Despite the heat that we are having to contend with, the yurt, in the middle of the apple orchard, is probably my favorite schoolhouse of the year. It overlooks the ponds on one side and is surrounded by the sounds and sights of nature. Some folks are surprised when I tell them that the temperature is reaching the high 90's each day now, but we are located in the high desert. The nights cool down for sleeping but the days are hot and sunny.
We had to move out of our regular school house at the end of May. Black Canyon Anglers is another business that is located here on the farm. There are 6 cabins where the fishermen come in and stay for a night before heading out for several overnights on the Gunnison River. The busiest month is June so we had to give up our cabin. I have been fortunate to be able to keep mine as my living quarters for the rest of my stay.
The yurt location is so conducive for science explorations. I ordered a thousand red wigglers so that the kids could learn about vermicomposting. We had fun preparing the bin and they were so excited when the box arrived! We have also been studying about plants and I found this lovely seed head with tiny parachutes, similar to a dandelion head, but much larger and more showy. I will share some of the shots from our Monarch Butterflies in the net blog.
We are incorporating our reading and writing into science exploration and the kids are all researching a "wonder question," something they have wondered about personally. Math is studied daily, as well, with as many hands on methods as I can think of.
I introduced the children to the Read to Feed Project, which is sponsored by Heifer International. They have run all over the farm getting pledges for each book they read. They are very commited to the project and to earning enough money to buy and animal for a family overseas. I'm really proud of them!
They were surprised when they counted the days today and discovered we have only days left of school..........no one cheered.
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