is it this message?
Posted on 01/31/2009 4:41:26 PM PST by Jim Noble
NEWTON — Five-year-old Kyra Randazzo proudly held up her newest creations.
"I made two cranes, my mom made one," she said, smiling and showing off two blue origami paper cranes she had just crafted.
Kyra was one of the students at Mt. Ida College's Longfellow Preschool in Newton who spent yesterday morning with their parents making origami cranes.
In total, the students will make 1,000 paper birds the school plans to send to the White House on the first day of spring as a goodwill gesture to President Barack Obama and his family.
The crane is considered in Japanese culture a "symbol of peace," said Kumiko Yamamoto, a teacher at the preschool who has been instructing the students on the art of Japanese paper folding.
According to Japanese legend, those who fold 1,000 paper cranes get a wish granted, Yamamoto said, a notion that's excited the children.
The children at Longfellow Preschool have taken a keen interest in Obama and feel particularly connected to his two daughters, Malia and Sasha. The children at Longfellow, who are ages 3-5, watched the inauguration and talked with their teachers about what it would be like to move into a new house and attend a new school.
The children also held their own election, voting on what type of dog the first family should get for the White House. It was a tie, between the Jack Russell terrier and a Japanese Chin. The Obama family seems to be favoring a Labradoodle for the presidential pooch.
Melissa Berger was one of the parents who showed up yesterday to take part in the origami project with their children. She said it was her first experience with making origami.
Berger said her daughter Sophie, who is 4, has taken an interest in Obama and often lights up when she sees him in pictures.
"She's been very keyed in on what's going on," Berger said.
Marlene Greenstein, director of the preschool, said the origami project is centered around the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education, aimed at giving children some control over what they learn. The belief is that they will be more interested in learning if they are interested in the curriculum.
"We really try to build curriculum through the interests of the children," Greenstein said.
While 1,000 cranes may seem like a daunting number, Yamamoto said the project encourages teamwork among the children, with older kids in some ways mentoring the younger kids.
"We are a team, if we work all together, we can do it," Yamamoto said is the message she reinforces to the children.
Yamamoto said the children are amazed with what they can make out of a piece of paper. "They are fascinated at making a 3-D object from a flat paper," she said.
Richard Conn can be contacted at 781-398-8004 or rconn@cnc.com.
Barf.
I’m glad to hear that those who fold 1,000 cranes will get their wishes granted. This means a whole schoolful of children will get new XBox 360s, subscriptions to “World of Warcraft,” and any new music from Hannah Montana that comes out in the next year.
ya’ think they’ll publish MY WISHES for .. “”THE ONE””..
NO... the biggest word is only 4 letters!!
cross my hands over my head...
WE LOVE BIG BROTHER!
Yup!
“We really try to build curriculum through the interests of the children,” Greenstein said.
Guess it’s fun being dumbed down more and more and more ... .
Well you did it for President Bush didn't you?....Didn't you?
***The belief is that they will be more interested in learning if they are interested in the curriculum.***
We didn’t make cranes when I was in first grade, but we colored paper flags and they were put up above the black board while we were taught what they meant to our country.
Er, what did the bad boy who needs Ritalin say?
Whatever ... I'll never understand the Celebrity Culture and its effect on society ... (well, maybe I do) ... and this coming from a Rocker (me) who is a huge Beatles and Who fan :)
Oh well ... such is life ........
/laughs
“The children at Longfellow PRESCHOOL have taken a keen interest in Obama...”
No, they haven’t. They’re THREE and FOUR freakin’ years old!
Their paid ‘Indoctrinators,’ on the other hand, are obviously over the moon for the goon! Grrrrrr!
is it this message?
lol...right, the kid took interest all on her own, right Mama Berger?
When I was 4 LBJ was Prez, and I couldn't recognize him (or any other politician) if my Tonka truck collection were on the line.
They’re being primed to become the U.S. version of the Hitler Youth.
If my daughter lit up at the sight of his picture, I think I might be a bit worried. At that age, children should light up at the sight of a favorite toy,a parent, or sibling, not the President. They don't even know what a President is.
Over and over again LOL LOL
Blowing out candles on a cake = one wish.
I think I will get a cake.
I’ve got a message for 0bama, but I’d probably be banned if if I list it.
Witha little luck on our part it will be the same day Ghengis Obama deploys thousands more American troops to Afghanistan.
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