Today we had to keep our Forest Friday short because of the cold. We predicted that our hoophouse would both be warmer and less windy. And that was true– it was about 20 degrees above the woods temperature and the ground was hard but not completely frozen.

While we were doing Sit Spots, we heard a commotion in our ravine. It was the third graders with Ms. Caswell! They were out for a hike too.

To stay warm we mostly hiked, with a short play break. We navigated our ravine no problem. We rolled down hills instead of walking. And we chipped through thick ice and found some water in small muddy puddles.

Nothing can stop these Forest Kids– as long as they have their wool socks, long underwear, neck warmers, and joy for the woods. Oh and masks help keep you pretty warm outside too!

We were all happy to see even the tiny bit of snow that fell last night. Of course it is mostly gone now, but these Forest Kids got the most out of it. One thing we noticed was that the snow on the hoop house was a vast improvement. We still had to squint a little, but it wasn’t unbearable in there without sunglasses. We could eat snack much more comfortably! The kids explained it: “It is shady because the snow is on the roof. The sun can’t get in, so it isn’t as hot.” But some noticed, “Where the sun is on one side is a little brighter. The other side is darker.”

A worm was a second surprising discovery. The kids found it in the thin trickle of water where the mud was not frozen. It was cold, but still moving!

We had a fabulous time out in the sunny, crunchy woods. There was a trickle of water in the ravine, just enough crusty snow to play with, and sticks to gather for the fire. Ms. Karen Tilbor, a veteran Bowdoinham fire-tender, came to build and watch our fire for us. It was so cozy to have a fire at last!

This afternoon, we transitioned into some big work in Phonics and Writing. This has nothing to do with the woods, but I am proud of these kids. They taught their stuffies all that they have learned about snap words in “Word School.” It was a beautifully humming half hour!

And last, we put the final touches on our books, ranging in topic from Star Wars to pets to vacations to dragons. We created a bookstore that is open to teachers and staff next week. It is 50 cents a book! All proceeds will go to the Bowdoinham Food Pantry. These writers have worked incredibly hard the last couple of months, and now they can write a book across a few pages with labels and a sentence! You can see the books sorted by category in the colored slots across the wall. It is very exciting to be a writer whose books people may want to actually buy! With real money!