Butterflies, Beans & All Things In Between

There sure is a lot going on at the Academy these days!  In the past couple of weeks, the children learned, both from books and firsthand observation, the life cycle of a butterfly.  They watched eagerly as the very hungry caterpillars in their classrooms got larger and larger, evolving into the chrysalis stage and ultimately emerging as gorgeous butterflies.  When a pocket of clarity presented itself in this week's gloomy skies, students released the butterflies into nature.  Just take a look at our very own Mrs. Tschopp guiding the flying insects into the air like a pro while the children look on!

The Children's Academy is also undergoing a full on lesson in botany.  As weeks progress, Academy students will learn about the life cycles of plants.  While some Academy staff admittedly have questionable green thumbs (myself in particular), children have enjoyed and will continue to observe the growth of the vegetables we have planted.  Each classroom has a small vegetable farm (pictured below) with carrots, onions and radishes.  In the Transitional Room, Mrs. Benson has also planted lima beans and peas (pictured below).  Transitional Room students measure their growth regularly and will compare their growth rates by means of charting.  Fingers crossed for all our sprouts!