This week, the focus on Botany at the beginning of the week was on the many varieties of grasses and flowers that grow, both wild and in cultivation, and how many of those provide sustenance for humans and animals.

We then turned our attention to the parts of a flower, the way seeds are formed, and how seeds are dispersed once the flower releases them. It is indeed a wonder how interdependent all aspects of nature are on one another to create a balanced environment. Some flowers have stickers on their seed pods that stick to animal fur, and can be carried far distances before being deposited onto new soil, to lie in wait for a new season of growth. Some seeds are scattered by birds. Some seeds are very lightweight and are dispersed through the air, or they float and are carried by water.

In our final week we will discover the wonder of bees and the beauty of butterflies, and their importance to the process of pollination. It has been beneficial to have our own plant life growing, so that the students can make daily observations about the process of germination. Please be prepared to take these planters home on Thursday. They are rectangular, approximately 27” long and 6” wide, and they have been sitting on the ground, so they will be dirty on the bottom. The students will bring them up to the picnic tables during the day and they will be ready to go into your vehicles at pick up.

We will have a busy but short week. Thursday afternoon will be Field Day. Friday will be ½ day, and the end of year ceremony. Each day we will be revisiting something special the students have enjoyed and asked to repeat, so that their last week at the school will be fun filled and memorable. The year is coming to an end, and we will all be going our separate ways, but I hope there will always be sweet memories of learning and growing together, and threads of love will be woven in our minds.

Have a great week.

Blessings,

Kathee