Good Morning!

Another busy week at the Garden School. This week is Easter Prep week. We will be learning about what Easter means and making Easter things. It’s going to be nice so we will spend as much of our recess time outdoors as we can.

We will be focusing on addition and subtraction in math class this week. We will play Suduko again and do some sorting and grouping and some number pattern work.

In reading, the children are simply reading. Miss Leigh says it’s a work of art.

We will be working on plaid in Fine Arts, and we will learn about the United States in Geography class.

We will experience artichokes this week along with another lasagna, roast pork, and chicken.

School will be closed on Good Friday – April 2.

Have a great week.

One of the things we have invented at the GS this year is something called taco bread. It’s a fun kind of bread the children really like. It’s easy to make and has all the things we find in tacos. It’s the kind of bread that you can make and serve with plain soup. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and run a hot sudsy sink.

Step One: run very hot water into a large bowl. When the bowl gets hot, drain the water and add two cups of water about the temperature of a baby’s bath. The warm bowl will keep the ingredients warm.

Step Two: Add two tablespoons of dry yeast, a teaspoon of sugar and 2 tablespoons of canola or olive oil. Let sit for five minutes while you put your oil container and sugar container away.

Step Three: Add a teaspoon of salt and enough flour one or two cups at a time to make a nice pliable bread dough. This will probably take 5-6 cups of flour. I use a combination of whole wheat pastry flour and white flour.

Step Four: punch your fist into the dough, then gather it up into a ball and punch again. Repeat about ten times, then let the dough sit outside the bowl about five minutes while you wash your bowl, cup, spoon and wipe down your counters.

Step Five: saute ground meat the way you would taco filling. Add taco seasoning and any vegetables you normally add. Drain and set aside while you wash your pan, wooden spoon or utensil.

Step Six: roll out the dough with a rolling pin as thin as you can get it and use flour underneath your dough as well as on top to prevent sticking. This might take up your whole counter area.

Step Seven: When dough is rolled out, sprinkle your taco filling onto the bread and cover the entire surface. Add six to eight ounces of shredded cheese.

Step Eight: start rolling the dough at one end as snugly as the dough will bear until it is completely rolled into a tight roll. Bend if necessary to fit on a cookie sheet.

Step Nine: beat an entire egg and paint the whole loaf bread for a lovely finish. Wash your bowl and fork or whisk.

Step Ten: Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes. Slice at about an inch intervals.

No school on Thursday or Friday, but we had a great trip to the zoo on Wednesday. It was a lot of fun to go through Amazonia and then forge out into the zoo. We broke up into two groups, the older kids with the younger teachers and the older teachers with the younger kids. It was a great day! The sun was out and the spring weather caused a lot of the animals to be out and about.

We saw the ground hogs, the wolves who gave a great showing, and then the birds of prey. They were all beautiful. Then we moved up to the giraffes and the zebras. I wish they would do something with that paddock. It’s so barren – almost makes me sad. We wound our way through the peacocks making eyes at one another and then we went to the snake house and the dark room. The children were able to watch the bats and the other night creatures! We came out through the hippo’s house.

We went to the children’s petting zoo and out the other side to the goats and the donkeys. Then off toward the kangaroos and the kookaburra and the emus and then the camels and the wild horses.

We saw the tigers and the lions and ended up at the rhino who was very gracious and smiled at us. Then it was of through the goose lake and up the hill past the ostriches. It was a lovely day.

The children were sweet as sweet could be and there were no complaints. We headed over to the Newburgh park and had lunch. They ate everything and enjoyed playing on the Fortress of Fun.

The day ended with a full romp outside.

Got this and thought readers might enjoy another “change.” This is an excellent program and one worth saving.

Judy,

I just wanted to follow up with you on this grassroots parenting movement to save an important early literacy program.

President Obama’s 2011 proposed budget cuts funding for Reading is Fundamental – RIF is a longtime kids’ program that provides free books to millions of kids. RIF receives 80% of its funding from the government.

Currently, the organization is rallying parents, educators and the community with a ‘write your politician campaign’ on the internet – already thousands have offered their support. You just go to www.rif.org and sign your name – that’s it!

Without federal funding, more than 4.4 million children and families will not receive free books or reading encouragement from RIF programs.

Ann Noder
CEO/President
Pitch Public Relations
Ann@PitchPublicRelations.com

Just a few minutes to spend in an otherwise busy busy week and new schedule. With Mrs. St. Louis out, it’s been hard to find time to sit and write. The emotions of having ones best friend ill and surgery pending does not make for the kind of writing life that is productive.

This week I’ve been thinking about how important the third year is – that’s age two. I was at Mass and was watching – couldn’t help it – right in front- a beautiful young couple with a what was obviously a two year old who was obviously the boss.

As I watched this couple struggle with this child, I saw them pass her long legged body from one to the other. I saw the parents take her out of the church and bring her back. I saw them pull her into the pew, fighting and struggling. She moaned, groaned, sniveled, squirmed, and whined. It was a most unhappy experience for the child making it a most unhappy experience for mom and dad.

The one thing I did not see her parents do was tell her “no” in a manner that she would understand was a command and not something to go up against. As a result, the child did as the child pleased. I wondered what went on at home.

The one thing that two year old children need most is a firm”no” when they go beyond the rules. The two year old is reaching in every direction possible and not all directions are for him. If mom and dad fail to say “no” then the child will not learn “no.”

At two, a child needs to learn to speak – that’s why talking to him constantly and telling him what he may and may not do is important. He needs to begin to use words rather than shrieks, tears, actions of destruction, whining or other sounds that he learned in infancy. By using words, a child uses his brain and his body usually follows suit. A thinking two year old is much better behaved than a non thinking one.

A thinking, happy two year old can go anywhere and experience whatever discovery there is for him because he understands that there will always BE something for him because good parents take children places that have something for them. He will look up at his parent who he trusts and ask. A good parent will not expect a two year old to go someplace without something for him.

At church, there is always Mommy or Daddy whispering to him about what is going on, and then he gets to go up with Mommy or Daddy when they go up for Communion. (Not sure what Non Catholics do)

When children do misbehave, and they all do, good parents need to ask themselves about how tired the child is, and if he feels well. Then, if all is right, the child needs to be told in no uncertain terms that he MAY NOT do whatever it is that is misbehavior. He needs to be taken firmly by the arm and told “NO.” It’s a one word command. It should have all kinds of memories for the child so that he quickly stops the poor behavior. He might cry, and he should be allowed to cry for a short time, but not throw a tantrum. Crying should be contrite not demanding.

Two year olds are not easy to deal with. It’s a battle zone for mom and dad. It’s an energy sucking time that leaves everyone exhausted at the end of the day. But the age of two is the most important year of discipline a human being will ever have, and once it’s done, it’s over for good.

Good Morning!

This is Spring Break Week. We will be in school Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. School will be closed on Thursday and Friday. We are planning a trip to the zoo on Wednesday. The cost is $10.00. Schools shirts must be worn.

This week we do class work. Because Mrs. St. Louis will be out of school these next weeks, Miss Judy will be teaching the Math Program. Our teachers will be covering Mrs. St. Louis both in the classroom and out. Please pray for her. She will have surgery on Friday.

It is now a push for excellence in the classroom. Children will spar and vie for top positions in the classroom. This is a time for competitive classroom games and achievement. Small achievements will be rewarded and published. Parents can help by asking children what they know and adding to their skills. Please keep in touch with all the teachers about what your child is learning.

Have a great week!

Yesterday afternoon I stood in the kitchen and decided to make a cupcakes. Terry and I like a nice dessert with our tea in the evening. But junk cake and high sugar desserts don’t taste good to me anymore. Besides, I want to invest my calories into my body, not make what I am eating a test to my intestinal fortitude!

Now it seems to me that the perfect cake or cupcake needs to be light and dry and delicious with that soul ingratiating wonderful deep flavor. Cake needs to have body and substance, but it can’t ever be wet or soggy or sticky or heavy. And because it is a genuine food, it also needs to be a healthy food.

So I thought about making a cake that I could depend on as a basic batter that I could change for variety but still use plain if need be.

First step: I measured three cups of whole wheat pastry flour into a bowl. This flour makes the difference between a cake that equals white bread and one that equals whole grain.

Step two: I used 1.5 cups sugar or 62 teaspoons. If you divide the cupcakes into 24 there are about 3 teaspoons of sugar in each cupcake. A cupcake made like this probably has less sugar than store bought yogurt, cold cereal and packaged junk like granola bars per ounce.

Step three: I used one stick of real butter because margarine is one molecule from plastic, and it’s a big no, and 1/4 cup of canola oil because canola oil is good for you. It’s an antioxidant. You can skip the butter and just use the oil, but butter is such a nice ingredient, it’s hard to nix it.

Step four: I used 2 free range eggs. One was green the other white. Such fun to see the difference in yolks from free range eggs.

Step five: I used 2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1 of baking soda and1 of salt.

Step six: I used about 1.5 cups of milk. The resulting batter should be heavier than pancake batter but not as heavy as cookie dough. It should taste good. Water is an OK substitute.

This is the basic batter.

Turn the mixer on high and beat it for about three minutes. So necessary to whip a batter on high for a couple of minutes because this gets a lot of air into the mix.

Now for the flavors: I had just made my William some fresh granola, so I took a cup of the granola and added it to the batter. I added an extra cup of coconut too. Then I beat it again for a couple of minutes. Coconut is the healthiest and most nutritious nut there is, and when you use it in cakes or muffins, it lightens the batter.

A good basic cake batter can take any flavor or addition at this point. Chocolate, nuts, jam, juice, fruit, veggie bits, cream cheese, spices, candy bits or anything that sounds good can be put into the cake once the basic ingredients have been added.

Into the baking cups – greased foil works best – I added those caramel balls for baking to the bottom of the muffin tins, and then placed the batter on top and baked them in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Otherwise you only need paper cups or none at all.

I frosted my cupcakes with a mix of powdered sugar, almond flavoring and butter. They were delicious. I only make enough cupcakes or cookies at home for one meal. The rest of the batter I keep in a jar that I use through the week. This way, while I’m making dinner, I can slip another six or so cupcakes into the oven for a fresh dessert any night of the week.

My oldest friend of 55 years sent this to me.

STROKE: Remember the 1st Three Letters…. S. T. R.

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

During a BBQ, a woman stumbled and took a little fall – she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) .she said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes.

They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Jane went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening

Jane’s husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital – (at 6:00 PM Jane passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Jane would be with us today. Some don’t die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.

It only takes a minute to read this…

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke…totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Thank God for the sense to remember the ‘3’ steps, STR . Read and Learn!

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

S *Ask the individual to SMILE.

T *Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)

(I.e. It is sunny out today.)

R *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call emergency number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

New Sign of a Stroke ——– Stick out Your Tongue

NOTE: Another ‘sign’ of a stroke is this: Ask the person to ‘stick’ out his tongue… If the tongue is ‘crooked’, if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke.

Play days are usually really rough. It’s always on Friday and Fridays are rough because the children are tired and so are teachers. It’s a long day for me because I come in on Fridays at 5:45 and it’s a non stop make and bake day.

Yesterday was a breeze day. It was so relaxed and went so well I can hardly believe it. The children were well behaved and that’s a big plus. They knew their lines in our run through Friday morning and everyone just went out to play. It was beautiful outdoors and the children were happy to be there.

A special congratulations to Isaac. He was our reader this year. He read the introduction to the play – a fifth grade level read. He was brilliant. His inflection showed he understood what he was reading. We thank Miss Leigh for all her hard work in the reading program this year.

The play was darling. The O’Learys came out and began their scene with Jil’s wonderful loud voice. Sam had presence, Colby had moxie, and Makenzie was adorable in her role as Mrs. O’Leary. Robby got an audience ahhhhh with his cuteness in his lines, “But he’s not a nut papa; he has two legs!”

Javeon was a natural presence as St. Patrick. He was believable and said his lines with sincerity. So proud of him.
Austin was a great Druid King – Chicken Face – a funny, delightful and daring king ready to listen to ideas and think for himself!

The Druid princesses were brilliant in their performance as little vixen queens thinking the world belonged to them for as long as they wanted it! Emily was wonderful giving a bright and energetic performance. Alyssa was sure of herself, foxy and vampy. Jill was darling and was right in there with her camp. And lastly, Alexis, our youngest princess was loud, daring and adorable with her straight forward presentation. So delighted!

The leps were leps and got themselves from one end of the play to the other with funny little jokes and decisions that led CJ to manage his “brilliant” idea and lead the leps to “doing something good for someone I (God) love” and getting back to heaven. Each of them: Garrett, Scotty, Ely, Ayden, Brady, Jake, Jack, CJ, Nathan, delivered the lines with humor – so much so they were laughing on stage.

The Brownies were as cute as cute could be. Savannah, Toby, Eden and the Triplets: Sophie, Ella and Abbie danced and recited and tumbled for our audience. It is always interesting for us to have such wonderful children come to the Garden School and participate as well as these children do.

The snakes were cute as kittens: Summer, Cheyenne, Layla, Hunter, Jacob, Michael,Donavan and Phoenix sang, danced and were very very loud in their parts. So glad. So cute. These are our youngest performers. They do a great job hamming it up.

Miss Leigh did the backdrop, Mrs. St. Louis made the costumes, and Miss Dayna’s never ending hours were a blessing to the entire school. Miss Molly manned the refreshment table and Miss Amy and Miss Judy directed these last weeks to bring the play to life. One parent commented that it was the best play we’ve had in a long time. My response was simple: a good staff!

From Education Week

Comment: I think this article is a good one based on what we see so early in the children we serve. I think the management of the classroom has a lot to do with why boys are less likely to enjoy school. Studies in a boys life are one of many interests, and the physical is often neglected. More recess is the answer. Boys will do better with more time to move.

Boys Trail Girls in Reading Across States

A new study on gender differences in academic achievement, offering what it calls “good news for girls and bad news for boys,” finds that, overall, male students in every state where data were available lag behind females in reading, based on an analysis of recent state test results. At the same time, in mathematics, a subject in which girls have historically trailed, the percentages of both genders scoring “proficient” or higher were roughly the same, with boys edging out girls slightly in some states and girls posting somewhat stronger scores in others.

In certain states, such as Arkansas, Hawaii, New Mexico, and Vermont, the gender gap for reading proficiency was 10 percentage points or higher, based on 2008 test data.

“The most pressing issue related to gender gaps is the lagging performance of boys in reading,” says the report, released today by the Center on Education Policy, a Washington-based research and advocacy group.

In a conference call with reporters, Jack Jennings, the group’s president and chief executive officer, noted that whether looking at student outcomes at the elementary, middle, or high school level, male rates of proficiency were lower than for females across all states studied in 2008. (Forty-five states had data available for all three levels.)

“There is a consistent achievement gap,” he said. “Something is going on in our schools holding back boys.”

The report does offer some encouragement for boys in reading, suggesting that as a group, they are making some gains over time, and that the gender gap has narrowed in many states.

For instance, in 38 out of 44 states, the percentages of 4th grade boys scoring proficient or higher climbed between 2002 and 2008. Also, in 24 out of 44 states, the gender gap for 4th graders in the percentage of students scoring proficient or higher narrowed over that time period, though it widened in another 14 states.

When looking at the data another way, however, based on changes in the average of test scores, the gaps between boys and girls in reading “widened across all three grade levels [elementary, middle, and high school] as often as they narrowed.”

‘Clear and Startling’ Differences

The new report from the Center on Education Policy is part of a series of studies the organization has been conducting that examine trends on state tests since 2002, when the federal No Child Left Behind Act was signed into law by President George W. Bush.

The center notes that one reason for the report’s focus on the rate of students deemed “proficient” is that the designation is the key indicator used to determine whether districts and schools have made adequate yearly progress under the federal law. However, as the report emphasizes, each state uses its own tests to gauge proficiency and also sets its own cutoff score for what it judges proficient.

The report says that research has long noted historical differences in the achievement of boys and girls in reading and math, though considerable recent research suggests there is no longer a gender gap in math achievement.

With its state-by-state analysis, the report is able to identify those states that appear to struggle the most with gender gaps in reading. In Arkansas, the gap was 13 percentage points at the elementary level and 14 percentage points at both middle and high school in 2008. On state tests in Hawaii that year, boys came in 14 percentage points behind at the elementary level, 13 in middle school, and 16 in high school.

In the conference call, Mr. Jennings noted that even Massachusetts, a state known for its strong academic standards and performance, has a sizable gender gap, at 13 percentage points for elementary students in 2008.

Some other states, however, such as Florida, Kansas, Nebraska, and Virginia, had much smaller reading gaps at all levels. In Virginia, for example, the gender gap for boys was 3 percentage points at the elementary and middle levels and just 1 percentage point in high school.

In most cases, the gender gap in state math achievement did not exceed 5 percentage points, the 2008 data show.

Susan B. Neuman, an education professor at the University of Michigan who specializes in literacy development, called the new study “an extraordinarily important document.”

Ms. Neuman, a former U.S. assistant education secretary under President Bush who was invited to participate in the conference call but was not involved in the study, emphasized the findings with regard to boys’ achievement, noting that it is a relatively recent trend.

“We’ve been talking about closing the achievement gap in so many different ways, … but we have not focused on the gender gap, which is very clear and startling in this report.”

She added, “I think we have to re-evaluate our curricula, re-evaluate how we are managing our classrooms.”