While outside earlier this year, the JK and SK students gathered and were asked, ‘How could we show our friendship?’. They decided to form a circle and called it their ‘Circle of Friends’. It was an interesting process to watch as they worked collectively to form an even circle with their bodies, and was even more fascinating when they discovered the shadows they were projecting onto the grass.
Later in the studio with Mrs. Sherman, each child created a clay figure of themselves which was joined together into a large circle symbolizing their friendship and collaborative learning.

Here are some of their insights on their circle of friends, and it’s meaning:

“The circle is supposed to big and round and we come together all day.” – AM

“Friendship makes everyone included.  It looks beautiful.” – MJ

“Our circle of friends is almost like a crown.” – IG

This experience has not simply provided the students of JK and SK with a better understanding of friendship and how to represent it. Nor has it simply provided them with a better understanding of how to work with clay. While all this is true and the students have gained valuable insight through this collaborative learning exercise, their journey continues and will take them into their investigation on light and shadows, as they recall the shapes their bodies made on the grass when they were gathered that sunny day.
This is an example of the Reggio-inspired Inquiry Learning that transpires at Richland on a daily basis, and how the learning experiences of our students are carefully woven to create an education that is genuine and meaningful.