For the last several weeks during ECO our focus has been on fire, with emphasis placed on fire safety. We also talked about how to build a fire, what fires need to keep burning, and different ways to make fires go out.  Pete shared a silly story about a bobcat being unsafe around a fire.  Ask your child what happened as a result! (Short tail with a little blackness at the end!)

We eased into fire building by making a tiny fire inside a Kelly Kettle, which we used to boil water for tea. Children helped gather three kinds of sticks for the fire: the smallest, mouse tails, critical for getting the fire going, but super quick to burn out, followed by chickadee sticks (about the size of something a chickadee would land on), and finally beaver chews. Finally this past week we had a large fire and enjoyed roasting apples for our last fall ECO session. 

 On Friday, after reading the book Snowmen at Night, by Caralyn Buehner Kindergarteners made their own snow people with their third and fourth grade learning buddies. Our weekly meet up with Ms. Hale's class, a time that everyone looks forward to, is a great opportunity for Kindergarten students to get to know some of the older children in school. It's also a really fun chance for me to see some former students in mentoring roles.

 A much anticipated part of each morning in Kindergarten is sharing. This opportunity to tell classmates about an object or an experience is a great way for children practice speaking with a loud, clear voice while using details to describe what they are sharing.  For the children not sharing, this time is a fantastic way to practice listening respectfully, sitting quietly, looking at the speaker, and thinking about what the speaker is saying. After each share, several children can ask questions or make a comment. We have worked hard on formulating thoughtful, relevant questions and making comments that are specific and focused on the actual share.  Children love sharing and on days they forget to bring something most choose to do a telling share, my favorite kind, as they require a little more detailed description and slightly sharper listening.