Hey Folks,

Looks like Spring snuck up on us as we went from waist deep snowshoeing to jumping through mud and puddles in just days!

After our smudge ceremony and a check-in, the groups took full advantage of the warm weather and were off to the far corner of our map to visit the Sugar Shack.  It took us awhile to get there – burrows to discover; hornets nests to look at; hills to climb; tracks to follow; hundreds of fossils (and subsequently a map region now known as “Fossil Mountain”).  You know, the usual.

When we finally arrived, we were greeted by Al and Jim who took us on a journey through the process of making syrup.  We were just in time – some caramelized syrup was coming hot off the stove.  The students dove in and were given sticks to eat to their hearts content (which they did!).  To top it all off, we then made some tasty maple toffee in the snow.

After indulging, the students were eager to lend a hand and went to collect all the sap the (50ish) trees had provided.  Al was also more than happy to teach and allow the students to drill and tap holes, then put a bucket on their own trees.

We said goodbye to our Maple Mentors and went back to the school house for lunch.  After just one morning, we had so many new things to add to our maps!

During the afternoon, we took some time in the classroom to check out the cross section of a tree and determine where all that sap was coming.  Ask your child to share their cross-section with you!

The rest of the afternoon saw us introduce one of our core routines: Sit Spot.  Essentially, each child has chosen a spot on the property of their very own.  They are to become stewards of their area, and we will be using these spots often for a variety of purposes.  Today was all about finding a place that spoke to the students and taking some time there. We followed this by adding their spot to the map and sharing stories about what they found with their peers.

See you next week!

Matt and Kim