February 2012

Friday Family Harvests - A GOOD THING

Family Friday Harvests have been so delightful, healthy and rewarding. Observing parents and children tasting and cutting their beautiful plants plus there is sharing going on as well. William and his mom, Tara, ask Sera, Naz & Bo's mom if she would care for a few Easter Egg radishes, which are so vibrantly colored. Sera says, "Sure!" Mian and her mom, An, call over Mian's Grandmother, Mary, for a snow pea. Each day the children graze and use scissors to cut the tops of lettuce and Naz likes to cut the cilantro and stuff a handful in his mouth. Lucas and his dad, Mark, plan a menu for the day from the garden. The possibilities! These square foot gardens were worth the effort and I hope you agree. My dream is for all of you to have them at home!

The children are still planting beets and lettuces. And they are waiting on the strawberries, flowers have appeared on some. The baby carrots are the children's favorite to eat, they are so cute and sweet. [Just like your children.]

In the Children's House, a few children are reading and most can sound out words in their heads. Phonetic object boxes are being read and Sandpaper Letters are being traced. If your child can tell you the name on the plastic bag your groceries are in and/or the name on a cup from 'P-Terrys' that means that they are 'environmentally literate'. Encourage them. Sounding out 3-letter-words is fun to do with the children and there are tons of them, I have a list if you would like to play this game at home. USA maps are being completed and Violet just began hers. Families are passing around the best cd ever on how the States got their shapes and the children and I talk about it all the time. What a topic and disc 2 is ready to be watched. Who's ready?

Sign language, Music and Yoga are being experienced inside as well. Welcome back Miss An and Mian. We missed you!

Valentine's Day is being celebrated here on Wednesday the 15th since everyone will be visiting on that day. A Valentine for each child [6] and a small treat to taste will be fun for the children. Wednesday is Yoga Day and that will be fun for the children too.

At the beginning of class, the children are like fish out of water on their mats and by the end of class they are SO relaxed with oil rubbed feet! Miss An is AMAZING! THE CHILDREN LOVE MISS AN!

THANK YOU so much for this learning experience with you and your children.

See you in the garden,

Ronda and children who love to get their hands dirty

"Real freedom is a consequence of development. It is the development of latent guides, aided by education. Development is active. It is the construction of the personality, reached by effort and one's own experiences: it is the long road which every child must travel to attain maturity." - Maria Montessori