We asked the children what they thought Green Up Day was all about. Here are their responses.

Green-Up Day is...

Clean-up trash

Picking up litter and cleaning up the woods

Everyone should clean up

Good for the planet-cleaning up trash

It's like gardening

Is when you plant things...the soil is ready for planting

We clean the greenhouse

We pick up trash to keep our world clean

We pick up litter to keep the environment healthy

You clean up, rake, etc

Hey... it's like spring cleaning!

Last Saturday I attended a workshop titled "Growing Up WILD," presented by Ali Thomas of the VT. Fish and Wildlife Dept. This program is an Early Childhood Education Program that builds on children's sense of wonder about nature and invites them to explore wildlife and the world around them. As we know, a growing body of research indicates that young children learn in ways that are markedly different from older children and adults. Children in the early childhood years learn primarily through their senses and from direct experience. They develop and understanding about the world through work, exploration, and creative activities, and by watching and imitating adults and other children.

This initiative is the culmination of many years of thoughtful and deliberate initiatives by enthusiastic Project WILD State Coordinators to make Project WILD available to the many early childhood educators who wished to incorporate nature learning into their classrooms.

"If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children, I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life." -- Rachel Carson

Signs that spring has truly arrived are everywhere in Lower El: scooters and shorts have replaced sleds and thick pants, and everyone's snow fatigue has turned to spring fever!  Energy is high, and the desire to stay inside has waned.  Most of our lunches have been eaten outside this week.  We are getting reacquainted with that enormous, flaming star, the sun, and were reminded at recess and P.E. that it makes us HOT and THIRSTY! Please send your Lower El child to school with a water bottle and a hat if they don't already have one here; it's necessary during those long, shadeless P.E. classes on the field.  

 Lower El Celebrates Spring with Pajama Day

The creative spark has really begun to arc showering everyone in inspirational flashes. We must now gather all the free flowing energy, the disparate elements, the crashing chords, and the many parts into our new performance: Return to Sender. The show is cast, parts and lyrics are being distributed, the set is well on its way, and everyone has some memorizing to do this weekend. The performances are next Thursday and Friday at 7pm and a school show is scheduled for Friday morning at 10:00. On Friday night the plan is to have a festive reception after the show.

The performance has not been our only focus this past week. The first day of May was marked by a growing middle school tradition of inaugurating the swimming season in our pond. A number of hardy (some might say daft) students took the plunge. It is always wonderful to witness the pure joy that so often occurs at this kind of event.

On Thursday we enjoyed a visit from a class of graduate students from the School of International Training. Our friend and a professor at SIT, Ryland White, brings her class on Social Justice to the middle school every year where we sing (songs of social action of course) and talk about our studies, our work, and the world. It is always a wonderful and insightful conversation. This year we concentrated on the Alabama Odyssey. Students shared their experiences as well as some of their poems and songs. It was a powerful reminder of why we are building this show.

We look forward to seeing you at Return to Sender!

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