Uncategorized

Hemlock Class

We started the month concluding our big community helpers unit children were excited to know and learn about all the different community helpers.

Just in time for Spring we had farmers from Oxbow farm who were environmental educators visit us and they had a brief introduction to pollinators, flower dissection, flower craft, and a pollination modeling game. Our children learned pollination in a fun way.

Spring in the air we have been talking to children about beginning of new life in plants and animals. Parts of a seed and how seed grows to a new plant.

They got to see parts of an egg. There are works on the shelf of different life cycles. The life cycle of butterflies was learnt in depth and to add to this we have our own caterpillars and the children get to see the metamorphosis of the butterfly. They were so excited to see the caterpillars and how they are growing every day. Once they turn into butterflies we will be releasing them in our garden.

On the practical side the egg shell grinding , bread cutting and the color dot work has been keeping the children very busy.

Happy Easter! Children got to make their own cute Easter egg baskets which they used for their egg hunt in our playground. This year the eggs were very tricky to find as they camouflaged with the wood chips but the children had lots of of fun finding their egg.

On Earth Day, we will educate the children on taking care of the planet that includes picking up litter, composting and recycling, conserving water, and planting gardens.

Our monthly fire drills and earthquake drills are ensuring that the children are well prepared for any emergency situations.

The sunny days have created perfect opportunity for eating outside at our picnic tables. Soon we will start to do work outside.

Coming up next the children will be helping in preparing the vegetables beds for planting and sowing seeds.

Buckeye Class

Now that spring weather is here, we look forward to spending much of our class work time working outside under our covered patio area in the fresh air.
We had a great visit with staff from Oxbow Farm and Conservation Center, in Carnation. They brought the farm to us! We learned all about wild animals found on the farm along with what produce is grown there. Children dissected a flower, exploring it with all their senses while identifying the parts. What happens between the flower and the fruit? Next was the magic of pollination and which animals play a vital role in this. The children buzzed around the classroom acting like bees, collecting and transferring pollen from one student’s flower to the next.
Next, we began to explore worms, including life cycle, their body parts and their functions. We talked about how these invertebrates have a key role in improving our soil. We then conducted three experiments with real earthworms to find out whether they prefer light or dark, wet or dry places, and what they prefer to eat. It turns out they preferred the salad, potato peel and banana peel (organic material) over the cheese and cracker plate.
Following spring break, our butterfly larva arrived! This is such an exciting opportunity to witness the transformation in our very own butterfly habitat. We are looking forward to learning all about this insect.
We also explored the concept of egg-laying (oviparous) and live birth (viviparous) animals including the parts of an egg.
We cannot wait to dig into plants and gardening!
Soon the whole class will pitch in to prepare the vegetable beds for planting. There will be plenty of opportunities for children to get involved in the planting process, watering and weeding too!
We have learned about the life cycle of plants (seed, germination, seedling etc.), what a plant needs to grow, and how plants make their own food using sunlight, water, and air (photosynthesis).
In honor of spring, we decorated “baskets” for our egg hunt. The kids were excited to find their own hidden egg.
Earth Day is a day to really focus on our connection with nature and what we can do to care for our environment. We will become familiar with ways to reduce, recycle, protect, reuse, and upcycle. For us, its earth day every day!
We are looking forward to learning more about our planet (layers of the earth) and what makes it special (the atmosphere).

Hemlock Classroom Review

Happy March! Spring has just started, and we were excited about the wonderful learning opportunities this month brought. As the weather got warmer, more cuddling and giggling started, which led to new friendships and possibilities.

Thank you to all the parents who joined us for the Parents’ Conference. It was wonderful to connect with each of you and discuss your child’s progress. Your insights and collaboration mean so much to us as we work together to support their growth. If you have any lingering questions or thoughts, feel free to reach out- we are always here to help.

We dedicate March to Unit Studies and this year Unit study is Community Helpers. Community helpers are the heart of our neighborhoods-they dedicate their time, energy, and skills to make our lives safer, healthier, and better. From firefighters to police officers and doctors to garbage collectors and construction workers to postal workers, every helper plays a vital role in our community.

We discussed how firefighters put out fires and respond to emergencies and we talked about the fire drill and earthquake drill procedure and why we do we practice every month. Children were excited to see the fire truck and the equipment used. Huge thanks to the Shoreline fire department.

Doctors and Nurses help us stay healthy by treating illnesses and providing care and we learnt the tools doctors use. Huge thanks to Katie, Asher’s mom who is a nurse practitioner who shared her work experiences and the demonstration of a regular checkup. Huge Thanks to Dr. Ravi, Ms. Managuli’s husband, who is an Ultrasound doctor, came to our classroom and demonstrated how Ultrasound is performed. It was very informatic and profound.

We talked about veterinarians too and we learnt how they care for our dear pets and make them feel better.

Garbage collectors or sanitation workers keep our neighborhood clean and safe by collecting ang managing the waste. We see them almost every week. We talked about the importance of separating trash, recycling and composite and how it would help to take care of mother nature.

Construction workers build roads, homes, schools, shops, and other essential infrastructure. They work very hard to make sure that we have safe and functional spaces to live, work, and thrive.

We will continue our mail carrier and other community helpers in the month of April too.

“Let’s take a moment to thank all our community helpers for the amazing work they do. They remind us that helping others is one of the most important things we ca do!”

Children enjoyed a lot when Ms. Leach joined the classroom on March 17^th to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in the honor of her Irish tradition.

As we enter April, it will bring more showers. Please dress them appropriately. Please make sure they bring water bottles with their names since they need more water. Encourage your child to observe signs of spring, budding flowers birds building nests, etc.

Mark, your calendar that spring break is from April 7 till 11.

“The Child who has felt a strong love his surroundings and for all living creatures, who has discovered joy and enthusiasm in work, gives us reason to hope that humanity can develop in a new direction.”

                                                                                ———Dr. Maria Montessori.

Buckeye Classroom Review

Throughout March, we continued our unit on Community Workers, exploring the roles of pilots, veterinarians, chefs, doctors, dentists, and farmers. The children engaged in hands-on activities and lessons in “seeds-to-plant” and “farm-to-table”, which included a felt story about tomatoes and a discussion on healthy vs. unhealthy foods. As part of our food preparation work, the children also practiced slicing carrots—a new skill they were excited to try!

In honor of Women’s History Month, we introduced the children to the idea of celebrating women who have made a significant impact on the world. We highlighted a few inspiring women and their contributions to the world.

During our special class meetings, we continued fostering community problem-solving skills. The children are encouraged to express their ideas, listen to one another, and collaborate on solutions. Each meeting begins with “Compliments and Appreciation”, during which a talking stick is passed around, giving each child the opportunity to share kind words—or simply listen if they choose to pass.

We welcomed the first day of spring, and briefly discussed the reason for the seasons. Many children are beginning to grasp the concept of Earth’s orbit around the sun, and are making the connection to our Birthday Circle. During this special celebration, month cards are arranged circular around a sun representation and the birthday child walks around the sun holding a small globe, while the class sings:

“The Earth goes around the sun, the sun,It takes 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days”.

The song continues for each year of the child’s life. This month we celebrated Coralie’s 4th birthday, and at the end of March, Lisa will turn 5!

We are also looking forward to a special visit from Arad’s dad, Siavash, who will share the beautiful Persian New Year tradition of Nowruz with our class!

Looking Ahead: soon we will begin a short unit on cats, learning about both big cats and domestic cats—an area of great interest for many children in our class!  The first week of April we will explore worms and their important role in nature, followed by Spring Break in the second week

We truly enjoyed meeting with you during our parent-teacher conferences and appreciate your continued partnership in your child’s learning journey!

Hemlock Class

We would like to start by saying a big Thank you to Aiden’s and Valerie’s moms for preparing and spending their time with us for Lunar New Year 2025. One came in the am class and one in the pm class. Anytime a parent can join us and share about their heritage and tradition, it is an enrichment for us all. The children learned about the monster in the mountains and heard a song about the lunar new year calendar animals. We learned about all the preparations that go into the family festivities and the different ways to celebrate in different places as well as how to congratulate one another. We received red envelopes from both mom’s and oranges for good luck from Aiden’s mom. Each had her unique way to tell us about their traditions and we are looking forward to inviting them next year again!

After the Happy Lunar New Year we continued our circle lessons with our peace curriculum. This year we talked about recycling and other ways to be good to our earth. Now we take a closer look at our peace bottles in the classroom and what they represent for us. The children have a good understanding of their virtues: truth, peace, personal best, caring/friendship, kind words and joy. It ties in very well with our weekly class meetings in which the children talk a lot about how we can achieve the virtues named above.

Valentine’s Day was a success with filled bags that went home and a lovely snack shared by all. We had some questions from some parents and want to clear it up for all. Homemade cards are  welcome and little trinkets to share in the festivities are fine. Just not big gifts, please.

Happy Birthday to our birthday children this month: Emon (3) and Johanna and Oliver (4)!

Guest NIght was a success for all of us present and thank you to all the visitors for showing interest in the children and their works. The room was buzzing with their activities and everyone was sporting a proud smile on their faces 🙂 Unfortunately then came the snow days which kept us from continuing the next day but we are glad everyone was safe!

The conference sign-up sheets are up in the coat room, please make sure to come in and sign yourself up for a 20 minute talk with your teachers about your child/children’s progress. We are looking forward to giving you attention for a change.

Conference day will be the 7th of March.

Buckeye Class

February brought us a few unexpected snow days, giving everyone some extra time to enjoy the winter weather at home! Once we were back in the classroom, we had a wonderful month filled with exciting activities.

For Valentine’s Day, the children enjoyed passing out their valentines to the special bags they decorated earlier in the month. We also had a small celebration with a festive snack of red grapes, raspberries, heart-shaped cheese, heart-shaped tortillas, and fresas con crema — delicious strawberry drink that the children made with Ms. Samantha!

This month, we also began our unit on community workers. The children are learning about the important roles of mail carriers, veterinarians, police officers, construction workers, trash collectors, firefighters, doctors, librarians, chefs, and bank tellers. One of the highlights of this unit will be a visit from the fire department at the end of the month! The firefighters will bring their truck to our school and teach the children all about their work.

We will also talk about Black History Month. We will have books in our book corner and materials that help us learn about important figures in history and the value of kindness, fairness, and celebrating differences. Our goal is to introduce these ideas in a way that is meaningful and engaging for young children.

Guest Night was a wonderful success! The children were so excited to share their classroom and daily activities with you. Thank you for taking the time to visit — we loved having you!

Looking ahead, parent-teacher conferences will take place at the beginning of March. We look forward to meeting with you to discuss your child’s progress.

Thank you for being part of our school community!

Hemlock Classroom Review

It was wonderful to welcome back all of the children in January from the winter break. We also welcomed 3 new kids in our classroom Narin & Emon.  The children all settled in quickly.

We started our learning with why January was named and the poem. We talked about winter equinox and weather change. Then we moved to our planet Earth. We learned the position of Earth in Space and how it supports life on it. So, it is our job to protect our planet. We looked at the sandpaper globe to recognize land and water. With a colored globe, we learned the continents and made a playdough globe and learned how to divide the globe into two halves, eastern and western hemispheres to make it easier for us to learn and important landforms of the Earth too, how they are opposite to each other. Children were excited to learn and identify the landforms in our map.

They were happy to make landform books.

We talked about Martin Luther King Jr Day, how we can achieve peace in the world by giving everyone equal rights.

We also had a Parent visit our classroom and talked about his Profession. He is an anesthesiologist doctor showed kids the stethoscope, otoscope, and some kids volunteered in checking knee reflexes. It was an interesting 25 minutes circle time all the kids were involved in the learning.

Since we are in winter and also the weather keeps on changing, we request to provide appropriate clothes, socks and shoes. Thanks to the parents who showed up on kindergarten night. We were excited to share our values and work with you.

Buckeye Classroom Review

It was so nice to have everybody back in the classroom after the long break and we hope you all enjoyed extra family time during the holidays.

We welcomed in this shorter month with talk of winter and all things cold!

We began with the polar regions that reside in most continents including the animals, plants, temperature, and soil that can exist there.

In the south we have Antarctica which is entirely a polar biome. We learned all about penguins, seals, whales, and the albatross that live there and under what conditions.

In the Northernmost area of the planet, the Arctic circle/tundra, we studied interesting facts about caribou, whales, polar bears, hare, fox, walrus, seals, and huskies. We found out just how animals either adapt, hibernate, or migrate to deal with extreme temperatures.

We learned about how a snowflake forms. While they share common characteristics, each snowflake is unique due to its own individual journey through the air.

We also took a close look at the earth’s surface and observed the many land and water forms that cover the earth’s crust. Children can now choose an island and a lake or a peninsula and a gulf and add water, animals and buildings for a hands-on experience.

In science children are experimenting with objects that either sink or float when placed in water by first making a prediction, and then testing it out.

Children have been working hard mastering their bubble making, chalk board washing, table washing and dish washing skills this month.

Later this month we are looking forward to learning about the Lunar new year and all about how it is traditionally celebrated. We even have a guest coming in to share their family’s tradition!

We also celebrated Martin Luther King Jr., a man of peace, who worked for fairness for us all!

Looking forward to next month as we begin our unit study on community workers/helpers.

Hemlock Class

What a wonderful year full of learning and growing is coming to an end!

These last three weeks in December were filled with gift making and card writing and ornament crafting alongside our normal classroom hustle and bustle. During circle time we talked about Christmas with its traditions of Advent wreath, tree and Santa and where they come from. The children learned about St. Nicholas Day and tried “Lebkuchen”. We looked at Kwanza traditions as well as learned about Hanukkah. The menorah candles burned bright and shared a sweet light in class for both the morning and afternoon time!

The children also have class meetings twice a week during circle time to discuss upcoming issues related to peers and classroom organization. We are still working on our “compliments and appreciation” beginning part of this forum. So far we still get a lot of “I love my family” (which is actually very sweet just not the point for this open talk round:-)

The second part of the meeting is bringing up a problem and finding possible solutions which always brings out great thinking skills! Then we choose the most doable solution and follow up with a positive activity like a fun song or story to end the meeting.

At the next meeting we follow up and see how things worked out with the choice of action and if there is need for improvement. Our last meeting for example involved the mix up of wet clothes coming home (apologies to the involved parents) and we will see if our ideas can help keep things more organized in our cubbies and backpacks!

In the following year we will commence with Nature Walks again and there will be more wet clothes involved. Please keep your children’s extra clothes in school stacked for the appropriate season. Just an fyi: some children complained about cold feet in their rain boots. They are great for mud and water but get very cold quickly if they are not the insulated kind.

During our last week in class we sent home four ornaments and a gift with a card for you to enjoy during the holidays. Most children were present and enjoyed making the crafts. We also did our book exchange for the morning as well as the afternoon class (thanks for sending your child with one or two books depending on their schedule) and had a seasonal snack to celebrate the end of our school year in style.

Some of you got to go on vacation early so we will keep your items ready for pick up in 2025. We are looking forward to seeing everyone happy and healthy in the next year! Have a great break! Your Hemlock teachers

Buckeye Class

Buckeye Class

The children have settled beautifully into the rhythm of our classroom at this point in the year. We continue to hold weekly classroom meetings, which have become an integral part of addressing and solving any issues that arise. When a problem comes up, we add it to our class meeting agenda notebook and discuss it together during circle time. This collaborative approach not only highlights the issues but also fosters meaningful solutions.

During our nature walks and time in the garden, the children have noticed an abundance of mushrooms. To build on their curiosity, we introduced “Parts of a Mushroom” cards to explore these fascinating organisms in greater detail.

At the start of the month, Ms. Govindaraj from the Hemlock Class joined us to share about Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights. She demonstrated how to create rangoli, a vibrant art form using colorful sand, and lit a traditional oil lamp called a diya, enriching the children’s understanding of this special celebration.

Later, Ms. Erika visited during circle time to talk about Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead), a Mexican tradition that honors loved ones who have passed. She introduced pan de muerto, a sweet bread, and showed us how to decorate skulls, or calaveras. The children learned about papel picado, intricate paper decorations commonly used during this holiday, and enjoyed seeing examples of how they are traditionally displayed.

Snack has become a favorite, with the children actively participating in serving and enjoying their food. We’re grateful to the families who have already provided snacks and encourage everyone to check out our snack suggestion sheet for ideas. A variety of fruits and vegetables is always welcome, and trying something new can add an extra element of fun!

Thank you to all the parents who attended conferences. It was wonderful connecting with you and sharing insights about your children. Your support is greatly appreciated!

November is Native American Heritage Month, and we are excited to introduce the children to the cultural significance of totem poles. These beautifully carved poles, created by the Pacific Northwest Coastal Native Americans, tell stories of their people and heritage. We’ll offer an activity where the children can create their own totem poles using paper and add symbolic animals. Each animal carries a unique meaning: the dog represents loyalty, the owl symbolizes wisdom, the fox stands for cleverness, the bear signifies strength, the eagle embodies beauty and peace, and the orca represents wealth and long life.

You may have noticed friendship pins adorning shoes or backpacks recently. We’ve introduced an activity where the children can decorate small safety pins with colorful beads. The key to these “friendship pins” is that they aren’t meant to be kept—they must be gifted to a friend, encouraging thoughtfulness and the joy of giving.

As we approach Thanksgiving, we’ve started discussing the concept of thankfulness. The children are adding their thoughts to our “thankfulness tree,” writing what they are grateful for on leaf-shaped paper to hang on the tree. We’re also excited to prepare stone soup together as a class. Each child will bring an ingredient to contribute, and we’ll work as a team to prepare and enjoy the soup—a lovely way to celebrate community and gratitude.

Hemlock Class

Happy November! As we move into the heart of autumn, our classroom is buzzing with excitement and learning.  As the outside air gets chilly our classroom gets cozy and warm with love and kindness.

Let us start with thanks to Shourya’s mom, Sushmita, for explaining about the Indian cultural festival called Deepavali. Children enjoyed the book about Deepavali and the rangoli design she brought.

On November 1^st morning, Simon’s mom, Manon, read a book about Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) and in the afternoon Ms. Erika read a book and explained it. Children enjoyed making Skull and Ghost collage work.

We had a wonderful opportunity to discuss your child’s progress during the parent-teacher conference. We shared insights of your loved ones and set goals for the remainder of the school year. We teachers thoroughly enjoyed it, and we hope that it was insightful to you as well.

This month, we focused on gratitude and community. Our children are engaged in activities that inspire gratitude and kindness. We had a quick talk about elections in general and during our class meetings, we discussed snack situations, coat room manners, work cycle clean up and recess period gentleness. We practiced saying “Stop” and encouraged children to respect other friends’ feelings and words.

We were fascinated to learn about which animals are true hibernators and torpors.  We honored and thanked all the brave men and women who have served our country.

We had a blasting Thanksgiving Feast which included butter churning and vegetable soup. This event encouraged children to understand the value of sharing and community.

School is being closed for Thanksgiving break from Wednesday 27^th till Friday 29^th. Wednesday was an in-service day for teachers to discuss and set up the classroom.

Please, check for the weather and dress them accordingly. December will be bustling with holiday projects. We will be exchanging books on Thursday, December 19^th before winter break. Children are requested to bring a book not more than $10. If it is a used book in good condition is also fine. Please bring the books on or before Friday, December 13^th.  If your child has a full day, the child is requested to bring a book for AM and PM.

We are very thankful to all you for entrusting your loved ones in our hands. We wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving.

The goal of early childhood education should be to activate the child’s own natural desire to learn.”                                                                                    ———Dr. Maria Montessori.

Hemlock Class

As we entered fall the children have had a chance to explore different topics. They learned about fall season and why leaves change color.
We talked about apples , parts of an apple, types of apples and learned the “Apple tree “ song. All the children were very interested in the “ little star“ story.
Next we discussed about bats
The history of bats and types of bats, their foods and habitats and environments. How bats catch their prey using echolocation.
Next we looked at spiders. How are they different from insects. We learned what kind of arachnids exist and which ones live around us. Now our children can sing  “Itsy bitsy spider”
We did not forget the pumpkins the class learned about the life cycle of a pumpkin, parts of a pumpkin. They got  to see a cut cross section of a pumpkin. They felt the seeds , pulp meat and got to smell a fresh cut pumpkin.
With Halloween around the corner we are getting ready for our Halloween fun day by learning the “Witches Brew” song as well as the “Five little Pumpkins sitting on a gate” song. On the day of Halloween the children can come in costumes.( any kind of weapon that come with the costume stays home ) The two classrooms will meet on the playground to share a big circle for songs and a costume parade. Then when we are back in our individual classrooms, we will serve spooky snack as small Halloween treat which is taken care of by the teachers.

This year we have introduced classroom meetings for circle time where we discuss classroom problems that children come to the teaches with. We let them  come up with solutions for the problem and solve it. We have just started and children are getting into it.
Weekly Nature walk is been enjoyed by most of the children. They look forward to go for the walk. With change in weather please dress you your children appropriately if they are been chosen for the walk.

All the Hemlock teachers are looking forward to meeting with you for our upcoming conferences .

Buckeye Class

This has been a busy month filled with learning about Fall changes, pumpkins, spiders, bats and more. Our new students are settling into the classroom routine and learning the ins and outs from our returning students.
In keeping with maintaining a calm and peaceful classroom environment, we’ve introduced a new activity. Our “class meetings” will be practiced a few times weekly and give children the opportunity to share by talking about their feelings and offer solutions for problems. We begin the circle passing a talking stick to those interested in sharing something that they appreciated about another student. Next, we introduce an issue and practice problem-solving. Lastly, we end with a group bonding/connection activity. These class meetings will continue throughout the year encouraging belonging, building empathy, inspiring respect for others, and teaching problem-solving skills.
We talked about the parts of a spider along with the several types of spiders. Children learned what they eat, how they eat and how and where they build their webs. We also got to harvest and dissect the sunflowers that we had grown from seed! At circle time we dissected a pumpkin and learned about the parts and the life cycle of a pumpkin. We have enjoyed practicing our “5 Little Pumpkins” rhyme and our “Witches Brew” song in preparation for our meeting and costume sharing event with the Hemlock class on Halloween Day. At the end of the month, we plan to learn all about bats. In geography we will show how a playdough sphere of the Earth can be sliced in half and rolled out flat revealing the two hemispheres of Earth and the idea of a flat map. Here’s to lots of fun in store for November!

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 3^rd. 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.

Buckeye Class

This month, we started off by wrapping up our space unit. We learned about Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, the moon, and eclipses. With the great weather, we have been spending more time outside. We are preparing our garden for planting, enjoying lunch outside, and during work time, the children may choose to bring their work outside and work at our outdoor tables.

By this time of the year, children are stellar at cleaning up, and we are able to introduce some advanced practical life materials. We introduced a tea-making activity where the children make tea and enjoy it with a friend. Another similar activity introduced is the water serving activity, where the children pour water into small glasses and then walk around asking friends if they would like a glass of water.

We will soon be ordering caterpillars to follow their life cycle and release them as butterflies. Additionally, we are ordering ants and will observe their tunnel-building capabilities in an ant farm.

For Earth Day, we will educate the children on taking care of the planet because they are the future caretakers of the world. This includes using alternate modes of transportation, picking up litter, composting and recycling, conserving water, and planting gardens.

Hemlock Class

As Spring fills the air, we wrapped up our transportation unit with joy.  The children delighted in exploring various modes of transportation.  Adding to the excitement, Roland’s mom, Ms. Lisa, visited us to share insights about Boeing and the planes manufactured there.  To conclude the unit on a high note, the children enthusiastically collaborated to craft a cardboard car from a parcel box, testing it outside in the fresh air.

Following spring break, the children eagerly reunited with their friends.  They eagerly pitched in to prepare the vegetable beds for planting, taking turns sowing seeds and diligently watering them.  While immersed in outdoor activities, we’ve been discussing topics such as seeds, germination, and the vital role worms in enriching the soil.

Exploring the significance of flowers in producing fruits and vegetables has deepened their connection to nature.  Additionally, earthquake and fire drills are underway to ensure the children are well-prepared for any emergency situations.

With Mother’s Day on the horizon, the children are bustling with excitement as they prepare heartfelt surprised for their moms.  The sunny days have created perfect opportunities for outdoor lunch.