The Villager... a newsletter of Acorn Village Forest School |
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Green is everywhere and with all the rain, we are likely to see it last for a while. It is so difficult for me when I think of the traditions of spring we are missing out in our classrooms. It is only when I remember how important nature is to all of you that I remember you are still seeing it too. Take solace in this beautiful place we live, let it nourish you in a way only our Mother can. "Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, The world offers itself to your imagination, Calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting – Over and over announcing your place In the family of things." -Mary Oliver (1986, Dream Work) |
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Crafternoons- Blown eggs added by Teacher Tracy Needed: Needle or push pin Nail Fresh eggs Bowl Decorating eggs is a lot of fun and not much says spring the way this craft does. Also it allow those painted eggs to last longer and outside of the fridge. 1. Wash fresh eggs with soap, shake the eggs 2. Make a pin hole on top and bottom of the egg, use nail to enlarge the hole slightly. This may take a bit of practice to do well. 3. Blow and blow and blow over the bowl until all contents are out of the egg. You can save contents for the next mornings scrambled eggs. 4. Wash eggs again and allow to dry 5. Decorate them in any way you like: paint, dye, the possibilities are endless. |
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Did you know? A female rabbit is called a doe and a male is a buck, just like deer. |
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Parenting Tips: contibuted by Teacher Tracy What to do when you feel frusrtated:
Tip #1 Sing! Feeling frustrated or angry with your child? Try singing about what you’re feeling out loud. It might help everyone change the mood. Especially if you try on an opera voice.
What to do when your kids won't listen to directions:
Tip#2 Does your child sometimes have difficulty following directions?
Try making a simple, clear, one step direction.
Then WAIT! 10-18 seconds is often required for a child to process what you’ve said.
You might need to silently count.
No matter what your child does or says in that 10-18 second time, just wait.
Once you’ve waited, if your child still hasn’t responded, repeat yourself exactly, and calmly.
Keep at it. You might be surprised with the results.
What to do when you need to get work done: Tip# 3: Remember that young children love to hear the same stories over and over. Click on these links to listen to a story from one of these recommended story sites or from Acorn Village teachers. Children will likely want to listen to the same story repeatedly and when they are really done, remember that in a few weeks or a month, they might want to hear it again!
And do not forget you can call us anytime! We are here for you! |
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Nature Connection- Pattern Making contributed by Teacher Michelle Nature is full of patterns. When we marvel at the wings of a butterfly, examine the honeycomb of bees, investigate the leaves of a fern, wonder about the feathers of a woodpecker, or observe a seashell – we are appreciating the beautiful patterns Nature has incorporated into her designs. Humans have lived alongside the patterns of Nature since the beginning and thus have become quite fluent in the language Nature speaks through them. For example, when we harvest plants or mushrooms, we rely greatly on our ability to recognize patterns that signify we have found the safe one for eating. Pattern recognition is an ancient ability that lives inside us and is rooted in our connection with Nature. How can you explore patterns with your little one today? 1. Explore the tiny wonders in your own backyard. Pick up a leaf and investigate it with your child. Ask him aout its shape and its veins. When your child presents a treasure he found, such as a snail shell, spend some time closely observing it. Ask him to describe what it looks like or draw its spiral together with some chalk on the sidewalk. 2. Make patterns of your own in the backyard or on a hike. Go outside with your child and gather two groups of different pieces from Nature, for example: Stones and sticks. Make a pattern of stone, stick, stone, stick, stone, stick...and then ask him to “read” the pattern out loud. Then you can ask him to place what comes next to continue making the pattern. This may light a spark and send him off running to find new and more groups of items from which to create his own patterns. 3. Play “Crack the code” outside! After gathering your groups of pieces from Nature, make a pattern for each other. He “cracks the code” when he is able to read and continue making your pattern. Then it’s your turn to “crack the code” he created. You can continue taking turns and slowly increase the complexity of the patterns to keep the game challenging and fun. Any bits of Nature will do, too. This game calls on the powers of our “Owl eyes” and potentially our “Fox nose” to decipher the fine distinction of say, a sprig of sage from a sprig of peppermint placed in the pattern. The patterning skills of being able to create, copy, or extend a predictable series of objects help children understand relationships, attributes, and how rules can be applied to sets. This starts to sound a lot like math...and it is! Understanding patterns helps to cultivate the rich soil that will nurture the seeds of future mathematical concepts that will be planted over time. |
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Insects you may find in the river! contributed by Teacher Sarah |
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Natural Remedies- Elderberry Syrup contributed by Teacher Tracy Right now, the native elderberry that grows all over the Valley looks like this. It is blooming everywhere and coloring our hills. You can use the blossoms to batter and fry up, so yummy. However, once the flowers have gone and the summer sun has ripened the berries to dark purple (around September), you can gather those and make your own immune building syrup. Remember to leave some on every different plant for the birds. You can freeze them until you are ready to make your recipe. Several of the families in our school make their own and recipes can be found all over the internet, but I usually make mine with local raw honey, and some apple cider vinegar and give ia spoonful to my family all fall and winter. Im not a precise recipe person. If you cannot identify your own elderberry supply, talk to me and I will share mine with you. This is so easy and to avoid the high costs of elderberry in health food stores, might as well spend thirty minutes making your own. |
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Moment of Zen “If you believe this virus is spread human to human, the antidote is building the immune system with eating plants & natural medicines and sitting in nature alone or with your immediate family, soaking up vitamin d & sunshine. If you believe that this virus is symptoms of 5G exposure, then the antidote is sitting in nature, connecting to Mother Earth, building your immunity with eating plants and natural medicines - submerge yourself in water & dirt If you believe that this is all a hoax and you just need to sit back while Q saves us all, then the answer is sitting in nature, build a garden for the new earth, commune with God, eat plants & natural medicines that strengthen your connection and open your channel to the new earth frequency ~ ascend with her If you believe the economy is collapsing, and authoritarian dictatorship is imminent, the most radical thing you can do in protest is build a garden, releasing dependency on the system If you believe that Mother Earth is mad at us and purging the human race, the answer is go outside and listen, build a garden, align with her The answer is always nature. Always. We do not have to argue about the why. The antidote is obvious. Alignment with the mother, with our source of nurturance. Remembering everything we use and need comes from her. Give thanks. Humble. Slow down. Observe. Listen.” Written by - Katie LaMonte |
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Remember that Wednesday is the night to place baskets on your porch by 6pm! We are excited to bring school to your child. |
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