Day 3

My second day at Big Cove was a success. I got into their daily routine and felt much more helpful than I felt the first day. The kids remembered me and I played with them again on the playground. I felt bad because I couldn't think of any games to play and they really wanted to play "Duck Duck Goose", which I learned is in the "Hall of Shame", but I played it with them anyway. I was able to quickly see why the game is of no value because the kids were inactive most of the time, until/unless they were picked. Plus, most kids didn't get picked and cried. I felt really bad, oops! No more "Duck Duck Goose"! Other than that mishap though, the day was a success and I really enjoyed working there again.

After Big Cove, we went to the waterfalls again and thanks to Whitney, Cassie, Rachel, and Sarah I braved going all the way down to the bottom, which was unlike anything I've ever experienced in my life before. It made me feel like I accomplished something so huge, which it was for me, but most likely not for others. I am so thankful to all the girls for inspiring me to do that; it's something I'll never forget.

♥Lisa

Big Cove: Day 4

Today is Thursday, which means that it is my last full day with the 3-year-olds at Big Cove Head Start. While today was a very good day, it was pretty sad because I knew that it was going to be my last full day. I wish I could just stay there. Our day was very uneventful at the school today. I kept dozing off during circle time because I was sitting in that stupid rocking chair... there's no way I am having one of those chairs in my classroom!! The little boy who started yesterday, once again pooped his pants. However, this time, I didn't have to clean him up, which was nice :] My little chipmunk was, again, very sweet. He was hugging me & hanging all over me during nap-time [the boy never sleeps].

Sarah & I went to Bryson City to print off some pictures & then went on a hunt for some of the bears around town [there are 17], hopefully we'll be finding the others tomorrow. After our bear hunt & a little shopping, we had dinner with everyone. Since it was the last night, this dinner was VERY interesting & full of hilarity... our classmates are going to think we are absolutely crazy when we have class again on Monday.

~ Kristy

Rachel's Blog. Day 4.

I'm going to try and blog before I forget the order of events that happened today before we go out on more adventures! When I got back to my 3/4year olds this morning, $ was stenciling different animals on construction paper and so I helped her come up with different animals to draw. Apparently, I made it interesting enough that the 2 other students that were there before breakfast, $ and = also became interested in stenciling. When ( came in she also was interested in stenciling on construction paper, enough to the point that she cut out the different shapes that she sketched. By the time breakfast came around we only had 5 students which is less than our average amount. I was reading to some of the students while the rest of them were finishing up their breakfast and then right before we went out to recess + came in to make our total of the day, only 6 students. On our way out to recess, ( who informed me yesterday that I was no longer the "official swing pusher", told me that I could push her in the swings today, if I wanted. I found this hilarious since she was so convinced I wasn't as good yesterday. This trip has definitely helped me come to the conclusion how often kids the age of my students, can change their minds. I pushed @, $, %, and = on the swings today and then once they all lost interest in swinging we decided to play hide and seek with the rest of the kids. We all took turns in being the seeker and it was really cool because most of the places the kids decided to hide, were small enough for me to fit into as well. Once we came back in from recess, I asked my teacher if the art station was considered a "center" and she said it was. My original plan was to just make something really cool and hope my kids would ask to help or make one of their own because they thought it was so neat. When I asked her that she told me I could lead the kids in an art project of my choice and I was honestly kind of skeptical at that point because I couldn't think of a themed project with her materials that quickly off the top of my head. My teacher gave me a book that I flipped through really quick and found a collaged Easter egg idea. I gave out all the materials to each of my kids and then dotted their papers with glue in the shape of an egg. After helping each of the kids put the tissue paper on the glue dots to the point that it at least resembled an egg, we set them up to dry. I thought it was so cool that my teacher wanted me to lead them in an activity after knowing them for such a short time. Then it was time for centers where I played blocks again with + and @ which was definitely an interesting experience. The other day I blogged about having problems with @ because when I was stern with him he didn't seem to like me much after that. Today it was a completely different situation where he was so helpful and enjoyed building walls with me and +. However, + had a little bit of an attitude today which wasn't as difficult to manage as I thought but it is a good learning experience to be able to balance each of the kids equally and give them the same rules and to not make any kid an exception to the rules, depending on the circumstances. After centers it was time for lunch and then after lunch it was time again for their naps. After sweeping the floors and helping my teacher put the students down for their naps, I found a chair that was just my size to read Curley for the duration of their naptime. Once each kid woke up, I helped send them out the door with snack and their collaged Easter egg that they made. Today was definitely a really awesome day because some of the parents acknowledged me enough to tell their kids to say goodbye to "Ms. Rachel". I'm going to be really sad tomorrow when we have to leave because I love all of these kids and it has only been a week since we've been here. I'm not ready to leave, hopefully I'll be able to come back sometime soon and reminisce all of the awesome memories we have made here in Cherokee! :D

Sunset!!

*Sarah T*

Cassie and Whitney's Day 2...

Tuesday we decided to team up in one of the four and five year old classrooms. When we first entered the classroom we were literally swarmed by all of the children. Whitney was pulled over to the drama section where she was told to call and "talk" to her mom, dad, and boyfriend. Cassie played in the science section where her hair was inspected for lice and ticks. After that we ventured outside where we played hide and seek, tag, and pushed multiple children on the swings. We began to realize how hard it is to watch all of the children on the playground and to make sure that they are all playing safe because we witnessed our first accident. Teachers cannot prevent all accidents from happening just as we saw a girl fall down and hurt herself. It was really great that we were together because we could switch off whose turn it was to chase all the children.

Right before lunch all of the teachers received the news that the state was coming to inspect the childcare center. We learned that small things like having a purse out can be seen as a hazard to children. We were kind of shocked to see that the state only observed the classroom for around five minutes. It is going to be hard to leave our children on Thursday...

Immediately after leaving Dora Reed we stopped downtown where we saw four traditional American Indians dancing and playing instruments. The men told us that there is around 400 full-blooded Cherokee Indians left on the reservation. Before we were about to leave one of the men played a wooden flute that made very natural sounds that resonanted off the mountains. After we left town we drove to see Mingo Falls and walked up a ton of stairs to see the beautiful waterfall. Next, we drove to Soco Falls where we hiked down to the viewing point of the falls.

For dinner we ate at a drive-in named Na-Bers near Bryson City. Na-Bers had delicous hamburgers and milkshakes. Before we left we met Mrs. Dixie who told us about where the orginial drive-in was located. She had been waitressing for over fifty years. When she was in high school french fries cost a grand total of fifteen cents. After leaving we drove to that spot which now has a gazebo. We sat and talked for over an hour until we were ready for bed. Well... that is it for Tuesday! Talk to you again soon!

Whitney's Story... Day 3

Today was a GREAT day! I did not wake up in the best mood this morning but as I was getting ready I was reminded of how truly blessed I am. I grew up having everything I could ever want or need and this trip has shown me that not all people have it that great. The children I have been working with seem to always wear a smile no matter what tough situation they are going through. It really puts my "troubles" into perspective... I have no reason to complain about my life. It has been amazing to see how much four-and-five year olds can teach a college student. I would say that it has been a pretty humbling experience!

We had fifteen children in the classroom, which made the day very interesting! A couple of the children decided that they wanted to build this huge tower of blocks with a road going around it. We spent a lot of time working on it and of course after twenty minutes of building all they wanted to do was knock it down, which they did... right before I was able to take a picture. Oh well, they laughed a lot! For nap time the teachers turn the lights off and turn on lullaby music. I was so tired that I actually kept falling asleep in the chair. All of the teachers gave me a really hard time about it saying that I was too young to be tired! I guess it is tough chasing children around all day. :)

After leaving Dora Reed we were able to visit the new school that just opened on the reservation. Twelve hundred children ranging from Pre-Kindergarten to 12th grade are able to attend this amazing school. One of the main focuses of the school is keeping the traditions of the Cherokee alive. Pottery, basket-weaving, wood carving, carpentry, and Cherokee language classes are available for students to explore and continue the traditions of their culture.

We ended our day with hiking back down to Soco Falls, spending some time exploring the area, and watching a beautiful sunset. Have a great night! :)

Show place

With a price tag coming in at over $140 million, it is hard to imagine a community making a more profound commitment than the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has with the new Cherokee schools campus pictured here. Elementary, middle and high schools are all located here, as is the central administrative offices of the Boundary schools. We had the pleasure of touring the site today with the architect, Mr. John Caron, and a member of the Hope Center, Mrs. Mickie Crowe. They were kind enough to spend over two hours walking us around the site and answering any questions we have. I am sure the students will blog about this, so I won't say much more.

The school opened this past August.

Renovations

There have been some major changes to the Dora Reed Center since we were here last year. The Cherokee language program has moved to its own facility--the Kituwah Academy--and the center has expanded its services and classrooms. There is a new media center for the children and teachers (pictured above) as well as a brand new kitchen for me to work in (also pictured above)!! A brand new computer lab is also being finished. From this lab children will have access to technology, and teachers will be able to continue their own training and education through on-line classes and seminars.

For Chey

Hey Short Stuff--check it out!! I am currently hot on the trail of Artemus Gordon Lane!!!!

Early Morning in Big Cove

In addition to the challenge, inspiration and enjoyment of their time in the classrooms, one of the things I really hope students will get out of this trip is the chance to see and take in the amazing beauty of the Qualla Boundary. It's true that Boone is a beautiful place, but there are spots here--away from the tourist traps--that are breathtaking and full of a marvelous peace. Even though this picture does not do that beauty justice, it does provide a small taste.

Sarah T's Day Three

Today I went back to the five year old class again today that I went to on Monday. I'm getting to know the teachers and the kids pretty well. The teachers are awesome!!! They are so friendly and helpful. The kids are adorable and so in need of attention and love. There are a few behavior problems in the classroom. We had ten kids in class today, two children I met today because they weren't there Monday. The kids are starting to warm up to me, and the teacher is feeling more comfortable with me in the class.

We also got to tour the new Cherokee Central School that is made for 1600 kids ranging from pre-k to 12th grade. They have the pre-k program, the elementary school, middle school, and high school on one campus with connecting buildings that are very high tech. There is a smart board in almost every classroom. They have a very modern theater. It is also designed to incorporate the seven clans of the Cherokee Nation. The school had also posted students work in the hallways that were beautiful. They have amazing artists. They also had a beautiful football field.

Rachel's Blog. Day 3.

I was fortunate to be able to return to my same classroom for the third day in a row. When I got there most of my kids were just sitting around waiting for breakfast to start so I suggested that we do a couple of puzzles. I helped + and $ with one puzzle that included the different animals for each letter of the alphabet. After everyone ate breakfast we went outside where I was the designated swing pusher again but ( informed me that I didn't push as high as others so I couldn't push ( anymore on the swings. However ! and + still asked me to push them on the swings for most of the time we were out there. I also felt like I was mediating a lot during recess because everywhere I looked some kid was crying, whether it was from an injury or hurt feelings. After we came back in from recess, my teacher started asking the kids that were more well-behaved to come up and get their name tags and pick a center of their choice. She got distracted with helping another student or maybe it was another teacher, I don't remember, but I was able to call on the students that were well-behaved. After calling on each student, my teacher wanted the students to spell our their name tags to me which was really neat to see how far along each student is with spelling/reading. Some of the students knew instantly what each letter of their name was while others had no clue about any of the letters in their name. I played in the blocks center with !, *, ), and + where we built a really cook structure that I actually took a picture of but my camera died today, so I can't show it. Sadness. Anywho, I also played cashier/store with ! and after showing the students how to scan the different plastic food items, *,),+ and = all wanted to play with us. I felt bad because there was no room for that many kids in that one area to all share the one cash register. It ended up working out because while some of us played store, the others were listening to a book on tape. I played dress-up with ! and + which I have pictures of also. After these centers, it was time for our day in the media center but when we got there it was a lot of just sitting around. We found out that the librarian was stuck in traffic so she wouldn't be able to make it for the duration of our allotted library time. Our assistant teacher read 5 little ducklings to the kids (basically like 5 little monkeys) and then we headed back to the classroom for lunch. Lunch was fairly uneventful yet delicious and after lunch we had nap time. I mostly just helped my teacher get on the internet from her laptop and also helped her figure out how to connect her laptop to the printer similarly to yesterday. Other than helping her with that I mostly read Curley for the duration of nap time. Overall, my time at school today was somewhat uneventful yet it was still a good day. I was asked if I was teacher at recess by another student from another class and I almost wanted to say yes because I feel so included in my current classroom. So far I've learned a lot while being here at Cherokee and I hope to absorb as much as I can for the remainder of the trip. I am still really excited to see my kids tomorrow, I'm really glad I stayed with my original class!

Day Two & Three-Success!

What a crazy past two days it has been here in Cherokee.!! We have spent our days at the Head Start facility forming stronger relationships with our student's and teacher's, while spending our afternoons and evenings enjoying the beautiful nature and exploring all of the local restaurants and shops.
While at Dora Reed I have been forming strong bonds with the student's. They definitely now have a soft spot in my heart. I have greatly enjoyed getting to know them on a personal level. They are so loving and friendly. We took a trip to the schools media center, it is full of books that the students can check out and take home. They spend time once a week reading a story that followed closely with the text talk we have been learning about in our phonics class at app and then an activity. I was greatly impressed with their collection of books and how much the student's seemed to enjoy it. One thing that I have noticed is that the kids have a love for arts and crafts. On Tuesday the students made Easter bunnies and we took pictures of them and inserted their face. They absolutely LOVED this. Although I quickly learned that elmers glue is not always the best choice, sometimes you have to resort to tacky glue!! Today the student's worked on adding to their very own garden they had created on a large bulletin board. They had previously made clouds, worms, and flowers. They added butterflies to that garden today. One of my favorite parts of the day was singing and dancing with the girls in my class to the Alvin and the Chipmunk Movie soundtrack. The girls used instrumental sticks as microphones and new almost every word! The boys then came over and played the wooden blocks as if they were electric guitars, it made my day! I know that some of these children come from a home life that I could not even imagine but the smiles that are on their faces and their laughter would never reflect it. As their teacher for the week I do not believe I could ever teach them as much as they have taught me this week.
We have been spending our afternoons and evenings exploring the natural beauty here in Cherokee. I am in awe! Yesterday we went to Mingo Falls, which was a bit of a hike, but totally worth it! All of the workers at the Head Start told us we had to check it out and I am so glad that we did. The waterfall there was unlike anything I could have ever imagined. We then went to Soco falls and enjoyed it so much that today we went back and climbed to the middle where the two falls meet! We ended up soaked and muddy but it was well worth it!! Last night we ate at a local drive in diner called "Na-bers" (or something close to that spelling) where I got the best hot fudge brownie dessert and then spent time by the river talking, which was so much fun.
Today we got the privilege to tour the Cherokee School and it was nothing short of AMAZING. It is Pre-K thru 12th grade, over 430,000 sq ft, and came with a price tag of over 140 million dollars. It received a silver rating in terms of a green school. We spent 2 hours just touring the school and at any point if I would have ventured off I would of been lost. I was impressed by all of the attention to detail that was paid. All of the wood that was used in the school for the floors, walls, ceilings, etc. came from the site. They incorporate the Cherokee culture into the school (using 7 sided court yards to represent the 7 Cherokee Clans, having a gathering site, the river being represented on the ceiling and floor, etc ) as well as into the classroom (Cherokee Language classes, Woodcarving classes, Cherokee Culture classes, etc). My favorite was the amazing performing arts facility they had, I was imagining in my head all of the great performances the students would have the opportunity to present in this school.
The week is more than halfway over now, and they days are definitely flying by!! I am sure tomorrow will bring much more excitement... until then, Goodnight :)
--Allie

Big Cove: Day 3

Today was a very long, hard day... We had another student start at Big Cove this week. He is a very sweet child [yea, I know, big surprise]. He was not very happy about being at school... he really wanted to go be home. In the morning during center play time [after breakfast & circle-time], some people came into the center to work with some individual students. First an auditory specialist came in & called out a handful of students to check their hearing. After having their hearing checked, the students were given small stickers; the student that has found a major soft spot in my heart [now on referred to as "my chipmunk"] walked in, took his sticker off walked in & put it on my shirt - it was such a sweet moment. This sticker is now in my Block 1 binder, where it will probably stay for the rest of eternity or until it eventually biodegrades long after I have passed away. While the auditory specialist was pulling out students, a physical therapist came in to work with one of the students. His mother was having some concerns about his legs and feet & had requested that someone check him out. I'm not sure about how this visit turned out, but do know that the PT lady talked to my teacher for quite a while about looking out for physical issues in the kids & not hesitating to call her in.

Soon after, we went outside to play. Today the people from Ident-A-Kid were scheduled to come make ID badges [I believe] for each of the students who had signed up. There were only 5 signed up in my class. The people with Ident-A-Kid got there during "recess". When we were taking these 5 students inside, we were informed that the new student had...an accident...in his pants - this would not have been so bad, if it had just been a pee accident, sigh. Because of everything going on at the time, I was asked to clean him up annnnd of course I agreed, thinking that it couldn't be worse than changing a baby's diaper. I. Was. Wrong. I don't think I've ever been so grateful for latex gloves & diaper wipes in my life.

Lunch came & passed without an incident other than having to get more food from the cafeteria. The new student cried when he was laid down for nap-time, but quickly fell asleep anyway. When we woke him up, he started to cry again & immediately started reaching for me to pick him up for comfort. After snack time, we had to get the kids ready for the bus ride to home or to meet their parents. My chipmunk has continued his pattern of pitching a fit as soon as he gets off the bus because he does not seem to want to go home; this has made my heart break everyday.

Almost immediately after our day was done at the Head Start programs, we were taken on a tour of the new Cherokee School complex which houses the elementary, middle, & high schools, plus a pre-K program. It was a beautiful campus. I really enjoyed the effort that the architecture team put into the school so that they could proudly display & protect several cultural aspects of the tribe [i.e. the 7-sided buildings & courtyards that symbolize that 7 clans of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians: the Deer clan, the Wolf clan, the Wild Potato clan, the Long Hair clan, the Blue clan, the Paint clan, & the Bird clan]. Also, the school truly shows a great commit that the tribe has made not only to its future generations, but to the survival of their culture. The schools offer Cherokee language classes, Cherokee history classes, basket-weaving [along with other traditional crafts], woodcarving, wood shop, etc. Beyond the cultural aspects of the school, there were several very cool things about the design of the building. My boyfriend, Will, graduated from UNCC with two degrees in architecture & is currently working for a sustainable development firm in Boone. Because of his passion for green designs/buildings, I was aware [& amazed] by some of the features in the new school complex - light tubes, geo-thermal heating/cooling, harvesting most of the wood from the build site, light shelves, light sensors, etc. I can't explain what all of these things do, however, I do understand them enough that I can fully appreciate what the design team accomplished. Our two tour guides were a wonderful lady from the Hope Center [a center for ages 0-5, with disabilities] & the head project manager/consultant for the job. They provided an immense about of information about the school & the mission of the Cherokee Central School.

After the school tour, we went back out to Soco falls [we were there yesterday]. I would have loved to go hiking down closer to the falls, but I was very exhausted after a long day & felt the need to do some homework. I sat on the "deck" & listened to the falls for a little bit, while most everyone hiked down. Hopefully when Will & I go visit his Nanny this summer, we can stop on the way & do some hiking around the Qualla Boundary. Tomorrow is my last full day with my students & this is highly upsetting for me. I have grown very close to them in the last few days. I truly wish that I had more days to spend here on the reservation. I'm sure that I will become quite emotional on Friday when we made our "good-bye" rounds. I have made the decision to make an effort to stay in touch with my teacher so that I may stay up-to-date on news concerning my little chipmunk boy :]

~ Kristy

Rachel's Blog. Day 2.

Today was an even more awesome day than yesterday if that's at all possible. I got to go back to my classroom from yesterday and I didn't know it but the teacher that was there yesterday wasn't the full time teacher (she was the assistant). So today I got to see what it was really like with the full time teacher there and it was a different experience. When I got there I the kids were playing with puzzles and so I helped them figure out where different pieces went. I also got to meet two students that weren't there yesterday so that was cool because I've now gotten to know all but one of the students (who's only been there 3 days of the month. I helped serve breakfast and then I honestly can't remember if we played in centers or if went to recess after that but no matter what that happened before lunchtime/circle time so it may be out of order. If centers were first, (which I think they were) I first hung out with * and ) where we played with the magnet connect toys where we made crazy things I couldn't understand. After that center I mostly hung out in the blocks center with @ who I had a few problems with. @ was not very good at listening but it worked out because after that encounter think the kids thought of me more as a teacher versus just a friend/volunteer. + was a new student that I met today and I got to learn a lot about him in the blocks center as well. After playing in the blocks centers for the rest of the time we all went outside and that was really fun. Now I think centers and recess were reversed, not that that matters. Anyways at recess ) and ! took me by the hand and we played in the castle structure for a bit. After that we had a pretend ice cream stand where we served different types if "ice cream" to other kids that were fascinated by our game. When the swings opened up, the kids took full advantage of them and then I was designated as the "official swing pusher" for those that were swinging. Once we went back inside, either being after centers or recess, we got ready for lunch all the while preparing for !'s birthday where parent after parent kept bringing in junk food! After lunch, I helped the teacher's assistant serve out party food which I can say by the way is not helping my weight watchers diet. Anyways, the kids had nap time after the party and then I read Curley for approximately the first 15 minutes. The other hour and 45 minutes I helped my teacher figure out how to get connected to wireless internet and also figure out google. I then helped her connect her computer to her printer where she was thrilled to find out she could actually print things out! It was about the time I was finished with all of these computer tasks that the kids had to wake up and have snack. This included the remaining cupcakes which turned the kids tongues blue, yellow, pink, and purple. After this, it was time for ) to go to wrap around and me to meet back with our group. I definitely felt like today was cooler because the kids remembered my name and I learned more about the class after talking with the primary teacher. I'm excited to work with this class for the rest of the week!!

Day 2

Today I went to Big Cove Head Start. I got to work with 4 and 5 year old kids. I thought it was so interesting to see the kids' routine of washing their hands before and after each meal, and brushing their teeth after each meal. After breakfast, everyone gathered around a chair in the reading area for "circle time" and one of the teachers read a children's fitness book that got the children acting out "exercises" mentioned in the book. I loved acting out the moves with them. After circle time, the kids had free play in whatever area they wanted. I helped construct train tracks, assisted with Lego-house building, and drank "secret soda" that the kids decided would turn me into a mermaid, fish, or invisible depending if they gave me a green, blue, or red cup. After free time, the kids lined up to go play outside. The kids have to run 5 laps around a small track before they get to play, in case they choose do something sedentary like sit in the sandbox during outdoor time. They definitely keep their kids active. I got to run around and play all kinds of games with the kids. It was a blast and I didn't realize how worn out I was till we went back in for lunch and nap-time. I had an amazing time today and hope to continue working at Big Cove for the remainder of the week.

After we left Big Cove Head Start, we went on a hike to visit a couple of waterfalls. They were GORGEOUS and though the hike wasn't easy, it was definitely worth the view once we got to the top. I've never gotten to see a waterfall that close up before. Next, we ate dinner at a local restaurant called "neighbors" which I believe is spelled "Na-Ber's" or something similar to that. The food was great and the wait-staff was amazing - fast and very friendly. We got to meet a lady in her 90's who has worked there since she was a teenager in high school! She was so sweet. Oh and that place has the BEST apple pie I've ever tasted!

Anyway, I look forward to tomorrow and hope I get to go back to see the kids and teachers at Big Cove that I fell in love with today!

♥Lisa

Sarah T- Day Two

Today I went back to the Dora Reed Children's Center. I was in a two year old room today. It was fun but quite exhausting. I was talking to the assistant in class today and heard about a program that they have to use to assess the children's achievement. It requires the students to complete the exact task asked of them at the time of the assessment regardless how many times you have seen them do it before. It set up according to the age of the child. The teachers then give ideas to the parents to help them work with their child to complete the task. Its just another form of standardized testing. The children in the classroom were awesome. There was one three year old in the classroom. He was so smart but he was spoiled and therefore had some behavior issues. We didn't go outside during the day, instead we went to a play room where the children could run around. There was one girl in the class that would not eat anything. We gave her breakfast, lunch and snack and she didn't touch any of it. It just sat in front of her. I don't know why she didn't eat anything. I almost fell asleep during nap time, but was able to help the teacher a little and ask them questions.

Day Two at Big Cove!

Dr. Bryant has kindly agreed to let me stay in my classroom at Big Cove Head Start!! There is a student starting at the school this week; he has Down's Syndrome. He is the sweetest child, but does require quite a bit of energy & supervision. I started my day attempting to get him to eat some oatmeal - this ended horribly [he took three bites & then every other bite he didn't push away was spit up]. This week he is staying only part of the day with the hidden supervision of his mom & sister. Next week, he will begin to stay all day, with a speech therapist & physical therapist coming to the school once a week to work with him. After breakfast we had "circle-time" as is routine. Part of "circle-time" includes some time of song [about numbers, letters, body parts, etc.]; today, we sang songs about 5 little ducks, 3 little monkeys, & the "Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes". Watching the kids sing & dance to "Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes" was the most hilarious & precious thing that I have probably ever seen! They kept speeding up with each verse & eventually the whole classroom was rolling with laughter.

After this, we started playing inside. While some of the more advanced students played & worked on their social skills, we pulled a small group of students over to one of the tables to work on writing their names. Most of the students wanted us to write their names for them over & over, but after some time each of them had written their name several times - some letters more legible than others. Soon it was time to go outside again. I enjoyed this time a lot more today because I was dressed in a way that allowed me to run around & play with the kids. The child who has what I will call a "mishap" yesterday has found a very soft spot in my heart. If I had the time, space, & time, I wouldn't think twice about snatching him up and running away with him [well, maybe I'd think twice to avoid kidnapping charges]. From what I have been told & witnessed, his home-life is not fabulous. Despite this, I think he is one of the most joyful children I have ever had the pleasure to interact with. I ran around after him basically the entire hour we were outside. Every time I would stop running after him, he'd turn around a roar at me :] When it was nap time, I sat in the rocking chair to read Curley - however, between the rocking, the cool air being pumped in the room, & the sweet quiet of children's snoring, I PASSED OUT!! I woke up after what I believe was only about 20 minutes, for the kids were still very asleep.

I talked to my teacher & assistant teacher about Dr. Bryant's book, Curley, & the Swayney family. The child that has found a soft spot in my heart, my teacher assistant, & the teacher assistant in the other classroom are all Swayneys [or were Swayneys at one time]. They were telling Lisa [who was there with me today] & I about some of the Swayneys they knew of & how Dr. Bryant could go somewhere [don't remember where] to track his family history. They also said that since they are "family" they should get a free copy of Curley to read! I can't wait to see my kids again tomorrow :]

~ Kristy

New Site

This year we are working at the Big Cove Head Start for the first time. Big Cove is one of the communities on the Qualla Boundary, and the only one to have its own Head Start. The symbol of the raven on the sign is significant because the Cherokee refer to the population of Big Cove as "the people of raven rock."

(In the early 20th century Big Cove was known as "Swaneytown" after all the Swaneys--like my great-grandmother--who lived there)

Here We Go!

It was an early morning start for us all today...but it was well worth it! The students gathered here by the Head Start buses before heading in for their classroom assignments. They were spread out among the infants, the toddlers, and up to the pre-K level. The children at the Dora Reed Center really latched on to the ASU students!