April 07th, 2021

Pod B

Today the children were in birthday preparation mode. They worked together to make cupcakes and frosting for treats that both pods will enjoy tomorrow in celebration of Jill's birthday. Here is some of the conversation from the baking experience:
Andy: This is the instructions.
Maren: It's called a recipe.
Andy: I know that you need flour for banana bread.
(Brooke explains that flour, baking powder and salt get are measured into a bowl and set aside.)
Aida: We put the dry ingredients in a bowl and the wet ingredients in another bowl.
(Noticing the cupcake photo on the recipe)
Nora: Those cupcakes look SO  good!

Later...
Dakota: I'm a great cracker-egger.
(seeing the mixer make the  batter)
Andy: It looks like honey and squashed bananas.
Aida: I wish I was a mixer cause it looks so fun.

At one point turning on the mixer caused a puff of flour...
Dakota: Woah there's dust coming out.
Maren: Not dust!
Dakota: It's flour! (smiles)

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​They also worked diligently to create birthday messages for Jill. Andy said, "I'm gonna make a REALLY beautiful message for Jill."

Pod A

Beautiful Backwards Day 
Pod enjoyed starting the day outside.  We have noticed mourning doves near our outdoor classroom and one even built a nest near the back door to the rectory.  In order to attract more morning dove families, we acquired a bird house that is just their size.  Today children began painting it.
    Grace - Will the doves like it? It’s so colorful.
    Olivia - Look, I mixed all the colors.  Whoa!  Look at what colors we have guys!  We have a light green.
    Grace - I don’t think it will be about the color for the doves.  I think it will be about the comfort.
    Olivia - That’s cool, Grace, I like that you’re doing  yellow with that dark green.  That’s good.
     Lane - The back is perfectly red.
     Olivia - I should make a rainbow wall.  
     Lane - Polka dots is the life!
There was also a lot of interest in building in the sand area.  Palmer, Cannon, Wolf and Oliver initially built a machine that could capture the wind.  Later, several children added water to the sand making it just the right consistency to mold into shapes.  Cannon, Palmer, and Wolf worked to mix a “Whopper Cake.”  They stirred the “batter” with shovels and baked it in a dump truck, just like Grandpa does in the book!

Screen Printing
Screen printing has been a popular experience in our studio and we wanted  to introduce the process to Wolf.  At meeting, his classmates explained how we go about screen printing:
    Palmer - You make something out of tape.  Anything you like.
    Grace - Or make something out of stickers.  
    Palmer - And move the squeegee.  Here’s the weird part, the ink stays lumpy.
    Olivia - You gotta get a board, and you gotta spread the ink.
Wolf and his friends enjoyed screen printing.  Upon seeing Wolf’s completed print, Lane declared, “Perfect.  Adorable,  That’s what I call perfect!”

Construction
As children built, there was a lot of interest in roads, ramps, garages, race tracks, and intersections to support vehicle play today.  
    Fletcher - The intersection needs roads (connected to it).  (Fletcher adds the roads)
    Palmer - My vehicle house has three levels.
    Cannon - A triple decker!
    Palmer - (Adding more to his building)  Now I have seven levels.  I gave Fletcher a parking space on the top level.  
    Fletcher - If they build it way too high, it will collapse.  (He counts the levels.)  Now there’s twelve levels.
    Palmer - (Counting)  Yeah!  There ARE twelve levels!
    Fletcher - That’s the biggest tower I’ve ever seen!