Dear Blossom Families,
“In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.” – John Muir
It’s been a great month learning about gardens, plants, and life in the garden. The Blossoms especially loved all the hands-on learning, including germinating seeds, selling flowers in the flower shop, drawing flowers and insects for our loft garden, and our celery experiment. We found our own life on the playground, including insects, birds, and a rabbit. We learned to treasure many backyard critters and thank the bees for their tireless and critical work. We discovered that we eat some plants’ roots, leaves, and stems, and even some plants’ seeds! And, of course, we are experts on what plants need to survive.
We’ve been pleased to see and hear connections in Blossom’s conversations around the class and outside regarding our study. Some have used their artistic talent to draw plants and their life cycles, made signs for the flower shop, and arranged plants and items in the fairy garden. Some connect plants and insects we learn about in class with experiences at home or while out and about with you. They are getting very good at identifying some common insects and love finding a bug outside and trying to name it.
Questions to ask your blossoming botanist:
- What things in our yard/garden help or hurt the plants?
- What plants do you find beautiful in our neighborhood or garden?
Starting in June, we will begin our Artist Study. I’ve never had the opportunity to spend an entire month with art, and I am beyond excited.We will explore many different art mediums, from paint and watercolor resist to calligraphy and clay. We will learn about the color wheel, different tools artists use, and different art styles and famous artists over the years. There are so many possibilities; Miss Madeline and I are looking forward to it!
If you, a friend, or a family memberare an artist in any form, please share your expertise with us! Please message or check in with questions or ideas. We are extremely excited to let our creativity soar this month!
Thank you for all the thoughtful and generous gestures during teacher appreciation week. We feel so fortunate to be a part of the Growing Tree community!
Ms. Stephanie and Miss Madeline
