Grow, Grow, Growing

Dear Parents,

We examined our seeds on Monday and all had sprouted except one. Some children shouted, “I see green!” And, “There are roots!” 

We measured everyone for the third time on our height chart. Most children have grown an inch or two since the beginning of the year, with one person shooting up more than three inches! Our seeds are growing, and so are we. Someone pointed out that the teachers have not grown. This is true. 

On picture day, we played in the classroom with magnet tiles and dinosaurs, and in the big room, playing basketball and climbing in the jungle gym. We read Inside, Outside and then went outside to play in the sandbox and swings. Someone said, “Those are opposites.”

Thanks for all the seeds from home! We received flower seeds, quinoa, buckeyes, sesame, tiny pine cones, avocado, sweet gum tree, and  forget-me-nots. 

While half the class played wooden xylophones with Alex in the big room, the rest of us worked on new self-portraits. Everyone looked in a mirror and told us what shapes we see in our faces. The class said our faces are circles, our eyes are circles and ovals, our noses like triangles, our mouths are round and oval, our teeth are squares, and our hair is curly and straight. We put sharpies to paper and got to work drawing. They are hanging above the cubbies beside the self-portraits we did at the beginning of the year. 

On Thursday everyone looked at their seeds again. The children said, “I see green and white stems.” “One of mine is bent over because it’s getting too big.” “I see growth!” “Mine has sprouts.” “Mine has a little hole in it, maybe it’s from the plant.” We hung them back in the window for more sun and went to play.

We wrote a winning web of W words for our ABC wall while wondering whether we would wish our weeping willow tree wonderful weather. When one person added wine to our list, we asked what kind, meaning wine or whine? She responded, “white”. Another child piped up, “I drank wine one time.”

We have been watering our grass seeds that we sprinkled last week. Some children are waiting nearby asking to be watered too. We are spraying them a tiny bit and they are blooming into flowers and trees. Our plants are alive and well! 

On Friday we repotted our seeds to cups. Everyone took turns digging dirt in a big bin and adding dirt to their cups. We added water and placed them on the window sill for sun. 

Have a sunny weekend,

Therese

Seeds and Plants

Dear Parents,

During circle on Wednesday, we made a list of seeds we know. The children named seeds from flowers, fruits, and vegetables. We looked at two seeds to compare: strawberry and mango. During snacks we found seeds in our cucumbers. We reread Anno’s Magic Seeds, about how seeds multiply. We read The Selfish Crocodile about how a hurt crocodile gives a nut seed to a mouse who helps him. We read We Are Alike, We Are Different and thought about how seeds are similarly alike, yet very different.

When we went out to the yard we discovered seeds had fallen from one of our trees. We looked around the yard to figure out which tree they belonged to. We read Seeds, In The Garden, Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring. We looked at our pictures of us under our tree and observed that we have been through four seasons together. We repeated the pattern aloud: summer, fall, winter, spring. 

On Thursday everyone chose seeds to sprout in baggies. The children chose between kidney beans, cannellini beans, and popcorn. We placed them in baggies with a paper towel, and added water. The children said they also need sun to grow, so we taped them in the window. 

The class helped sprinkle grass seeds on our bald spots in the yard. We sprayed them with water. A little sprinkle of water got on the children much to their delight. And now we wait. A watched seed will sprout!

We have been on the lookout for seeds everywhere. We found some more in our snacks on Friday. We had apples. We started a seed chart to display seeds we’ve found. If y’all find some at home you can send them in to add to our collection.

Have a seedy weekend,

Therese