WE'RE GROWING

It seems like spring has been around for a long time this year. Grass, trees, bulbs and perennials turned our brown world into a kaleidoscope of color. Oh, how we want to plant seeds in our Pre School garden. The radishes will be the first to be planted in hopes of getting a crop of them to taste before school is out in May. Not all of our students are fond of radishes but they make great carriers for dip and we like dip. We need to be cautious though. March was unseasonably warm but cold nighttime temperatures have resurfaced in April. Peat pots are our back up plan for starting flowers and veggies. Our window space in room 5-6 has become a greenhouse area. Right now we have a Mother's Day surprise growing there. Water is add to the growing trays each day and the children check regularly to see if the plants are changing. The Mother's Day surprises are tiny now but soon they will be gorgeous. We have been learning about the rainforest this week. The sun and rain are plentiful there and all the plants are large and beautiful. That is proof that sun and water will make our garden grow too.

In a week or two our seeds for carrots, pumpkins, corn, zinnias and marigolds will be planted in our garden. Watering, weeding and watching will be on our daily agenda at school. We're hoping for a good harvest in the fall!

Happy Easter

April is full of God's surprises. Just the fact that it comes in early spring sets us up for weather surprises. Will it be warm and sunny or will it be windy and snowy? Spring also brings changes in our outdoor world. Brown grass comes to life, baby animals are being born, tulips and daffodils appear in our gardens and trees burst with new leaves and flowers! As Easter approaches we talk about these spring changes. The grass, trees and gardens that seemed to be dead in the winter are suddenly bright and beautiful living plants. The bird eggs lying quietly in the nests wiggle and crack and out pops a chick. Brown, stiff cocoons open to reveal beautiful butterflies. If you think all of these things are wonderful, then just wait until you hear the Easter story! Because God loves us so much he sent his son, Jesus, to Earth to show us God's love through his actions and teachings. When Jesus died on the cross, as our sacrifice, God raised him from the dead and took Jesus to be with him in Heaven. There God prepares a place for us to be, also, when we leave this world! What good news! Pastor Patti came to our Pre School classes to share the Easter story with us last week. He gave each child a cross to take home to remind them of this wonder Easter message.

We are thankful for all of spring's surprises. They are reminders of the Easter story and the surprise Jesus' friends felt when they found Jesus' empty grave on Easter Sunday. We hope your Easter is full of surprises, too!