Max, and the other children were Wild Things.  Mrs. Carpenter's class was a very generous audience.  On Friday, I was told by children that Adrian and Vanya had congratulated them on doing a great job.  (Sorry no photos of this, I was busy being the stage manager.)

In the afternoon, our class was invited to view the finished "La Place du Village" project that Renata's French class made.  The children have been so curious of the large sheets that Imogen has been carrying back and forth from Renata's room for weeks.  While getting tours of the "villages", the older children                 
introduced the kindergarteners to new french words.

 Friday the whole school got to share an amazing trip to the Detroit Puppet Theater.   Our host Igor gave a tour of the puppet museum while explaining the various kinds of puppets.  He informed us that puppets are actors and like all actors they like to talk and perform but they do not like to be touched.  Adults and children alike were mesmerized as Igor told us about puppets from all over the world, and then brought some of them to life before our eyes.  He also told us that puppets are merely toys until they tell a story to an audience.


After a fantastic performance of Firebird,  Igor helped the children through the process of making their own stick puppets.  It was amazing to see 37 children working diligently on creating puppets, each with unique expressions and personalities, while Igor explained to them that it is the small details that make a puppet.  And then, so they wouldn't just be toys, Igor walked the children, and their new creations, through a short story, which they presented to a small audience of teachers and parents.  Back at school, the children couldn't wait to find their puppets and practice making them move. 


If your child enjoyed the show, you might consider going to another Detroit PuppetArt production.  In February, they will performing "Oh, Asanse".