The last full week of our first semester has come to a close! It's bittersweet to know that soon we will be hibernating for winter and that our forest school adventures together will temporarily pause until February 20th. In one moment our bodies seem to tell us it's time to hunker down in our dens and look to spring, while in the next breath we are surprised by all of the life, natural treasures, and surprises that we are still finding here in the final days of fall. We hope your family will continue outdoor adventures on our break. If you happen to visit Base Camp, bring some seeds to the birds (they are partial to suet squares and black sunflower seeds, it seems) and fill up our bird feeder.
This week we enjoyed learning some interesting tidbits about honeybees (did you know most people go their entire lives without seeing a male honeybee?) and took a short walk to the hives near Base Camp. We continued to find many varieties of mushrooms. Despite the dropping temperatures, our puddle remained the main attraction as the children experimented with "boats", transporting water from one place to the next, and creating with the very satisfying mud along the puddle's banks. We started learning a new song, "The Twelve Days of Winter," and made it to Day 5 (five honeybees!).
Some extensive academic work also happened this week, with a few children even using the golden beads and stamp game to add two or three numbers into the thousands place!
With a cold front moving in, we took Friday as an opportunity to fill a mini muffin tin with natural treasures, water, and bits of string. We look forward to the water (hopefully) freezing over the weekend and hanging our new ice ornaments on the trees next week.
Forest Club children had a big adventure trying their hand at geocaching! Mount St. Francis has many geocaches throughout the property, and we had a great time finding three of them. We are looking forward to looking for others throughout the rest of our school year.
Things to Look Forward To
Wednesday is our Winter Solstice celebration! Thank you to everyone who signed up to bring something or help with setup/cleanup. We will start at the art gallery and the adjacent building known as a the "pump house" to view the children's art and enjoy some refreshments. You can park in either parking lot, but know that we will start at the art gallery and end at Base Camp. Come at 5:30 and don't forget to bring a walking stick if you have one (for your child); we will have many extras! It's going to be pretty chilly and will be an indoor/outdoor event, so dress accordingly.
Wednesday is also the day when we will officially "announce" and launch enrollment for our 2023-2024 programs. Keep an eye on our website (www.themontessorifieldschool.org) for the new application and secure your spot for the upcoming school year.
Ways to Get Involved
Attend our Winter Solstice event on Wednesday!
Participate in our family volunteer day (final date TBA) when we return from Winter Break. We need your help to beautify Base Camp and expand our wooded play area for spring! Some projects will include: splitting/stacking firewood, clearing hazards from the forest, planting flowers, cleaning/organizing our bathroom and storage spaces, adding dirt in some low areas around the shelter, and tidying up the landscaping. I'm sure that list will grow by the big day and we're so grateful to anyone who's able to lend a helping hand!
See you next week! Heather & Kris
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