5/13/19

Well, that's a wrap!

I must say, this year has been pretty magical.  I decided today that out of everything that I raise and grow here, I love growing little people the most!  We played and laughed and learned all year, and today was the cherry on top.  This group has come such a long way.  Not only have they learned new concepts, terms, etc., but they have learned how to communicate, how to give and take, how to display frustration in healthy ways, how to help others, and how to be responsible.  I am immensely proud of each and every one of them!

I hope the lessons they learned here on the farm help them to tackle obstacles, come up with solutions, handle disappointments, overcome heartaches, and revel in the beauty of this amazing life.  

5/6/19

The school year is definitely wrapping up... you can feel it in the air!  In May, the kids are always especially active.  So, we "got our wiggles out" many times today!

After our animal chores, the kids met inside for a little lesson on chicks, ducklings, turkey poults, and guinea keets.  (We mixed in some phonics as we talked about different ways that the long e can be written.)  Each of the different types of poultry have specific personalities!  The turkeys are usually shy and reserved.  They move slowly and duck and hide when they are scared.  In contrast, guinea keets are completely spastic!  They freak out and run at full speed, even running straight into things!  The class met a few babies, and then we got up out of our seats to duckwalk around the building.... yes, even me!

While they had snack, the class read their barn cat stories that they worked on at home.  Their writing has improved so much over the year.  By the end of our stories, the class was vibrating with energy once again!  We made our way to the yard, and the kids and I "shook it out" to some music!  I cranked up "I Know a Chicken", and the kids and I sang as loudly as possibly while shaking out "eggs" to the music!

Last week, the kids learned the importance of soybean farming.  They were able to see how slow the process of candle-dipping can be!  This week, each student was able to choose their own essential oil scent (or make a combination of their own), and then they made pour candles in 4oz jars.  We reviewed the terms transparent, translucent, and opaque.  I think they will remember those terms from here on out!

We ended our day with a game.  Two students were our livestock guardian dogs (or LGDs), and the rest were the foxes.  The foxes had to run across the yard and carefully step into their den (hula hoop) without knocking it down.  One by one, the foxes entered the den until it fell.  Then, they all had to sprint back to base before the LGD's caught them!