Hemlock Class
This month is all about critters in the Hemlock classroom. We started with butterflies, continue with ladybugs and frogs and take in as much as we can of our bugs around us. There are flies, bees, rolly pollies, ants and so many more to observe since the weather turned sunnier. The book shelves are filled with information and the children are very interested.
Our butterfly lessons are accompanied by our observation station of larva eating, molting and turning into pupa to become beautiful butterflies which we will release as they are ready to fly. The children even prepared their own butterfly pea flower tea in class and share it with a friend. Such a fun experience to see it turn from blue (flowers steeped in lukewarm water) to purple (with a piece of lemon) and enjoyed with honey for sweetness all while talking with a friend to enjoy the experience.
Ladybugs are just as interesting to learn about with their stages of life and parts of their insect bodies (6 legs, head, thorax, abdomen and 2 antennae). Next, we looked at frogs. Books, songs and poems are all around us on each subject.
We also have been gardening outside as well as inside. The children enjoyed planting the Mother’s Day surprise and have seen it grow in the window sill till it was time for it to come home. We hope you enjoy it, too! In our garden beds we will have radishes, lettuce, sweet peas and eventually tomatoes. Strawberries and garlic are still left over from last year’s planting. Some pots are also filled with lovely flower seeds. The children had a turn to amend the soil before the seeds went in and help with watering.
Now that it is warmer, the children are more eager to go on nature walks and soon our big one at the end of the year is coming up, too. If you are interested in volunteering on either the morning or afternoon walk to St. Edwards playground with picnic snack, please let us know. The exact date is to be determined depending on the weather forecast but will be during our last week of school. We need your help to walk them there and back safely as the group is much larger than our normal bunch.
Please remember to bring a water bottle for your child every day, it is getting hot, especially for the runners during play time outside!
Buckeye Class
Like almost every month, May was a busy and fun-filled month! Spring has sprung, and we started gardening. A big thank you to Cooper’s parents who supplied us with a variety of seedlings to plant! We added a few more and are now waiting for our kale, broccolini, snap peas, tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, lettuce, snap peas, and several other veggies to sprout and grow. Most children love to work in our garden and dig their hands in the soil.
Maria Montessori said: “There must be provision for the child to have contact with nature, to understand and appreciate the order, the harmony and the beauty in nature… so that the child may better understand and participate in the marvelous things which civilization creates”
The children also planted a sunflower seed, and brought this home in a small container. In a short time, you can help your child to transfer it to a bigger pot, or plant it in your yard. Together with gardening and plants, we learned about insects in general and the life cycles and parts of butterflies, ants, and worms. The children enjoyed observing a worm experiment with live worms to see if they prefer light or darkness, wetness or dryness, and a food choice of cheese or potatoes and lettuce. Many of the kids excitedly checked on the worms every few minutes to see in which direction they were gravitating. They greatly enjoyed singing the songs “I’m an insect” and “Oats, peas, beans, and barley”, together with doing the movements.
Towards the end of last month, we received our caterpillars, which gave us the opportunity to witness the lifecycle of a butterfly up-close. We have seen them turn into pupas and the children are eagerly waiting for them to hatch into butterflies. Once this happens, we will release them on a warm day. We also have a small live ant farm in our classroom. Ants are amazing little creatures and they’ve been busy digging tunnels. It’s been fun watching them do this in our clear container. Soon we will release them in the forest.
Throughout the month the children enjoyed several different art activities. You might have seen some painted caterpillars, butterflies, and flowers come home. We also introduced a new food preparation work: Jam spreading on crackers – needless to say that this was soon a favorite. We continued our tea-making activity and also introduced “water serving”. The children pour water from a pitcher into a few small glasses, place them on a tray and then offer them to their friends asking “Would you like some water?” Afterwards they will collect the glasses and wash them in our washing station. This activity has an element of “Grace and Courtesy”, while also teaching foundational practical life skills. We included a sewing sequence among the materials on the shelves, and the children had the opportunity to create bracelets, purses, or simply practicing threading and stitching.
This month, several children made the leap to reading! This is one of the best moments in a child’s early learning, when the transition is made from sounding out letters to actually blending these sounds together into words and sentences. Next ,they are ready to start reading “Max”, the first book from our reading series. They are very excited and proud when they can bring this book home to read to you!
We are asking for volunteers for our fun fieldtrip to St. Edwards State Park on Monday, June 3rd. We will leave around 9:30am, walk to the playground in the park, have plenty of time to play, and end with a picnic lunch. We will walk back in time for our nappers to rest at 12:30pm. Please let us know if you would like to join us and help out with watching the children to ensure everyone’s safety.