Thursday, October 23

Community: circle games and songs, read How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?, various rhyming books, ABCs

Movement: dancing like ballerinas to classical music

Fine Motor: folding silks and nap blankets, Montessori materials with pegs of different length and circumference, large and small floor puzzles [math puzzles]
Outside: wagon rides, swinging, cloud watching, wagon train--toys for sale, loading/unloading dump trucks with rocks, tricycles

Cooking: the children helped set the table for lunch and served each other at mealtime

Indoor: created capes using play silks, built a farm using animals and blocks, repairing toys at the workbench, washing silks in the play washer, Legos, taking care of babies



Breakfast: vanilla yogurt, organic granola with dried apples and raisins, organic milk
Lunch: tomato soup, peanut butter sandwiches, organic milk, bananas and orange wedges
Snack: pumpkin muffins, water

Wednesday, October 22

We apologize for being out of touch this week and last. Things are moving along at the farm. The septic install began on Monday and from what we're told, should wrap up in a week, pending inspections. The backyard doesn't look as picturesque as it did, but such is life! We're just happy to finally be at this phase.

Community: Movement class with Ms. Ashley--stretching, movement games such as Simon Says and Hot Potato, read Miles' popup book, Miss Spider
Outside: selling ice cream [different size balls in orange cones], wagon rides, swinging, digging in the crushed granite with shovels and loading it into dump trucks, looking for acorns and bugs
Cooking: Jordan, Catherine and Mattvey helped set the table for lunch, friends enjoyed serving each other at the table
Fine Motor: large floor puzzles, Montessori sorting activities
Inside: cooking at the play kitchen, building with blocks and Legos, taking care of babies, building a train track

Breakfast: mini smoked sausage links, whole wheat toast with low-sugar strawberry jam, cantaloupe "circles" [thanks, Colton!], organic milk
Lunch: macaroni & cheese with fresh shredded cheddar, peas, apple slices, organic milk
Snack: pretzel sticks & peanuts

Friday, October 17

Happy Friday to everyone! We hope you're enjoying the cooler weather as much as we are. It's a welcome change. It's with great sadness that we say goodbye to our dear friend, Beckett, today. Beckett and his family will be transitioning to a new school next week. We hope that Beckett will come and visit us at the farm school soon! We will miss the Nowak family!



We would also like to say "Happy 5th Birthday" to our friend, Mattvey. Mattvey will be celebrating his fifth birthday tomorrow.



Community:

Outside: the children helped load up recycling and place it by the curb for pickup,

Fine Motor:

Indoor:



Breakfast: peanut butter on whole wheat toast, bananas, organic milk

Lunch: tuna salad wraps with romaine lettuce, orange wedges, organic carrot sticks, organic milk

Snack: popcorn, special treats to celebrate Mattvey's 5th birthday

Farm School Progress

Below are a few pictures that we thought you might enjoy. Things are coming along and the school is looking great! The City of Leander Building Inspector along with the Assistant Fire Chief walked the property last week as well as a Health Inspector from the Food Division of the Williamson County Health Department. We've been cleared to move forward, with a final walk through to complete prior to opening. They liked the newly constructed fire escape! Leslie met with our state licensing representative on Monday and she loved our new space! Now for the ground to dry a bit so that the septic install can begin......

We'll be sure to keep everyone updated as additional progress is made.

Kitchen Area:

First Floor Pre-K Room:Second Floor Pre-K Room:
Twos & Threes Classroom--Second Floor:
View from Fire Escape [Off of Second Floor Pre-K Room]:

Enjoy the pictures and stay tuned for additional updates!

Leslie, Janie & Tina

Wednesday, October 15

Sorry it's been a while since we last posted! Things are progressing with the farm school and we'll be posting pictures of the classrooms later today so that you can see the progress that has been made. We're hoping that this much needed rain does not hamper the septic install, however, Mother Nature seems to be in control of our time schedule right now.


Community: the children enjoyed movement activities with Ms. Ashley [Landon's mom] including stretching their hamstrings and quadriceps, parachute game, Simon Says, jumping jacks, read It's Not Easy Being a Bunny, Fancy Nancy Bonjour, Butterfly
Cooking: the children baked our traditional french bread to share with their families
Fine Motor: kneading dough, puzzles, Montessori sorting toys, coloring with beeswax crayons, tangrams
Indoor Play: cooking at the play kitchen, building with blocks and Legos, repairing toys at the workbench, caring for baby dolls


Breakfast: scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, tortillas, organic milk
Lunch: asian noodles with roasted chicken and broccoli, pear slices
Snack: cinnamon swirl bread, vanilla yogurt

Thursday, October 2

Community: We had a shortened community time today in order to allow each child plenty of time to create their pizzas. Books read include Olivia the Pig, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, sang circle songs

Fine Motor: The children used their hands as well as a rolling pin to stretch out their pizza dough, folding silks and nap blankets, Montessori materials with pegs of different length and circumference

Outside: The children created drums using cardboard cylinders and marched around the yard, building roads and trails for the dump trucks, swinging, cooking and selling food at the play kitchen

Cooking: The children each took turns rolling out their own pizza crusts and topping them for lunch. Iris set the table for lunch and the children served each other during mealtime.

Indoor: Created capes using play silks, built a farm using blocks and animals, cooking at the play kitchen--today's specialty was tacos

Breakfast: raisin bran, organic milk, bananas

Lunch: homemade cheese pizzas, mixed vegetables, tropical fruit salad, organic milk

Snack: veggie sticks and dip

Wednesday, October 1

It's October! Can you believe how quickly time is passing by? Before we know it, the leaves will be turning, there will be a crispness in the air and we'll all be drinking apple cider and wearing our favorite fall sweater. Stop laughing. I had a brief stumble into the past and visions of fall in the mountains of West Virginia. It's October in Texas and that means temperatures in the 80s and 90s with hopes of a cooler breeze!

We've been busy today. Baking day has actually been moved to tomorrow. The children will be making their own pizza crusts and building their own personal-sized pizza for lunch.

Community: The children learned sign language with Ms. Ashley this morning as part of their community time. Signs learned were birthday cake, candle, airplane, apple, cat and more. The children will continue having sign language lessons with Ms. Ashley as we transition to the new school.
Fine Motor: We are getting really good at folding our silks and nap blankets
Outside: Building fairy houses with sticks and other found materials, sailing [sandbox boat], building roads and scooping granite using shovels, swinging, wagon rides, leading ponies using a jump rope, observing the squirrels eating acorns and playing in the yard
Cooking: Iris helped make blueberry muffins for breakfast, Jordan and Jaden helped crack eggs, grate cheese and chop broccoli for the quiche, friends served each other at lunch
Gross Motor: The children worked with Ms. Ashley [Landon's mom] this morning stretching and working their muscles, playing several movement games
Pretend: taking care of patients using play silks, bean bags and any other toy they can utilize, cooking at the play kitchen, building structures with wood blocks, repairing toys at the work bench, setting up a house using the doll house, furniture and figurines

Breakfast: homemade blueberry muffins, sausage links, organic milk
Lunch: broccoli & cheddar quiche, buttered whole wheat bread, cantaloupe, bananas and strawberry salad, organic milk
Snack: oatmeal raisin cookies, water