I'm thankful for Joy School. And Thanksgiving makes me miss Joy School because we sing one of my fav. Joy School songs to celebrate this month. If you don't know much about this program, click here.
Once again, I'm a little biased about this, but it has been such a great experience for me to get to be the preschool teacher for each of my four oldest children (we do Joy School when they're three and another preschool when they're four). It is a cooperative preschool where the moms in the group take turns teaching. I have adored having that structured time to be with my kids, getting to know their friends, bonding with my friends (the other teachers), and teaching what I believe is the most important thing to help children starting off in their school career: Joy.
Joy of the Body.
Joy of Imagination and Creativity.
Joy of Honesty and Candor.
Joy of the Earth.
(Just a few of my favorites.)
I love the nature walks. I love making green eggs and ham. I love acting out "Hats for Sale." And I love how excited my kids get when it's at our house, and their mother gets to be their teacher. Boy howdy. That's fun...most of the time...unless you have eight boys in your group...not so fun. I wouldn't recommend that particular type of Joy School...
And the songs. Man oh man, I love the songs.
These are my favorites: "I'm a Mean Old Witch with a Hat" (for Halloween) and "Thank You Pilgrims." You MUST listen to this last one (just click on it). This kid's voice is about the cutest thing I've heard, especially in between the verses when he does this little "fa la la" thing. Listen for it. It's one of my very favorite songs. Seriously. I make my kids learn it and sing it each November....all month. But they prefer "Mr. Turkey" (this recording is not quite so professional...it's when Joy School was just beginning when I was little, and it's my Mom playing the piano and us kids singing. Man, I should have been a singer...)
I'm trying to figure out how I can do Joy School with Lucy in conjunction with her other school. Maybe in the afternoons next year when it wouldn't force me to choose between putting her down for a nap or having a monster screaming in our house for the entire evening.
Hmmm.
Anyway, just want you to know if you're looking for some good bonding, teaching, warm-heart stuff, check it out.
post edit: I just realized you can't listen to those great songs if you don't have a password. Darn. Sorry.Labels: ideas, joy school