Bug Hunt in the Garden

Today we took a trip to the garden in search of bugs!!

We turned over rocks and found roly polies,

worms, 

and a big stink bug and counted his 6 legs and 2 large antennae.

Week 3 - Gardens and Bugs!!

Gardens and Bugs!

Week 3 - June 15 - 19  Exploring the Garden and Identifying Bugs

This week we go into the garden - not for fruits and vegetables that we explored in Week Two; this time for bugs - those creepy, crawly insects that live among the plants and thrive in the soil under rocks in the garden. We'll build upon our 5 senses that we explored in Week 1, as we examine all we find. 

The Botanic Gardens will visit on Tuesday AFTERNOON! If your child would like to participate in the presentation on Butterflies, please be advised of the following times: 

2:15 – 3 :00   3/4K             

3:00 – 3:45    K     

*Presentations are in the Family Room

June 15:  Bug Hunt in the Garden

• 9:00 - 9:30   3K
• 9:45 - 10:15    4K1+2
• 10:30 - 11:00   K1+2     

June 16   Butterflies - Botanic Gardens

Two jars of caterpillars will arrive via InsectLore for children to observe as they eat, grow, and transform to chrysalis and then butterfly! This transformation parallels the tadpole transformation taking place in Mrs. Ashley's 4K1 room.  We'll read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle and The Pollywog and Caterpillar by Jack Kent. 

June 17     Water Wednesday - Big Slides!!

Memphis Bounce visits with a large blow-up Slip and Slide and Water Slide! 

Please send your child in a swimsuit with a towel and change of clothes!! 

We'll apply sunscreen throughout the morning. 

Please label all items!!

June 18    Scientist Steve Owens presents Bugs!

Father of 4K student Stella Owens brings microscopes, a slide presentation and bugs!!

June 19    Sprout Houses and Bird Feeders
Create mini-greenhouses with seeds, water and ziploc bags and bird feeders with pinecones, birdseed and lard!

Kindergarten "Brain Break"

Each day after lunch, the rising Kindergarten classes have a brain break.
We dim the lights, the children lay quietly on the carpet, and I read to them. 

Last week we finished Ramona the Pest, by Beverly Cleary. Ramona is a spirited five year-old excited to begin Kindergarten. We completed the 8 chapter book in 8 days!!

On Thursday we began Charlotte's Web, by E.B. White. This classic tale of friendship and life on the farm builds upon our weekly themes of farms and gardens;
 it also demonstrates the traits and the value of true friends.

Farmer Buchanan + the Hens

On Friday, we wrapped our week of Farm to Table with 

(Chef, Farmer, Husband, Father) Buchanan 

and the two family hens, Curly and Eggy!!

Children were able to feed the chickens, 

pet them,

and peel and taste hard-boiled eggs!

They also learned about what chickens eat, where they live - both on farms, in backyards and in the wild, and how they call to one another.

Worms and Dirt with the Botanic Gardens!

On Friday, we had our first of three visits from the Botanic Gardens this summer.
The topic? Worms and Dirt.

We learned how worms are an important part of healthy soil in the garden. 

We touched a worm - 

We colored pictures of worm tunnels under the earth,

and took magnetic worms on a walk through them.

Next came the worm races!

Students laid on the floor with hands behind their backs

racing peers to the other side of the room.

Homemade Butter

Our recipe includes only one ingredient - heavy cream. 

We used a small carton of Kroger's Heavy Whipping Cream. 

We poured about a cup of the cream into a quart-sized glass canning jar and

screwed the lid tight, and shook...

to the right...

to the left...

to the middle.

We shook up high..

We shook down low..

Singing "Shake, shake, shake - Make, make, make - Make that butter!!"

All of that shaking was hard work!!

The perfect batch is like a smooth scoop of ice cream sitting in a bowl of milk.

We poured the buttermilk (leftover milk in the jar with the butter) into a cup and put our milk on a plate and then smeared the soft cream over soft bread.

With a spoon full of our homemade Strawberry Jam,

we were in heaven.

Strawberry Jam

On Tuesday, we made Strawberry Jam with 3 simple ingredients:

Sugar, Pectin (found in the baking aisles of the grocery), and strawberries.

We measured the sugar and pectin and stirred them together.

Then we smashed fresh strawberries until they were squishy and chunky.

We then poured the berries into the bowl of sugar and pectin

and stirred until it was a beautiful, jammy consistency.

We poured them into jars and let them chill for two long days. 

Today we spread the jam on bread with our homemade butter.

It was a little taste of heaven, 

and well worth the wait!!