More Parent Info: As you know, our Spring Joy!/Potluck dinner is scheduled at Potawatomi Park for  May 14, 5:30-7pm. We will begin our Concert promptly at 6pm at the stage and dinner will follow immediately under the Pavilion. Lisa is in charge of the potluck sign up and can be reached via email: [email protected] or text: 574-250-2785. Tami will provide lemonade, water and plates/napkins/utensils. Please feel free to bring a main dish, (ex: pb&j, ham roll ups) a vegetable, fruit or a dessert.  We are anticipating about 50 people. Check with Lisa for contributions to get an idea of what you might bring and THANK YOU!!!!! We are looking forward to spending this time with you all. You are going to be DELIGHTED with your children’s Spring Joy!. It is just incredible! FYI: the rain check date is same time on the following Monday May 21.

Because we blog in the am, we sometimes miss communicating (via blog) the great things that happen every afternoon! As always, we journal right after snack. This child generated paper trail is one way we assess writing and literacy progress. Last Friday, Alexandra wrote her entire name, with no visual references, as a teacher called out the letter! Congratulations, Alexandra!

Yesterday afternoon a small group of good friends worked collaboratively to create this dynamic structure. Then, they all worked together to put the blocks away.

Small group works happens naturally all day. Older friends work with younger friends and the groups shift as work is completed and activities finish. After lunch is the one time of day when our age groups are separate because our smaller friends nap in the back and our older friends rest in the front. We take this opportunity to engage each group in a small, focused book read, discussion, song, life skill work or project. Recently, Lisa read our nappers a book about bath time. Friends shared bath time experiences and they discussed how to clean arms, ears, legs etc. Our older friends have started a book writing project, inspired by a conversation about how Robert Munsch wrote about the preschool children he worked with. And then sometimes, we just fall asleep.

Before the swimmers left Melinda read a book about shapes and colors. Several friends rushed to the art table to practice drawing the shapes they read about.

While the swimmers were away this morning, the remaining group of Wee Friends worked on, what turned out to be, a teacher generated craft-which is something we try to avoid! First, we buried Morning Glory and Sunflower seeds into paper earth (that the teacher folded and taped). Then we added paper plate flowers on pipe cleaners (that the teacher taped and attached to the earth). Finally, the kids perked up when we got out the glitter and glue and markers and the flowers designs THEY created were inspired! We continue to learn as we go…..

Later, we put on our earth worm puppets and learned more about how “soil scientists” mix the soil and make it fertile for growing REAL flowers.

Meet Thumbelina and Jinky, the Soil Scientists.

Our Wee Sprouts today are carrots and cucumbers. Breakfast was Malt-O-Meal and applesauce. Lunch is Whole grain pitas with hummus, corn and cantaloupe.

Have a great day!