Good Morning! This was supposed to be for yesterday! You can see how behind I am, and there is no reason except I’ve been stretching out the break and enjoying some free time which shouldn’t be free – it should be work, work, work. But I did an experiment. They say work, work, work makes one a dull fellow. Well it didn’t make me a fellow at all. In fact not working made me feel dull and lazy. So back at it!

This week we are doing a section on the Amazon. The children are having a difficult time with the concept of North South East and West, and we are trying to use South America as a directional. We are also taking advantage of the beautiful Amazon River and all it’s lessons. Mrs. St. Louis’s son, Regis, has visited and written about the Amazon and it’s a delight to share this with the children.

We will be going to the zoo on Friday as a field trip to see the Amazon presentation there. The children must wear their green shirts and their red sweatshirts. We will be leaving at 9:00 and returning at 1:00.

This is the last full week of Lent. As you can see the Easter baskets are growing to bursting. Every time a child is good and keeps his medal during the day, he earns a piece of candy for his Easter basket. Some of those baskets are bursting.

In case you haven’t looked, we have a whole lot of horses in our back yard. These are friendly race horses who love a carrot. We are delighted to have them. They belong to Wayne French. The children are welcome to pet them. As the garden goes in, please watch your step.

Calendars will come out for April on Wednesday.

Report cards will be issued next Monday.

Hop-in- ing has been sent out. Every year we are the top school, so please participate!

I would like to thank those who came out for my book signing last Saturday. Your support and love is so appreciated. I got word from the book store that they are already sold out and want more copies. Apparently the copies went to the library. So Miss Judy is at the library! Woo hoo!

Miss Amy and I met yesterday to begin to finalize the field trips for this summer. We are hoping for some new ones this year. If you have any suggestions of a really wonderful place that teaches and the children would love to spend more than a few minutes doing, please let us know.

Have a wonderful week.

Good Morning!

Yes, we are open and ready to get back at it after three weeks of play. It was worth it, however, I think the kids learned a lot.

We are entering into Spring Session, and we will be doing lots of outdoor activities. Miss Elise has ordered two butterfly kits, so we will be watching butterflies grow and develop and finally fly away.

Miss Amy is thinking about the Zoo….

Miss Judy is watching the garden for signs of life. So far, both apple trees, the cherry tree and the peach tree are starting to bloom. I will be putting out peas this week in the yard. The pond needs to be cleaned and resurrected, and I have a bunch of stuff for the front yard this year I am dying to put out.

Miss Molly needs to get out and trim the roses. She’s a real rose hound.

Lots of things coming…

We will be open Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and closed Thursday and Friday.

I am searching for an additional teacher. If you know someone you think would fit in at the Garden School, please see Miss Judy.

Have a great day!!!!!

Forget C, D may be the vitamin for cold and flu protection: Study

By Stephen Daniells, 25-Feb-2009

Increased levels of vitamin D may protect against common respiratory infections such as cold and flu, according to new findings from the US.

Today is the play. We’ve worked very hard these past few weeks to bring to life our spring play. It’s been a first adventure for the little ones and a personal achievement for our older kids who have done several plays. You can see how each of the older children have evolved. Just being on stage in front of many people is enough to scare a lot of people. When you are three, you must make the decision whether this is fun or not. We hope every little guy or gal thinks it’s fun.

The older children have taken their roles seriously and have tried to put a lot of themselves into playing one person or another. Kamden has developed a wonderful St. Patrick. He is serious, considerate and funny as I am sure the real St. Patrick must have been. Andrew has developed a thoughtful, inquisitive, and earnest Druid Master role- he enjoys the name Chicken Face.

Emma has brought Queenie to life with her interpretation of the all knowing, all teasing, helpful and loving Queenie – Friend of God – Friend of Leps. Her voice is strong and her entrance is dignified and lovely. We are so proud of all of them.

The middle ground is covered by the Leprechauns better known as the Leps. They are still learning to be actors, and they are still squirreling around. Sometimes they remember a line and sometimes they don’t.

Our Druid Princesses are a basketful of beauties. They have really done a beautiful job this year. They are campy and elegant and they make me laugh. Every one of them has made their part a perfect part for them.

The Snakes and the Brownies are as cute as every we have had. We actually bought a couple of costumes for India and Kylie because this is such a special year and we wanted something different. We were delighted that Kylie and India were the first to know their whole scene. We have added and added and added to their scene, and they have responded with such positive delight.

Austin has really come into his own with the role as Mr. O’Leary. He seems to have really enjoyed this role and he has learned his lines beautifully. The other O’Learys are doing very well too.

We have no one to read the initial story to our audience this year, but Mr. Jaylen has agreed to be our narrator, and his mother, Miss Kelly, has come up with a very ingenious plan to allow him to tell this story. We are so proud of him.

Please arrive before 3:00. We will begin the play very close to 3:00 and will lock the front door and take the bell down at 3:00. Please enter through the kitchen if you are late. Not a lot of seating this year. We have a double back drop, so there is no standing in the front hall. It’s about 30 minutes this year.

Please don’t forget to bring a treat to share.

Looking forward to it….

See the Flowers

Black Male Children Face Highest Risk for Food Allergies

Peanuts and shrimp cause the most problems, survey finds

TUESDAY, March 17 (HealthDay News) — Researchers analyzing a survey on food sensitivities have found that black male children may have a greater risk of having a food allergy.

The national survey included 8,203 people, from infants to seniors who tested positive for the allergen antibody linked to possible issues with eggs, milk, peanuts and shrimp. The sensitivity levels to these potential food allergens was then tested in all participants.

Based on their analysis, the researchers estimated that 2.55 percent of the general population has food allergies, most often to shrimp and peanuts. But they found that the odds were much greater among blacks, males and children — especially young black boys.

Males and children had nearly twice the risk for food allergy as others, blacks had triple the risk, and black children were four times more likely to have food allergies.

When looking at having just a sensitivity, rather than a more serious allergy, to foods, the most likely to have sensitivities were children, males, non-Hispanic blacks and people of lower income. About 17 percent were had food sensitivities, the study found, with about 4 percent sensitive to eggs, 6 percent to shrimp or milk and 8 percent to peanuts.

The study was to be presented in Washington, D.C., at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology’s annual meeting.

Good Morning!

It’s a brand new Monday morning and we’re headed for a warm week. Lots of play and playground. I almost bought ice cream this week, might send Elise…

It’s play practice all week. We will work especially on the snakes and the brownies, blocking and lines. It’s a great fun play, and we will enjoy some successes this week.

Please remember this week if your child feels puny, you need to keep him home. This is your first priority. Puny children contract all kinds of things from other incubating children and it’s not fair to anyone to leave a child at school who can’t keep his eyes open. Puny children can make the whole group sick. One missed day of work will become three or four if a child comes down with several things at once. So be kind and be smart and keep puny children in bed.

Some kids want to stay home because they get special treats, and they get to play all day. Ill children should be in bed. Keeping a child in bed will deter truancy and encourage wellness.

Our play is on Friday at 3:00 p.m. Every child needs an adult. We will lock the front doors at 3:00 p.m. and take down the bell. If you come after 3:00 you must use the kitchen entrance. children who are not attended by a parent will be fined $25.00. This is an important program for every child, and every child is proud of what he has accomplished.

Please plan to bring a treat to share with our company. Please do not bring candy unless it is homemade candy. Candy will be left off the table and put into the kitchen. Chips, fruit, and cheese are always welcome.

Have a great week!

So what’s new on the GS table? Well they all love artichokes. Now I have to come up with something to dip the leaves in just for fun. I use mayo, but that’s not a likely combo for the kids. I steam my artichokes and we share the leaves. The kids have really enjoyed this.

Another newby the kids are enjoying is our breakfast for lunch day on Wednesdays. I keep serving this because they eat it. I bake shredded hash browns, cubed hash browns or even French Fries until nicely cooked on a big stone pizza pan. I add bacon or sausage or this week, sandwich ham. On top of that I scramble fresh farm eggs and top the meat with lots of fluffy eggs. Then I add cheese to the top of the heap and when the cheese melts, it’s ready to eat. I tried this on Mr. Terry at home, and he ate the whole thing.

The nutrition categories are: 3 proteins, and a starch. So we add 3 fresh fruits, and we have a meal. We can count the potatoes as a vegetable and add cinnamon bread. We can also bake the fruit into a critter.

Critter is the following: canned pineapple, peaches and cherries with a Dutch crumble top.

Another thing to use as a bread would be blueberry waffles.

Mr. Terry has been doing some of the grocery shopping at Aldi’s. The food is much cheaper than most other stores, and it’s very high quality. I can’t get my specialty items there, however, like whole wheat pastry flour and different varieties of cookie chips.

The GS has gone over to burnless bakeware. I would never ever have tried this, but I am tired of digging pieces out of pans that refuse to cooperate. I bake 48 muffins every Monday, and I have to replace the typical muffin pan about every six months. I’ve ordered the new silicon bakeware from a company called Easybakeware.com. The items are free – I pay the postage. It’s worth looking into. So far I have three bread pans, two bunt pans, and I’ve ordered four muffin pans.

Campbell on board with salt reduction effort

By staff reporter, 24-Feb-2009

From Food Navigator.

Comment: Too often we remember a name brand product, and because we grew up with it, we think it’s got to be good, and that’s simply not the truth. As a food contractor for the United States Department of Agriculture Child Care Food Program, I have to know what I can and can’t serve our children at the Garden School. The foods I can’t serve are foods that have no nutritional value. Some of these non-food food items are Campbell’s Soup, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, Kraft singles, and Chef Boyardee canned pasta. There is not enough food value in these products to qualify as a food. These products are filled with sugar, salt and water. Might as well down a pitcher of coolaid. It’s nice to see that at least the salt content is being brought under control.

As the Institute of Medicine (IOM) considers a strategy to reduce salt in the American diet, the food industry is under pressure to cut products’ salt content. Campbell is the latest company to announce new low sodium products, in its soup line.

For more of the story go HERE.

It was a splendid week. Lots of kids rallied the last couple of days from illness, and we had a nice big crowd on Thursday and Friday.

Here’s the thing to remember about illness: If a child is not himself when he wakes up, and you suspect he may be coming down with something, the best thing to do is let him stay home. This will either prove the point and bring out an illness, or a child will be able to fight it off, and not be ill at all. This week we sent home the same child three times in a row. This child was not allowed to fight off his illness, and then instead of bed, mom let the child rough house all day, and sure enough next morning he was ill again. Children’s illnesses are not like grown ups. They incubate slower and they stay and stay and stay.

Next week is play week. We would love for all of our children to be well. Please make sure your child goes to bed early every night to be fresh for the play.

Several parents asked if the play was last week. If you are reading the calendar we send home every first of the month, and the blog, there should be no confusion.

Our play begins PROMPTLY at 3:00. At 3:00 our front door will be locked and the bell removed. After 3:00 you may enter quietly through the back door.

Our play is going great guns. Most of the children know their lines reasonably well. We are working on placement, costumes, and backdrops this week. It’s a big production, and one we are really proud of.

If you have not registered for summer, please do so. We will begin planning summer following the play.