Cheryl shows the children our compost  bin.

Some follow-up works for learning how to  compost

We are happy to have had a wonderful first full week of school. The classroom is bustling with peaceful energy, as children adjust to a Work Cycle routine. During this time, we choose our own work and activities, use the materials on our own workspace, and return them when finished to their home on the shelf. 

We also have given so many new lessons! Geography lessons, such as Land, Air and Water and Continent Map Puzzles have generated much excitement and interest. We have also begun to learn how we can take care of our classroom. In the pictures below, Marquette is helping to wash a table. She is ordering her materials, and using careful measurements of water and soap. She uses a scrub brush to scrub, a sponge to wipe away the soap, and a wash cloth to dry. Now the table is clean and ready to be used! 

With many exciting mornings to come, we look forward to new activities, songs, and all school activities. Next Friday is Peace Day. We will meet our Upper Elementary Peace Buddies and gather for a Peace activity. 

See you soon!

Jonathan, Rebecca and Jaime 

A morning work period...

Archer practices fine motor skills by pin pushing a shape.

Marquetta washes a table.

It is so nice to see new students growing more comfortable in their classroom.  As part of our effort to create a warm and caring community, we recite a morning poem at the end of each morning meeting:

                    

                    From you I receive

                    To you I give

                    Together we share

                    Through this we live

                    Morning has come

                    Night is away

                    Rise with the sun 

                    To welcome the day

  

The transition from Children's House (or from outside Hilltop) to Lower El can be a big one, no matter how excited a child is to enter this new phase of their lives.  It is normal to have an adjustment period of a few weeks.  As children grow accustomed to the new routines and higher expectations, their anxiety decreases and we see their confident selves shine through.  

Magazines Wanted:

Lower El is seeking your old magazines; any food, home, mechanical, art, or science-and-nature-oriented magazines would be welcome.  

Enjoy the weekend!

Kerstin and Patrick

What a week!  We headed to Upland for our annual woods odyssey and despite sweat inducing temperatures and humidity, multitudes of ravenous mosquitos, and a wild and wooly thunderstorm, we had a rich and rewarding time together.  Our friend and local ornithologist, Richard Foye came by early Wednesday morning and we took a walk in search of our local birds.  The birds were pretty silent that morning but we had a lovely time talking with this engaging and knowledgeable individual.  Shortly after Richard departed, Josh's mom, Thea Elijah, made the trek into the woods to talk to us about the practice of Chinese medicine and especially how the seasons play a defining role in understanding who we are.  

We also traveled out of the woods to participate in a two day workshop with John Bell and Trudi Cohen of Great Small Works.  The workshop is part of Sandglass Theater's Puppets in the Green Mountains festival. Small groups of students built their own Toy Theater and paper puppets, wrote a script, and performed their new work in progress.  Back in the woods, students engaged in seminars, science classes, frolics in the pond, fabulous food, and some serious s'mores.  Unfortunately the prediction of a great rain brought us out of our Upland reverie a day early but we will be back a number of times next week and in the weeks to come to continue our work.  

We are looking for someone to help us with cleaning the Main building and the Arts Barn (The Middle School takes care of themselves - showing their "responsible independence"!). This task includes about 2 hours of work every weekday, ideally from 2:30-4:30pm. Vacuuming, mopping, cleaning the bathrooms, etc. Anyone interested should contact Tamara.