Fall 2019 Newsletter

A Day on the Farm

Hello! Cristy here with your week 4 newsletter!

As the weather gets a bit colder we will need to be sure we wear and pack appropriate gear such as warm jackets, wool socks, mittens, scarfs and/or balaclava.

As always, thank you for supporting our mission to provide children with a holistic, joyful and child-centered learning experience immersed in nature.

Social Skills - This week we practiced different roles as we welcomed our friends from Encompass Community for Independent Learners. The Elements kids were able to be the guides or teachers to our new friends visiting. We practiced sharing our guidelines in a kind and helpful manner. Each child in the Elements program had a moment where they were able to share something they have learned while here at Elements.

Life Skills- As part of our life skills lessons we will continue to cook and bake seasonal dishes. We have enjoyed making and eating apple sauce from locally picked apples. The children enjoy using the apple slicer tool and kid-safe knives to chop. And, wow, what a terrific smell! We also, followed directions, measured ingredients, and used fine motor skills to make sunbutter energy balls for our guests on Wednesday!

Nature Lessons- We continued our lessons about the animals on the farm. Essentially, these small humans are getting up close and personal with zero waste and sustainable farming. This is pretty exciting! We propose thinking questions that allow the children to observe the animals and notice how sustainable farming models nature!! Our hands-on tasks included collecting apples, acorns, weeds, and wormy corn to feed to the animals. We are also able to work in literacy with books and journal writing, as well as math when we count and divide our harvest.

Pottery with Amy from Doves Foot Pottery- During weeks 1 and 3 (some are still working) the children sculpted bowls, plates, animals, and other things with clay. Amy, our visiting instructor, showed us how to work the clay with just a touch of water, special molds, and tools. She then took our wet sculptures home to fire them in the kiln. When she returned the children painted their pieces. Amy then took them back to her studio where she applied a gloss that contains silica. When heated the silica in the glaze turns to glass. These pieces are food safe. Please hand wash.