Lochlan: Stars twinkle.
Evan: They shine.
Emily: They light up.
Moshe: They are fiery balls of gas.  The gravity pulls the fire to back to them.
Eli: It looks like hot lava all over stars.

Lochlan: Red (stars) are the coolest and burn slow, blue are the hottest and burn fast. Yellow are medium and burn medium.

Morah Katie: Tell me Jupiter's story.
Moshe: It's a gas planet.
Lochlan: It wanted to be a star but it was too small.

It was ideal timing in our classroom for us to discover Jupiter.
There were a few times this week when moments we hoped would be "stars" did not turn out as hoped.
We were able to use Jupiter's story as an example of an amazing opportunity for when things did not go the way we wanted.

As you can see from the start of the blog the week started strong, but like a blue star our week burned bright and fast.
We could have looked at it through the lens of disappointment, unable to complete all the star activities we had planned.  Instead it opened up a different opportunity.
We turned our Star week turned into a Jupiter week.

Emotions were high.
Things were becoming challenging causing tears and sour faces.
Hurtful, braggy words were said causing feelings to be hurt.
I had a choice to make: stay fixed on my star lesson plan OR see where our community of friends could grow.
I chose the second.
We left the stars and come straight back to The Gan.
For my friends to grow,  we needed to "water some roots" and take a step backward.
Why were emotions high?
Why were things becoming challenging?
I am not sure I can answer these questions.  I could offer my young friends some suggestions to help them when they are feeling challenged, or sour like lemons.
We spoke of Jupiter: Jupiter was ALMOST a star, but he didn't become one. We don't always get what we want. When we are feeling frustrated because things don't go our way we can choose to do something that we know will help us be happy.  
Emily: Play with a friend.
Lochlan: Help someone.
Morah Katie: Right, you could also find your favorite activity to do.

Why were braggy, hurtful things being said?
When friends began to bragging about the astronaut art, we took a moment to remember Mt. Sinai.
Morah Jillian: Friends, it sounds like the braggy mountains all around Mt. Sinai right now.  How do you think thoughtful, humble Mt. Sinai would be talking right now?
Why did our friends begin to claim to "the best" astronaut?
The children are proud of their astronauts. They should be proud.
Speaking of Mt. Sinai, we were able to remind our young friends of how humble and thoughtful we can be towards others and still be proud of ourselves.

We began exploring stars,  and we discovered more about Jupiter.
We watered the roots of values that will help our friends truly shine bright.
We focused on the qualities we hope to see from our friends-helping hands, kind words, sharing.