THIS is How the School Year Should Always Start!

After a bit of a non-start last week to our SEVENTH (!!!) year together as a home-based learning group (a dreary picnic on a dark early September day threatening rain), yesterday was deemed our official beginning, our bona fide first day of "school" for 2013-2014. And what a glorious day it was! 

We gathered at the swimming hole with kids and food, bathing suits and boats of all sorts (dinghies and a kayak, paddle boards and a windsurfer). It was a very fun day!

Today we made and served — to the Garden Club kids and our own group — a harvest vegetable soup (the miracle of life in a bowl). It was fun reminding everyone that they'd planted those seeds last spring, and now they were eating the fruits of their labour. The soup was delicious, so thanks to the moms, kids and a dad who helped in the kitchen.

Afterwards, we talked about our upcoming year. We welcomed Matthew H. back after a year away, along with his mom, Laura, and his little sister, Erin, who's in kindergarten this year. We're also happy to have Ayla, another kindergartner, join us, along with her mom, Anna, and her dad, Tim.

There's some excitement about being Secret Agents of Compassion as part of the global Compassion Games (can you say "random acts of kindness"?). There's also enthusiasm about our independent study projects — Lauren's going to learn and teach us about Greek mythology! And Matthew H. is eager to help me (and others) learn about electricity — something I've avoided since I was hit by lightning as a child.

Arthur, our gardening guru, then had the kids separate the Swiss chard seeds from the chaff. Next week, we'll create seed packets, and then we'll package them up, ready to sell or give away.

We then worked on setting up our new classroom! We share it with community groups, so the challenge has been figuring out ways to create learning centres that can be tucked away after our Tuesdays and Wednesdays together. Today, we created a reading corner, an art centre, a games shelf, a spot to play with blocks and other toys (for our wee ones), a math/science/tech corner (with a digital telescope and all sorts of other cool things that we've inherited), and a nature and life sciences centre — bird's nest and all!

Once I've got my messy desk cleared off, I'll take some photos to share with everyone.

So, welcome back, everyone! Here's to a wonderful new year of home-based learning together in the Spring Leaves Family Learning Program.

Julie, who feels very blessed to be your resource teacher!