2017 so far…January: light/shadow, February: friendship, and March: spring

The transformation of a new year can bring new hope, inspiration, and excitement for the unknown, the possibilities, and the potential of what is to come. We start the year exploring light and shadows. We celebrate the light with a festival. It is a symbol for the positive nature the warmth of brightness shines onto all things. Children create lanterns to hold their light as they walk snow covered pathways. We sing songs together to strengthen our bond as a community. Indoors the children explore a rope light and place different objects on a light table to observe how the light shines through. 
   Discovering the layers of friendship, the Sprouts are encouraged to dig deeper what is means to be a friend, who is a friend, and what a friend does. We take turns creating together, playing games, and nourishing our environment. We sewed a quilt together, each friend designing a square to contribute to the warmth the quilt would create around a friend’s shoulders or lap. Everyone enjoys reading through our book of friends and naming each person in the class as the pages are turned. 
   With a new year brings new growth for the body, mind, and our garden! The Sprouts dug their hands into the soil to help start our seeds. The food we grow will help nourish us in our work and play. Together we water our seedlings with spray bottles and practice our fine motor strength. We are looking forward to the journey of caring for and watching our plants grow through the coming season.