THURSDAY JOYS

Today was a really busy day, with a lot happening at ALG. This morning, a group of us built some exercise toys for the bunnies--we built a really cool slide that lets the bunnies go down "two stories" to the bottom of their cage. They are also able to jump on a box before they get to the tall top of the slide. They seem to be happy in their new home, munching on carrots and apple slices.

We also spent most of the day outside enjoying the sunshine. the purple group walked to Upshur park with Deborah and Pickett. The rest of us went between the side yard and courtyard. In the sideyard, Maeve led us in a search for interesting insects under all the stumps. We found cool white fungus, millipedes, lots of squigly worms and a very hairy spider (Which we didn't dare touch)!

We also planted our lettuce sprouts so that the bunnies would have good food to eat.

We did have one sad thing happen today--we had to say goodbye to Pickett whose last day of the year was today. She is spending the summer in Oakgrove, and will be missed!

It was a grey day here at ALG, but the atmosphere was bright and high-energy. For starters, we met two new furry friends, Bunny 1 and Bunny 2, who now inhabit a cage over by the incubator. We are thinking of good names for each, and will vote when there's a strong short list. We did go outside for a romp in the courtyard, and did lots of triking and chalk work. Victor, Alexander, Sebastian, Oliver and Henry transformed the corner tree into an improbable pastel wonder. Back inside, we got even more energy out in the back room, where Deborah led a mighty rumpus with the colorful parachute. Clean-up was extensive -- and nearly as much fun as making the mess.

Thursday, April 22 - EARTH DAY!

Circle time included the kids pretending to be seedlings that grew into potatoes, carrots and flowers. After circle time, one group went with Pickett, while Layla, Harry, Clara and Eli R. decided to paint. Sophia painted a calendar, and Jay painted three pictures! Some kids crowded around the caterpillars with Natasha to watch their progress.
With different groups throughout the day, Pickett and Melissa read "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," then acted out the story with the kids. They had scraps of fabric that could be used as butterfly wings.
Outside, some kids lined up to climb up and down a ladder, while others told stories to Melissa, ran an ice cream parlor and raced tricycles. Jose entertained us all by singing Michael Jackson songs all day.

Tuesday April 20

Pickett came today and spent a lot of time in the backroom with us!!! Please, ask me what i pretended to be.

We also went out to the sideyard and mixed our composte in with the soil to get the garden ready.

We had a good day!

Thursday, April 15

The eggs came! This morning we put the eggs we are hatching into the incubator to keep warm. Now we will watch them closely and count the days until our little chicks peck their way out of their shells. Very exciting! In the morning, small groups played in the back with Pickett, while others sculpted with clay and water , played dress-up, or put together puzzles. After a snack, we went out to the side yard to enjoy the beautiful weather. There was plenty of running, hide-and-seek, and digging in the dirt. A glorious day was had by all.

April 13th

Today Pickett came to play!
There was also a lot of puzzling and gluing going on.
It was rainy outside, so the class picture was postponed.
Melissa told a story that had been written collectively by 5 kiddos.
Another great day at ALG.

Earth and Water

All groups were outdoors today split up between the side yard and the courtyard for half the morning. The groups in the side-yard dug in the garden, played in the sandbox and ran around. Rows were prepped for seeding and some tomato sprouts went in the ground. The groups in the courtyard floated between playing at the water table with pitchers funnels and plumbing tubes and riding bikes, playing in the house and running around. The groups swapped places for the rest of the morning.

Spare clothes saved the day for some of the kids who played too vigorously at the water table. (Reminder... if you haven't checked what spare clothes are in your kids' cubbies, tomorrow might be a good time to check in and make sure they have everything they need).

After lunch, everyone rocked out to some Brazilian music and settled down with a gardening story read by Kara.

-Jon (Kaiea's Papa)

Back to Spring

After a rainy night it was a cold morning - what?? only 46 degrees?? - after a few days of summer-like weather. So after Circle Time songs about seeds and gardens, and a Story of the Day about witches (good ones and bad ones, complete with illustrations) by Daisy, we hung out inside for a little while to stay warm. Some kids explored the worm compost, others worked with pattern blocks or Magna-Tiles or made paper butterflies. All groups had some time outside in the courtyard when the sun came out, and the energy was high - lots of escaping from monsters and bike rides and ice cream making in the water table, along with climbing up and down the ladder. A few kids practiced closing eyes and feeling their way with the ladder, an interesting experiment in how to maximize the use of different senses. Now off to pack up the school for a church event - have a great weekend all!

April 8th

Another glorious day! We spent lots of time outside climbing trees, digging, telling stories, swinging to name a few. In circle we sang Happy Birthday to Kieran who turns 5 tomorrow. In the courtyard we played in the water table with buckets and scoops and we also had fun checking out PVC pipes. Enjoy the weather!

What happened to Spring?

A ridiculously warm day for April, but a beautiful one nonetheless. After singing a belated happy birthday to Callahan during circle time, everyone headed outside before it got too hot. In the courtyard we put together pipes and poured water in to see where it would come out. Others biked around and were put in jail for speeding. In the sideyard kids raced the clock, sat on and pushed the swing, and explored all the blooming flowers. Jose told a riveting story about some of the ice queen's nefarious deeds, though frankly she might have been welcome on a day like today. Back inside, we ate lunch and then different groups took turns in the back doing imaginative play with Pickett. There were many different animals - owls, cats, sharks, dolphins, and dinosaurs - as well as mermaids and princesses. They all visited the ice cream parlor that served meat flavored ice cream and were chased by or chased an animal catcher and a brain-seeking zombie scarecrow. Just another typical day at ALG.

Tuesday, April 6

Today was the first day back to school after spring break and everyone seemed excited to be back at ALG. The weather was beautiful, so we spent the majority of the morning outside in the side yard. The flowers are in full bloom, so we spend a lot of time looking (not picking) at them. We also found a silk worm nest, which Natasha cut down for everyone to look at. Another highlight of the day is that it was Leila's birthday. Leila turned 4 today, and her mom, Nora, brought in popcorn to share with the class. Today we say goodbye to cats and dogs, and hello to something else. What will that be? Stay tuned....