I felt like a child on Christmas morning! I was so excited to share the farm and all its offerings with our Dixon buddies. A couple of weeks ago I met with Ian Lai, Director of the Richmond Schoolyard Society ( http://www.kidsinthegarden.org) to design the day. Kevin (the Dixon teacher), Ian and I had worked together last year so we had an idea of what we wanted to explore with the students; we also wanted to keep it fresh and do some different activities. We created a general outline of the day, knowing that depending on the students interests, some activities may be shortened or lengthened.

Two weeks ago, as I wrote on our blog, we collected our Red Fife wheat seeds and each student estimated their weight. This exercise provided a unique learning opportunity to discuss food production. It was apparent that many children had never thought about where flour came from- they thought it just appeared at the grocery store. A discussion ensued about the thought, energy and commitment it takes to grow nourishing food. As well we recognized the importance of food security.

So, with seeds in hand, we arrived at the farm where we were warmly welcomed by Mr. Lai. We waited anxiously for our buddies to arrive. This was only our second visit so we spent a lot of time in class front loading- reminding our preschoolers their buddy's names, discussing how to be polite and thinking about how to be a good conversationalist. All skills I believe to be important. Our buddies ran off the bus with great energy, enthusiasm and eagerness. Everyone said their hellos and once paired up, we began our day.

We gathered in the barn; some buddies arm in arm, some side by side, some with little buddies in front and big buddies in back. Any concerns I had of the proper buddy groupings were quickly alleviated. Children have such a beautiful ability to just be in the moment and that is what happened. We began our bread making session with grinding our seeds (which proved to actually weigh very very little!) followed by a detailed description of how to make the dough. I greatly admire Mr Lai's devotion to actually 'teaching' the students. It is important to learn to follow directions and to be able to start and finish a job with care and attention. Always developmentally appropriate and fun, the instructions push each child to perform to the best of their ability. I also believe it is important to teach them to be accountable for their work, even at fours years of age.

Weighing our wheat seeds

The Grinder- which Connor described as a making the same sound as a vacuum cleaner

We mixed the dough

We learnt how to make a "claw" with our fingers.

We helped each other get the sticky dough off our fingers.

Joban was adamant he did not want to touch the dough. But, with a little convincing, he caressed a small piece!

We cleaned our bowls and tables.

While the dough was rising, we ate a quick snack. Conversations deepened, laughter echoed into the fall air, tidbits dropped by small buddies were picked up by big buddies and energy was restored. Ready for the next activity... COMPOST! Mr Lai spread beautiful compost on a table. He probed their knowledge of compost and shared some of his expertise. They loved it! They investigated its contents, talked about worms, the benefits and the process. Some children were very squeamish but most embraced this beautiful organic mass!

A precious snail found in the pile of compost quickly became an adored creature!

Worms gained respect as we carefully watched them.

Then we moved onto mason bees. Mr Lai showed them a mason bee house and briefly talked about mason bees and their wonderful ability to pollinate.




Then we were tasked with weeding several garden beds. Large shovels, trowels and ho-mis (a Korean ground spear) were distributed and the children got to work. They picked and ate lettuce before it was brutally dug up, clawed at weeds, marvelled at worms, and joyfully found treasures like potatoes (which were then collected and washed).





While Mr Lai started to grill the dough, we went off to engage in our second Genius 15 session. Beforehand, at preschool, we had talked quite extensively to the children about their topic and brainstormed what they could bring to share with their big buddy. Some children forgot but I was impressed that most remembered. Clip boards in hand, they broke into their groups and chatted. A few themes seemed to naturally shine through their conversations. There was a keen interest in statistics- the biggest, the oldest, the most goals etc. The topics themselves were interesting- the students wanted to know more about topics that they interact with in their own daily lives- sports, how playgrounds are built, facts about swimming pools, and animals. I found this interesting- space, other cultures and countries did not emerge from these initial discussions. It made me think about how our sense of place, our own place, is so important. If children in another country were coming up with ideas for Genius 15, how different would they be? Would their topics be localized to their own lives? Another piece that resounded strongly for me is how very fortunate these children are to live in a free and safe part of the world. They have no fear of war, death on a large scale or seriously adverse living conditions. If they did, what would their Genius 15 topics look like?



Even though we were far from the grill, we began to smell the aroma of the bread which captivated us all. The children loved it- Mr Lai explained his "Yum" mixture- a variety of seeds and grains that add texture, taste and up the ante on the healthy scale. Thank yous came in abundance, some naturally, some reminded, and we all enjoyed the bread, mostly because we had made it!



Lastly, Mr Lai brought out a warre hive. The children were given a brief overview of honey bees and had a glance inside at the magical honeycomb. The topic of honey bees will most certainly come up again as there was lots of chatter around the hive.


The time came to say thank you to Mr Lai, Mr Vines and the preschool staff. Buddies hugged, shook hands or said goodbye with a subtle glance of the eyes. A rewarding day for students and teachers! What, I wondered, did the children think about that night before bed? I asked them the following class what they remembered and I was amazed at how much they could recount ( this blog is already too long so I best leave their answers alone!). What I do know is this... sharing an experience such as this will have long lasting benefits for these children and I am delighted to be a part of this journey!

Emily

Bok Choy

Our bok choy was ready for harvest! Harvesting is always an experience for me personally- the excitement of picking something that you grew and you know will be enjoyed by others is amazing. But then, there is this other weird part that is slightly, ever so slightly, possessive of it and its life. I love watching it grow so when it is time to harvest there is a delicate sadness that sweeps over me. But... moving on!

When I showed them the vegetable in class, one child correctly labelled it. They were excited to wash it, cut it and the cooking table had lots of helpers. Some tasted it raw. Jack said "It's a little bit sweet and I like it." Emma said "I love it!". Connor said "That's crunchy." and Makena said "There's flowers in there."









We tossed it with some olive oil.


A dash of sea salt. And black pepper.




We sauteed it for just a few minutes and Makena said " Smell it Connor. It smells yummy" to which Connor added "It smells like peas."

To keep things interesting we ate our greens picnic style in a circle. The joy of eating together brought the following comments:

Emma: I like it, It's crunchy.
Rhys: I like it cause it is yummy and crunchy.
Miele: I don't like it.
Jack: I like it because when I tried it.. (pause) it's like (pause) inside it, it's crunchy.
Kensie: I love the crunching cool.
Grace: It's yummy.
Jordyn: I like it because it is a little bit salty.
Makena: It's peppery and salty and I like it.
Rhyan: I don't like it.
Connor: I like it cause it really is frying and it has juice and salt and water.
Koltyn: I like it.
Sebastian: I don't like it.

Joban and Matias did not want to try it...will keep trying:)

Measuring with Scarlet Runner Beans

A couple of weeks ago while drawing scarlet runner beans, several children held the bean up to their leg and started to measure themselves against the bean. After class the teachers discussed this interest and I suggested maybe we use the beans to measure each child. After a long play outdoors we came in and everyone, including the teachers, was measured using our scarlet runner beans.  We all enjoyed this activity immensely. Each child was deeply engaged and they were counting together as a group. We recorded the measurements on a piece of paper and will bring it out next week. I asked the children if they would like to measure themselves on Monday- I think you know how they responded. So, on Monday you will see- a carpet, a big bowl of beans, paper and pencils. Ready to measure and record!



What will happen?

• I asked them to please keep the beans intact. Will they be able to refrain from shelling them?
• Will they add more beans to make themselves seem taller?
• Will they want to write the number down on paper?
• How will them group themselves?
• Will they begin to measure other things in the classroom?

I was so excited for our big buddies to come on Friday! It is one of my favourite ongoing programs. The buddy program allows for so much learning for everyone involved. The big buddies learn how to be caring, patient and responsible. The little buddies learn how to be brave and make a new friend, connect with other children on a new level and develop new ideas. And, let's not forget us teachers- we are always learning as well. I am privileged to work with a teacher who shares similar philosophies around education and learning. This is our second year partnering together and I am thrilled to work alongside Mr. Vines. This year the elementary buddies are combined Grade 5 & 6 students.

Our first visit together is always interesting. After general introductions, we pair the children with their buddies. The big buddies almost outnumber us 2:1, so most of the little buddies have two big buddies. I love this moment- the introduction! Understandably, each child is slightly cautious about this new relationship and unsure of what to do, what to say, how to be. Having been a part of this journey for so many years, I can look ahead and know that each time they meet, the relationship will grow deeper. I recently bumped into some big buddies who are now in secondary school and reported that they had seen their little buddy in the community! Oh, how I love these connections!

After our introductions we got to work at our stations which were:

• Threshing wheat (this activity is in preparation of our farm visit in two weeks-stay tuned!)
• Shelling scarlet runner beans
• Cleaning garlic 
• Framing a leaf ( a real one) and thinking about a Thanksgiving message (what are we grateful for in our lives)

Here are a few examples of the beginnings of Genius 15.






Amazing, right? I love watching them work together and am looking forward to seeing what they bring for the next Genius 15!

Emily

Another day of working with cabbage-our prized cabbage that I babied throughout the summer. The cabbage that I saved from the demise of cabbage worms, watered, and surrounded with copper to scare away slugs. So, yes, babied. After all that care and love I was hoping the children would enjoy working with this gorgeous vegetable and like the taste of it. The coleslaw was a hit last week but would cooked cabbage get the same positive response? We assembled our ingredients for cabbage rolls


and showed all the children. They smelled all the spices that were in the recipe and many of them loved the smell of the fresh garlic! They took great pride in recognizing onion, salt, pepper, tomato sauce and ground beef. I wanted to introduce them to another herb so we passed around marjoram, which many agreed smelled sweet.

We pre-cooked the meat just so the children could work with the food without any cause for concern. The smell of the onions and meat simmering sparked the interest of many of our class foodies!


Then came the mixing of rice, meat, spices and some cheese (for good luck!)




And then the rolling. Each child made at least one roll







They enjoyed the challenge of rolling. Their small fingers worked nimbly and did their best to keep the filling inside the cabbage leaf. Although slightly tricky, most managed to make some semblance of a roll that I quickly stuck a toothpick through to keep it together. Some rolls required multiple toothpicks but whose counting?


Miele worked at the project the whole time time, poured on the tomato sauce and reminded me to put in the chicken stock. We brought them to the kitchen and put them in the oven to bake for 1/2 hour.

Although we have open snack in class, our teaching team decided to eat snack all together when it is something we have prepared together. There seems to be better enthusiasm when everyone eats together. So, we sat down, sang our appreciation song ( to be shared another time) and ate our cabbage rolls.

When asked if they liked the roll, the following comments were made-

Emma: This is good. (she ate 3!)
Miele: I really like it.
Kolton: I like it (he ate 2 1/2)
Addie: It is so better.
Jack: This is good. Mmmmm.
Makena: Yummy, cause there is cheese in there.
Jordyn: Everything in it I like it.
Kensie: I like it.
Grace: (licking the plate) It is good. Can we share with mommy; let her try?
Matias: (licked the sauce). Don't like it.
Joban: mouth covered-no way!
Kahlen: It's good but I don't like it very much.
Rhys: I like it! Just the inside, not the outside.
Sebastian: I love it. Can I have more. ( he ate 2 plus extra filling)

I love connecting the children to food in a whole new way. Growing, harvesting and cooking your own food builds a relationship with the food product. It no longer is just something taken for granted. Perhaps a lesson that can be spread to everything we do? Respect and care for people, animals, things and we can have deep relationships. Will this type of learning seep into all aspects of their lives....I hope so!

Emily

We had two cooking projects on the go today-kale chips and coleslaw. Before we sat at the cooking table, we had a discussion about Monday's harvest. I was curious to see if the children remembered what we had pulled from the garden. Almost all of them remembered at least one vegetable and many of the children were able to recall all of them-kale, cabbage, beets and lemon balm. Since many of our children were already familiar with kale chips and professed to like them, we decided to make them first. Next, the cabbage-many of them had never tried it before so we went with a simple coleslaw recipe- generally I prefer a short list of ingredients so we can really taste each ingredient for its beauty; in this case, especially the cabbage.

We started with the kale chips. Cutting the leaves, tossing with some olive oil, sea salt and pinch of black pepper. Oh yes, and a few shakes of garlic powder.




Then onto the coleslaw

We cut

and cut

and cut some more

Then we added vinegar

 salt, pepper, and a wee bit of sugar



And ended up with a gorgeous coleslaw!

Coleslaw comments:

Jack: That's yummy!
Kolton: I like it.
Addie: I like it too. I tried it before at home.
Grace: I like it too.
Rhys: I do like it. Yum!
Makena: I don't like it-blah!
Connor: I LOVE it!
Kensie: I don't like it.
Emma: I really like it.
Joban: (covering his mouth) I don't like it.
Matias: I don't like it.
Kahlen: I like the kale chips and the coleslaw.

While chopping the vegetables I heard the following conversation:

Addie: My mom doesn't have a big knife like that. Where did you buy it?
Me: A kitchen store.
Addie: A kitchen store? I only have a small chef's knife.
Sebastian: I have a kid's kitchen at home.
Addie: I used to have one of those.
Connor: My mom can make butter chicken.
Addie: I like shopping.

I love how their conversations are both directly and indirectly related to the topic of conversation. This age group seems to have an ability to weave their ideas in and out of a conversation. I find it so wonderful that they mostly accept each others comments at face value- no judgement if it seems "off topic". They really just allow each person to contribute their thought at the moment. When do we lose this ability to be so generous in our conversations with others? Can we or should we strive to maintain some of this quality to our dialogues? I am going to continue to pay close attention to this way of communicating.

Emily