Greetings Beaver Families,
We had a fun-filled and busy week this week, enjoying spring sunshine and showers in our forest classroom. The highlight of the week was surely playing on the beach at the creek. When told that we would visit the creek, the students shouted gleefully, gathered mud kitchen tools and toys, and descended the creek entrance. They found tiny snails, built sand castles and water slides, dug for clay, and felt the cool water with their hands. We cannot wait to go back next week!
We are seeing signs of spring everywhere! Birds are chirping, flowers are blooming, bugs are buzzing, and the turtles are sunning themselves. One of our circle verses speaks to the wonderful way in which Mother Earth brings new life each spring season:
Mother Earth, Mother Earth, take our seed and give it birth.
Father Sun, gleam and glow, until the roots begin to grow.
Sister Rain, Sister Rain, shed thy tears to swell the grain.
Brother Wind, breathe and blow, and then the grass green will grow.
Earth, Sun, Wind, and Rain, turn to gold, the living grain.
Our story this week was about birds and how they make their nests. All of the birds turned to the wise magpie to show them how to build nests, since the magpie was best at building. He started with a pat of mud and the thrush felt he learned all he needed, and that is how thrushes build their nests to this day. To the mud, the magpie added a layer of twigs. The blackbird felt satisfied and flew away to build his nest. The magpie then added another layer of mud on top, with which the wise owl was pleased to know, and flew away to make his nest. Then the magpie took some twigs and twined them around the outside. The sparrow felt that was just the thing, and flew away to build her nest. The magpie then began to add feathers and other stuff to the nest, making it very comfortable indeed. The starling liked this nest and flew away to build it. This went on until the only bird left was a turtle dove who had not been paying any attention the whole time. The magpie laid one twig more upon the nest and heard “Take two taffy take two-o-o.” The magpie explained that one was enough but the turtle dove kept on saying “Take two taffy take two-o-o!” Finally the magpie grew frustrated and decided to stop teaching and flew away himself. And that is why all of the birds make their nests in different ways. (The children loved exclaiming along with the silly turtle dove!)
We spent quite a bit of time with the animals this week. The baby goats still do not approach the fence to eat the treats, however, they are coming ever closer and we are hopeful that one day soon they will nibble from our hands. The donkeys, on the other hand, are never shy. They bray and shout, and trot to us happily, ready to eat. Frieda ate a beet one day, and the red beet juice stained her lips – we thought that was rather funny. The students picked bunches of onion grass to mix in with the other treats for the donkeys. There is an area near the back of the animal enclosure where the animals like to graze. We have been feeding them from the other side of the fence there and we have also spent some time playing in this spot, bringing bowls to collect ingredients for “salads” that were taken back to base camp for further play in the mud kitchen.
Speaking of the mud kitchen, Ki Rachel brough us some new mud kitchen toys, including a pretty bronze teapot. The teapot inspired SO much creative play this week. Many different teas were brewed, “tasted” and shared among friends. A small “shop” was set up on the edge of basecamp with tea and other treats that were prepared on baking sheets. It was a group effort and the students worked together nicely, sharing jobs and helping to fetch ingredients.
During Golden Knights, we finished a few handwork projects, sanded the last of the wood rounds, finger chained, colored with block crayons, and wet felted wooden eggs. On Thursday, we were going to haul dirt from the forest to the garden to fill our class garden bed; however, we had to postpone due to the storm. We will spend some extra time there next week during Golden Knights, engaging in some purposeful, practical work.
As we will be spending time down at the creek from now until the end of the year, feel free to pack a pair of water shoes or other shoes that are made for getting wet and will protect the soles of feet (hard-rubber bottoms, not cloth, please).
Kindly,
Ki Amy and Ki Fatima
