The Little Frogs Jump In

 The first group of Little Frogs jumped in for their first day, and everyone seemed very glad to be here. We began with plenty of time to explore the room and meet old and new friends.

Friends who were familiar with some of our routines helped out friends who are just learning their way around.

The Little Frogs explored with sand, rocks and light. They built with blocks and read books. They cooked complex meals in the kitchen. They were actively learning about their new environment and having a blast doing it!

Soon, it was time to clean up and get ready for Morning Meeting. The Little Frogs are already beginning to figure out what goes where.  At the sound of the gong, we gathered on the purple rug and sang "Open Shut Them"- which caused lots of laughter and requests for more...  So we did it again! Next, we had a Moment of Silence (in the tradition of Quakers, all gatherings begin with a moment of quiet contemplation).  Many of the Frogs were new to this idea, but they did amazingly well.  We took several deep breaths, closed our eyes, and listened.  We tried to hear the rain, but ended up mostly hearing the fan.  Nevertheless, it was an impressive start for our very energetic crowd.

Next, we sang a song that introduced everyone.  When we sang a friend's name, they stood up and made a funny face.  This brought on even more laughter.

After Morning Meeting, we gathered for a snack of apples and graham crackers.  Snack time is both an opportunity to refuel and a chance to gather together at the table and talk.  Lunch and snack are wonderful times for us to learn to converse in a group and one-on-one, and the Frogs will have a chance to develop these skills over the course of the school year.  We will keep you posted about the depth and breadth of the many topics that we will undoubtedly cover at the table.

After snack, we did a weather check and discovered that the rain had finally stopped. We donned our rainboots* and grabbed our bicycle helmets* and headed out to the playground. Friends ran, climbed, swung, dug, pushed, rode and climbed. The sand was wet and particularly good for building, and some Frogs made new friends riding the double bikes.

 Back inside, Hannah picked the story StellaLuna to read, and the Frogs thought some about what it would be like to be a bat trying to act like a bird. After our story was over, we started to learn our good-bye song and the Little Frogs headed home. We cannot wait until tomorrow!

* If you haven't already done so, please remember to bring in a bike helmet and rainboots for your child. Also, we will hopefully be needing sunscreen - as we have faith that the sun will return sometime before winter hits.