We will soon be embarking on an exciting new project at Children's House- A GARDEN!

It is wonderful when children can discover how to nurture themselves and others by learning to grow food and by tending a garden. Schools and gardens are a natural complement to one another. I mean, isn't everyone fascinated by the opening of a seed and what can come from one itty-bitty pea?

The garden will be an extension of the classrooms, and the children will be involved in every aspect of the process. Darci & Katy & the Jade Door students are leading this effort, but it will be a school-wide gardening adventure! I know all the students will feel a huge sense of accomplishment when all the rewarding work is done and the sense of ownership of this miraculous mini-food production system sets in.

A huge thank you to everyone who supported the garden at the auction! There will be many opportunities to help with creating this project. Some who were not at the auction (or were in the other room) have expressed a wish to donate money (which we would welcome!) and others have asked if they can help in the building and planting process. YES! There are many ways to help, and we need you! Our hope is that this will truly be our community garden, created by all the children, staff and parents at Children's House.

While our outdoor space is small, we have great sun exposure and it will be a great addition to our campus. The summer camp teachers and children will play an especially big role in the garden, but the spring and fall will also be an exciting time for the school year children. We also plan to teach season extension techniques! We will have carrots, kale, parsley, chard, and spinach growing under cold frames all winter!

The process will look a bit like this: we will need to dig up and relocate the lily plants that are along the wall outside Jade Door. We will then incorporate lots of good compost, then look at the raised bed retaining walls and assess if we need new ones...we'll put up a fence (something that does not encourage sitting on or leaning on, and doesn't require paint), build a gate, and THEN we will start the fun part- planting!
So, there is a lot of work to be done before the garden emerges, and we need your help.

Jade Door has already gotten started this week, and we will kick off our family efforts next week on Tuesday during afternoon conferences with a playground clean-up and gardening blitz! I will be here from 1-3:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Whether you want to come for the afternoon for a good activity with your kids on a no-school day, or if you want to stop by for an hour or so before or after your parent-teacher conference, please join mw. Even in a short time, we can get a lot done! If you can bring your own tools – rakes, shovels, garden gloves, etc – that would be even more helpful.

Please feel free to contact me with any ideas, or if you have any extra tools, gloves, compost or plants that you can donate to the garden.
Thanks in advance for your help!

See you in the garden,
Jen Porter

Hello!

We are coming off another big week. First, for the grown ups, was last Saturday’s Kentucky Derby Party. Thank you so much to everyone in our community who pitched in to make it a real success from our fundraising committee to our generous donors to everyone who bought tickets, invited friends and showed up with big hats, ready to bid. We’ll have more information on the auction tally and the many people to be thanked next week, but we truly appreciate everyone’s support and generosity.

The Blue Door and Orange Door children successfully hosted Parent Tea Parties on Wednesday and Thursday. So much time and care and excitement go into these teas every year, and every year it’s worth it to see everyone all dressed up, enjoying their tea and being with each other. I always enjoy seeing parents gathered upstairs, dressed in their tea party finest (often in outfits chosen by their children, I hear), waiting to be escorted into the party. Thank you to Licia Schwalm and Jen Porter for helping out this year.

This is the last weekend to catch the student art show at CMCA. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s really worth the trip.

Next week Jade Door students will host their annual Parent Picnic on Wednesday, and Yellow Door children will welcome their parents to the annual Yellow Door Spring Celebration. Plans for each event are already well underway.

Parent-Teacher conferences will be held all day Tuesday, May 21 and during the afternoon on Wednesday, May 22. Our spring conferences are one-half hour each. Sign up sheets will be available by each classroom beginning next week. There will be no school that Tuesday in order to accommodate conferences.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there and happy weekend to everyone.

Kristin