Kindergarten started the week with a rain walk. Years ago, families purchased a set of frog rain jackets and boots for the class, so we went on the annual puddle and worm hunt. Interestingly, there were a few hesitant feet, but once a protected foot tries out a puddle and stays dry, there seems to be no turning back.
Second and sixth graders went on a "I wonder/I notice" journey around campus, some of my favorite responses: "I noticed that stick wasn't here a year ago" Cash, "I wonder why there are only one or two weeds next to my plant." Andrea, "I wonder what moss is made of" Landon.
3rd grade is working on being helpful in the garden. New gloves (Thank you Grant from Donors Choose) make for happy weeders. While "riding" the carts, the students retrieved items within the garden and made helpful deliveries. For instance, their "Fed Ex" truck brought piles of weeded dock and grass for Coco. See, you can have fun and get things done simultaneously.
Two 4th grade mushroom experts (Lucy and Avery) joined 1st graders, along with alumni parent and mushroom hunter Gina Wagy, to locate all the West Side Mushrooms possible. Our scribes noted: don't step on mushrooms, banana slugs and squirrels eat mushrooms, and mushrooms do not spread by seed.
4th and 5th graders turned a liquid into solid and ate it: butter. We discovered shaking cream vigorously turns into delicious homemade butter due to the high fat content, and tasted it on fresh bread. (Unfortunately all the wasted lunch milk doesn't have a high enough fat content, otherwise I have a feeling we'd have butter for days.) Delicious.