Circle Preschool

What does it feel like to give our love to other people? 

How can we keep Martin Luther King's words and spirit alive each day? 

These are questions that we are wrangling with in the Kindergarten.  We made a decision to give the handmade stuffed animals to children with  challenges that may be different or even the same as ours. The teachers at Sabot had a connection with the teachers at the Circle Preschool and so we began to make plans.

We discussed together challenges that a child might overcome.  We wondered about the challenges  the children at the Circle Preschool might encounter? The Kindergartners offered some of their thoughts.

Sometime kids have to do chores.

Being away from family that live far away is a problem.

If you don't have a yard that is a big challenge because you can't run.

If your mom and dad  live in different houses that is hard. 

If you living in a dangerous place where guys might live 

 (like in a haunted house) this is bad.

Some of the children placed a small heart inside of their stuffed animals. This was a symbol for their love. 

"My love is inside me and it is a thing.  Love has to be something like water, food and air but you can’t see it. I put some in my stuffed animal."

"Me and Ivey and Ella, my sisters, were hugging me so tight. That is love. I would put that in a stuffed animal."

"My love is in my heart. Your heart has love inside. I can give it to people, though."

If I want to get love out it goes through  invisible tubes and when love comes into your body it goes through the same tube. My heart has a flap and love goes in it. 

We traveled to the Circle Preschool with our arms filled with stuffed animals and our hearts filled with love. 

We shared our stuffed animals and the preschoolers guessed the identity of each creature.

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We were asked to share some snack with the children. 

Goodbye beloved stuffed bunny.

What feelings were in your body when you were visiting the Circle Preschool?

I felt sad and happy to give my stuffed animal because I had to give it away and because they liked.

My body was happy to learn to tap dance.

We just gave them all our animals in a basket and they could decide who got to keep them.

One of the kids  thought my  stuffed animal looked like a carrot. It was funny because it did not have a stem.

Sometimes I  have anger when I give away my toys but not today.

My heart was screaming, “Ella you now have love.”