What a whirlwind of a week we've had! On Saturday some of our families came out to help with the first step of our playground renovation. Henry's parents brought a bobcat with an auger attachment to drill holes for the new fence. He also brought a tractor tiller and got the soil ready for planting. Grace, Colin, and Devin's parents (and some older brothers) built new raised garden beds that will give our plants much more of a chance to grow. They will provide a visual barrier to let the kids know which plants are weeds and which ones are food. On Sunday Grace's dad came back to finish the beds all by himself so we asked a former parent (who also happens to be the Ava Wanas handyman) to help him out. Ms. Marie's sons also pitched in to drill the final beds together. We are so thankful for everyone who participated in our spring fundraisers and to those who came out to make the project finally happen! The last big work-party is due to take place tomorrow and we'd love to see you there! Make sure to check out the album on our facebook page to see photos from last weekend.
In Ms. Marie's class the kids have been talking about mammals and the names of the adult and baby animals. They also made date and nut balls with coconut! The kids really liked these sweet treats! Ms. Melodie's students made a big batch of egg salad to continue their focus on birds. They also tied back the old daffodils and planted morning glory seeds.
Colin's mom donated a really sweet little play kitchen to the school, in addition to some pots, pans, and bowls. The kids have really been inspired by it and the other updates to the playground. They have been directing most of their energy outdoors towards baking, building, or painting with mud, sticks, and stones. This is such a huge difference from their previous inclination towards throwing these objects! We're so excited to keep expanding the mud kitchen. We're on the lookout for more used pots, pans, ladles, colanders, etc. We're also still brainstorming a way to store these objects. Perhaps old milk crates attached securely to the fenceline would work? Calling all creative thinkers!
