5th grade students take a trip to the Farm School

Farm School students have been studying the water quality of the pond and local rivers in the Watershed Occupation Project.  This week, they taught Mountain Laurel Montessori 5th year students how to test for dissolved oxygen, nitrates, and pH.

Farm School pond water testing

testing for nitrates

canoes for deep water sampling

testing for dissolved oxygen

a curious little turtle

Spring produce donated to Plant a Row for the Hungry

Proud of their harvest, Mountain Laurel Montessori Farm School students bring their produce to the Rappahannock Food Pantry and Plant-A-Row-for-the-Hungry

student grown broccoli, spinach, and kale

Mimi weighs in the broccoli

Thanks to Hal Hunter for getting this all started by donating the hoophouse!

Students harvest...

the broccoli they planted in March...

and bring it to the Food Pantry the same morning - couldn't be fresher!

First Hoophouse harvest!

Our first Hoophouse for the Hungry harvest is in!

Mountain Laurel Montessori Farm School students have planted cool season plants, and have already harvested spinach and kale. The garden chore group has taken on seeding, transplanting, and daily watering.  

We took our first harvest to the Rappahannock Food Pantry and helped unload a bread delivery while we were there.

Thanks Mimi for your leadership at the Food Pantry!

Spring Lambs Arrive!

We have 3 new lambs at the Farm School!

We were all able to observe this ram lamb being born

This lambing season was challenging, but provided many opportunities for biology lessons and real life decision making. Many thanks to Brandon, our Farm Manager, for his attention to the sheep; he is going to be happy to get a good night's sleep now!

Come to our Conference 3/26/11: "Technology and the Child: A Montessori Perspective"

Technology & the Child:

A Montessori Perspective

Saturday, March 26, 2011

A One Day Conference

For  Parents, Teachers, Administrators & Friends

of The Adolescent & Elementary Age Child

We are very excited to announce our keynote speaker: 

Greg MacDonald, AMI Trainer

Click here for more information and to register:

http://www.mountainlaurelmontessori.org/welcome/2011mlmsconference.html

Plastic Goes Up On the Hoophouse!

There may have been snow and ice on the ground in the morning, but by the afternoon it was 80 degrees inside the hoophouse!  Eric Plaksin, co-owner of Waterpenny Farm, volunteered his day to teach us how to put the plastic on the hoophouse.  

The first step - getting the plastic up

Ron Makela, owner of Yellow Brick Road Construction, 

has spent countless hours volunteering his time to build the structure.  

Working together to pull the plastic up and over

Thank you to both Eric and Ron 
for your time, energy, and patience!! 

Securing the plastic with "Wiggle Wire"

The Hoophouse For The Hungry is a joint project between Mountain Laurel Montessori Farm School and Plant-A-Row-For-The Hungry (Rappahannock Food Pantry).  Hal Hunter generously donated the hoop structure, and has helped coordinate community volunteers.  

Eric teaching how to add the "wiggle wire" to the bottom 

 We will raise fresh, healthy food year-round to be eaten by students at Mountain Laurel Montessori Farm School, and to be donated to the Rappahannock Food Pantry.

Helping out

The idea is simple and makes a meaningful impact: plant an extra row in your garden to give to those in need who might not otherwise have access to fresh vegetables.  

Trimming the plastic

 If you are a gardener and want to "Plant A Row For the Hungry" go here for more information:

Plant A Row: http://www.gardenwriters.org/gwa.php?p=par/index.html 

Plant A Row Rappahannock County, VA:
http://plantarow.rappahannock.com/

Trimming the plastic and getting ready to staple and add the furring strips

Farm School Always a Home to Alumni

Some schools in our area were closed for President's Day.  Students could have stayed home.  But not our alumni - they came to spend the day with us at the Farm School! It was wonderful to see four of our alumni (current High School Sophomores and Juniors) joyfully jump right back into the routines of the day (and give us a challenge on the soccer field!).

Mountain Laurel Montessori Farm School alumni visit during the Winter Coffeehouse

Five Mountain Laurel Montessori Farm School alumni also spoke to a full house at our parent night last week.  Here is a sampling of their reflections on their Montessori experience:

Clayton (high school Junior): "The best thing I learned at the Farm School was the ability to learn and to make sure you really know the material.  You can ask your teachers anything and no one will make fun of you."

Rory (high school Junior): "Getting to interact with people, to be really good friends. That was one of the best things about Mountain Laurel."

Jimi (college Freshman): "The best thing about the Farm School is the relationships you build with your teachers.  There is no reason to be scared about telling them your weaknesses.  You just go ahead and get help."

Phillip (high school Junior): "The maturity and responsibility you get at the end of the Farm School were the best parts for me.  My teachers now see that I am someone who can be trusted with responsibility, so they give me more freedom."

Ursula (high school Sophomore): "I found out who I really was.  That helped my develop confidence in myself.  I learned to accept who I was and that has helped me."