What's going on at Rayuela?
Hello to all the wonderful families who are a part of the Rayuela community and future members. We are so excited to inform you that Rayuela is open this summer! As you are aware, we had to close our doors mid-March to ensure the safety and well-being of our Cachorritos, Mapaches, Elefantes, and our wonderful Maestras. We were saddened to have made such a decision, but as we have seen, it was the right choice.
Online classes
Though physically our doors were closed, the doors within our hearts remained open and we were able to continue a “distance learning” approach via Zoom meetings every day (morning circles and afternoon reading clubs, music, cooking classes, experiments, and much more. The children of Rayuela Uno and Dos had an opportunity to engage with their teachers and each other daily. The Maestras were able to continue working closely with them and end the school year with a happy surprise to those graduating from Rayuela Dos as well as those who will be going from Rayuela Uno to Rayuela Dos in the fall.
Reopening for Summer Camp!
We welcomed the Summer of 2020 by once again opening up our doors. That’s right, Rayuela Dos is now open to summer campers and we have openings at Rayuela UNO. Our Summer Programs runs until August 21. Sign up with us NOW!
Rayuela is taking all of the necessary precautions to ensure that we remain open to the families in our community and their children. Every morning, we take the temperatures of the Maestras, the campers, and their parents following the guidelines provided by the Health Department, DSS, and CDC.
Students wear hats with shields or masks to the best of their ability. Teachers wear masks all the time.
Our sign-in, sign-out procedures have now gone virtual and we ask daily wellness questions in order to maintain a healthy environment. We also ensure that every afternoon we clean and disinfect the campus so we can return to a sanitized space the following morning.
Rayuela Dos has become an inclusive space where Cachorros and Mapaches alike have the opportunity to learn from each other as they navigate the small world that is this campus. Maestra Estrella and Maestra Mariela have kicked off the summer program together, each with a group of children of mixed ages: Los Mapaches Amarrillos, with Maestra Estrella, and Los Mapaches Rojos with Maestra Cecilia. Both teachers have programmed science experiments, beautiful works of art, and fun STEM projects for the campers. And everything is in Spanish all the time to guarantee a true immersion experience. All teachers are native speakers.
Social distance
Did we mention that we are achieving all of these wonderful things while maintaining physical distance? Safety has always been our number one priority and the Maestras have shown some innovative ways to do what they can to keep the children healthy. With the many generous donations from Rayuela families, we have been able to balance the playground equipment so that both groups of children have a great time playing. We want to also give a huge THANK YOU to Maestras Rosa and Miriam whose tireless efforts and love for the children have completed the Rayuela Team.
We are benefitting from the fact that almost all activities are outside. Our playground at Rayuela Dos is huge. We also have plenty of shaded areas for the hot summer days.
Along with our physical Summer camp, we are also continuing our beloved online classes. In the mornings, Maestra Mariela opens up a virtual circle where Cachorros and Mapaches alike can share what’s in their hands and hearts. Older siblings have also joined the virtual circle in the mornings and it has been heartwarming to witness the interactions among siblings; how they help each other to learn and participate, as well as all of the elaborate stories they tell about their days and what they’ve been up to. The virtual circle in the mornings parallels some of the themes covered in the summer camp; we’ve covered themes such as shapes, means of transportation, and the seasons. Every morning starts off with lots of beautiful smiles and ends with love that can be felt despite the limitations of a screen.
Music, Reading, and Cooking
Along with the morning Virtual Circle, Rayuela is also offering afternoon classes. We proudly offer Música, Lectura, y Cocina (music, reading, and cooking) Monday through Thursday. We are so excited about these classes! Especially since we have some international talent helping us with Música. Profe Sebastián joins us from Bogotá, Colombia on Mondays and Thursdays to brighten our afternoons with beautiful songs, lively instruments, and tenderness and attention that has bonded him and the children.
Profe Sebastián teaches music by making connections to the children’s environment and their bodies. Speaking of international talent; Maestra Lili’s friend from Spain, Silvia Coloma, will soon be joining our virtual classes. She is an expert an early child development. We feel that her contribution will be very beneficial as our rayuelines will be hearing a new accent. We are looking forward to learning new techniques from her! Another big THANK YOU to Irene, our young helper who joins the afternoon classes to help!
We are also pleased to share that our Maestras have all signed up for “Principles to Practice: Montessori Summit 2020.” This is a five-day online workshop full of educational videos, practice, and knowledge of all things Montessori. We feel that the Montessori philosophy resonates within the Rayuela philosophy, so we are taking advantage of this opportunity to increase our knowledge and apply it to better help and understand children.
¡Feliz verano!