Dear Salal Families,
What a fun and busy month. I went to Spokane to celebrate my grand-nephew’s 10th birthday. While he was busy with soccer and friends, I got to go apple picking with volunteers. The thousands of apples picked will go to Northwest Harvest foodbanks. We were paid in APPLES! I stuffed my pack full and brought them back to class. We counted 124 apples and brainstormed what we could do with so many. Although we didn’t make “apple pizza” unfortunately, we did make apple sauce, baked apple crisp, and apple pie (which we gave to Meghan for a belated birthday gift), and baked apples (which we shared with friends on the playground). Many children are learning to count to 10 and bright apples made for great practice. We would use some apples, and they’d all need to be recounted. The pack was heavy and carried all around the classroom numerous times. Applepalooza is now over and the backpack is light again. I’m looking for ideas of what to fill it up with again. Any suggestions? Carrying heavy things around builds core muscles that aid in posture and writing.
So many other learning opportunities have come up, it’s a blur: parent volunteers making lanterns with students for the Autumn Gathering, my friend coming in for a ceramic painting project, Halloween songs, elementary students who came to our class for a meeting, and school pictures. Kindergarteners got to see a fire truck, had an earthquake drill, and had a Writer’s Workshop publishing party, as well as music and art specialists and outdoor education.
What is going to happen? SALMON. I have told the story of the salmon to the children using little objects and now they are telling the story to each other. We talked about the importance of salmon in our environment and how forests are healthier because of salmon. Why, you ask? The animals that eat them go back into the forest and poop! The kids now know that it’s great fertilizer. To enrich this unit further at home, spend some time outside and enjoy the bounties of the Pacific Northwest.
Warmly,
Cheryl
