2: The Journey Within

"You have no need to travel anywhere — journey within yourself. 

Enter a mine of rubies and bathe in the splendor of your own light."

-Rumi

Sometimes, the most meaningful adventures that we take are those that keep us rooted in place. While it is true that traveling around the world makes us richer, I also believe that the small journeys that we take within ourselves make us happier. 

This is why I chose to begin this year's Kinder 2 adventure with a small and (hopefully) meaningful step:

An exploration of our uniqueness.

Our little journey started with a special book by Todd Parr called 

It's Okay to be Different.

While reading the book to the children, I was in awe of their simple but heartfelt reflections. Every page started with the phrase "It's okay to..." -- three simple words that we sometimes take for granted -- but are so powerful in the eyes of children.

It's okay to have wheels.

"Ms. Pam, my grandmother is on a wheelchair just like him," shared one of the children. "Mine, too," I said. "Aren't they lucky to still be able to go to different places?" And they all agreed that it's okay, indeed.

It’s okay to have a pet worm. 

“Did you know that we have pet worms in school?” “Are they nice?” one said. “Of course they are. I’ll show them to you soon and we can take care of them together.” 

It's okay to dance by yourself. / It’s okay to be embarrassed. 

“Ms. Pam, I was shy to dance with our class yesterday. That’s okay, right?” “Of course,” I said. “Sometimes I am shy, too. I also like dancing by myself — and that’s okay.” 

It’s okay to have an invisible friend. 

“I have an invisible friend,” one of them said. “Would you like to share your friend’s name?” “I want to keep it a secret, Ms.Pam.” “That’s okay.”

It’s okay to do something nice for someone.

“Someone in class did something nice for me today,” I said. “She wrote me a lovely letter and she thanked me for taking care of all of you. What do you think did I feel?” “I think you’re happy,” some said. “I am.” 

It’s okay to get mad.

“Ms. Pam, sometimes I get mad but my daddy said he still loves me.” “It’s the same here. You can feel many things and we will continue to love you. And if you need time and space to feel better, that’s okay, too.” 

It’s okay to have different friends. 

“Look around you. You’re all different here but I hope that you will find a friend in each one.” 

It’s okay to be different. 

You are special and important just because of being who you are. 

And with this, we celebrated what makes us different and special by creating our self portrait. I asked the children to think about what they feel makes them unique and to create a masterpiece that showcases their individuality. 

Koh

Hana

Sarah

Yorinobu

Tamaki

Kanato

Haruto

Chanin

Kallea

Clara

Emma

What a colorful bunch they are! Don’t you think so? 

A journey begins with a single step, they say. This is the first step in our Kinder 2 adventure, and I hope that it will have much impact on our path ahead this year. 

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! 

Your Kindergarten teacher, 

Pam

P.S. This is a glimpse of our classroom. Next week, you will get a chance to see it in person for our Parent Night.

Parent/Teacher Evening 2nd September  6.00pm - 7.00pm On Site