How wonderful to be back in person with your kiddos after such a loooooong February break. It's not surprising, but always heartwarming to see how well this group remembers our classroom rules and routines, and how excited they are to be together again. This is a real time of change, and we've been noticing many differences in Wildwood Forest. Spring is almost here!
Thank you for continuing to dress your children for extended outside play. Keep putting your child in snow pants in the morning until you hear otherwise. We shed layers as needed, but the mornings are still cold!
With the warmer temperatures comes melting snow, and melting snow brings a lot of...MUD! We believe fully in the beauty of playing in mud. The opportunities for sensory exploration (digging, squishing), imaginative play, incorporation of "academics" like math (measuring, scooping, pouring) and literacy (writing with sticks, songs, rhymes) and inquiry (how and why does mud act the way it does???) are plentiful. We do our absolute best to make sure kids are wearing rain pants or snow pants, but you might find some dirty wet clothes, especially mittens, this spring. THANK YOU for helping with this on the home front! And please let us know if you prefer your child to be wearing GCS gear while they're exploring the mud.
NOTE: Family conferences are coming right up, with early release days (11:30 am dismissal) on Friday March 26 and Monday March 29. Please sign up for a conference here, and let me know if you would like a time that isn't currently on the schedule.
Enjoy some pictures from our week back!
Lots of treasures are appearing in the melting snow. How long has this pan been hiding under there?
Warm afternoons on the playground, and some channel digging in the playground stream.
We had a cold couple of days last Thursday and Friday. Snack at the fire!
We took the opportunity to play with the wind on Friday, making "Wind Catchers."
Fulfilling a sensory need...in a mud puddle.
Such acrobatics!
After discovering a mouse next behind the shed this child was on the hunt! "Mouse, mouse, come out of your house!"
We're starting a study of trees, and have been investigating the question "Can trees without leaves be alive?"
One of our first investigations was to cut branches from leaf-less trees and do a little dissection.
Children used our whittling tools to explore what was inside the branches.
This kiddo said "It's green on the inside! That means it's alive!"
Another way to explore our question was by tapping a maple tree! Farmer Sarah taught us that the tree has to be big enough to fill up your arms in order to have enough sap to share.
We took turns drilling.
This child said "If sap comes out that means that the tree is alive!"
No sap on Monday...
...but sap is running on Tuesday!
Maybe your child can sing you our "Sap is Running" song :)
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