(We have been experiencing some internet problems, so have combined two weeks diaries!)

Here is a shot of OUR PEACEFUL CLASSROOM. You can see Malachi and Sarah sharing a snack that they have served themselves. Addie is practicing her apple-scrubbing work. Thomas is completing that great, sensorial exercise of handwashing. Julia walks by with a jar...is it air or land or water or something else, Julia? Sydney is gluing many, many squares onto paper with a glue stick, as Lukas and Ella observe.

Everyone is well-occupied, and it is a pleasure to be in our classroom.

Annie, "The Girl" paints and contemplates...

Ben seems to be surprised at the long coil.

Miss H. gives a lesson, Sput joins with blankie, and Lukas gives some affection.

Miss Heather gives a lesson with the new glass polishing work. We have to wait till it drys, and it makes a "film." Then we shine it and shine it and shine the glass for a long time. It's a satisfying, hard work.

Ella is pleased with her glass polish work.

Some of our thematic experiences have surrounded SPIDERS. We love them. They are so interesting to observe, and read about, and they are BENEFICIAL.

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

If we did not have spiders, insects would flourish and really "bug" us humans.

We have walked and observed spiders up close, looked for webs, worked with spider classification and parts, and read good books about our arachnid friends. We love the old book, "Be Nice To Spiders." We also love the book "If You Were A Spider."

Mim likes to pick up spiders and show the children how they "balloon" from "silk thread" that they make with their "spinnerets." It's not a good idea to pick up any old spider though. Very few are able to "bite" us because their jaws are not strong enough, but a very small number have venom that can hurt us if injected. We had better just observe them, and never hurt them. Spraying them is not a good idea. Try just vacuuming them out of your house if you do not care for them.

We made spiders and webs in the studio, and read THE SPIDER AND THE FLY, as we worked. Children love the scary part about the fly and the "winding stair." It is a scaaaary poem, but oh so good.

WON'T YOU COME INTO MY PARLOR SAID THE SPIDER TO THE FLY?...

JOSIE IS SUPPOSED TO SAY, "OH NO, NO!" (BUT SHE WENT IN AND "POUNCE."

Julia has made a web and she is the spider. Josie has a tiny paper fly on a stick. (We can't see Addie in back, but she is horrified that Josie has made such a mistake!)

CHILDREN CLIMB THE BIG OLD SYCAMORE ON OUR FRIDAY WALK. Our FRIDAY WALK provides children with that ritual/routine that they thrive upon...(sense of order), gives innumerable opportunities for observation of nature, people, community, etc., provides vocabulary, and motor enhancement. Hey...we can ALL benefit from a good walk!

Laci concentrates on sharpener assembly.

Lukas has blown a large bubble.

Tiger works so carefully with the "snake" game. This math game utilizes unit and ten beads, and gives the child concrete experience with "exchanging" tens as they build the colorful "snake."

We continued more APPLE experiences by making apple butter last Friday, which will be served with biscuits this week.

Older children also attended the ART TRAIN at the Depot.

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CHILDREN'S T-SHIRTS AT Montessori 2-A-T