Going back to school in September after a long break is always rather daunting but this year was very different!! We were still in the midst of corona virus pandemic!! So it was going to be a very different return to school.

However, I worked over the Summer holidays trying to adapt my school to this new world we were facing. I decided to embrace the idea of an “outdoor school” using the outside environment to my advantage. As teaching through nature, using the Montessori Method, has been my way of teaching young children for many years, the idea of spending as much time as possible outside was really exciting. I consulted my daughter who, luckily for me, is an architect and she came up with a perfect design for an outdoor sheltered area extending from the school room. This area serves many functions. Children arrive wash their hands in the outdoor sink. Each child has a space under a long bench where they keep their box with slippers, wellies and overalls! After greeting me, they can then play here, in the garden or go inside to “work”. We have been able, even now in December, to have circle and sharing times in this area. Children can also bring their work out here if they wish. We have the bird feeders hanging outside and robin and wagtail come right in to the door. Robin, of coarse, is Santa’s messenger and is watching the children sending daily updates to the North Pole so all are on best behaviour.

This new area is a truly wonderful addition and has added a whole new dimension to the school life. We had a lovely Autumn this year. We picked damsons in early September and made jam! The children played in the orchard ,climbed apple trees, swung in the hammock, made huts and ran in the field! We had picnics, picked apples and pears, watched the leaves fall, found slugs, snails and caterpillars( Emily and Finns favourite animal)!

In October the children did their first project…Irish Animals, each choosing their favourite! Then each child presented their project to the class. Each project was wonderful and we all learned so much by listening to each other.

Novembers project was “Birds of Prey”! We have learned a huge amount about all types of owls, buzzards, eagles and hawks! The children take such pride in their project work which are displayed on the school walls and have also gained great confidence.

And so we are nearing the end of this first term in a very different time. It was a great term. We had fun. The children played and worked and made new friends. Autumn merged into Winter and being outside so much allowed the children to truly experience and see nature as it is.

Today we spent the afternoon outside. Finn wanted to check a pea he found in the raised bed in October. He had planted it in a pot in the greenhouse and had been delighted to see it germinate(out of season) ! Yes, it was healthy and doing well so Finn was very happy. We dug up sprouts and parsnips and broccoli and chatted about the goodness of vegetables! There is never a dull moment amongst these little children! Each day brings new challenges and surprises and in these strange times, I feel very blessed to be part of their world.

The children have settled back into the routine of school again after the excitement of Christmas and Santa has waned!We had put up the bird feeders in November and the much loved and much used “garden bird cards” have become so familiar that the children have no problem identifying all the little birds who visit our feeders! Early in December each child picked a bird for their projects. There has been great excitement as the beautiful projects have arrived in and it is so nice to see the confidence of these little people grow as they tell us about “their bird”! And as the hungry little birds are always on the feeders, they continually hold the attention of the children who see them as part of our classroom! I, too, am learning all the time with the snippets of information I glean from the projects!

Autumn is spider season! And we love spiders! Early mornings in the garden last week opened up a whole new world as we watched a spider spin a web! He was a tiny spider and hung from a very fine gossamer thread and the children watched totally enthralled as he moved back and forth spinning the web! Magical !We used the magnifying glass to see the tiny flies he had caught for his dinner. Later in the day,Emily found a spider on the grass and when I picked him up he fell from my finger but spun a thread to hang on to me! Very gently the children passed him around absolutely fascinated by the way he hung from the thread!Little children love all little creatures and when we show respect for them,they do too!By observing and watching the tiny creatures that share our world, the children can see that every creature plays a part !Worms have always been loved by the children in the school and they have discovered different places in the garden where worms are abundant! I have explained that worms are very important for recycling and making our soil healthy and good for the plants to grow. Maybe next week we will make a wormery again!

We have had an amazing week in school! Just when we gave up all hope of having any good weather, Summer arrived! Blue skies and sunshine,warm days and school outdoors! We brought tables outside so children could do their work in the garden if they wanted! I also brought the easel out so that the children could enjoy painting outdoors ! And of course we had picnics every day …in the orchard, in the front garden and down the field!

We played hide and seek, ball games and ran races in the field! We gathered apples from the ground under the trees and brought them down to the horses,Polo, Scoby and little Wilson the foal!And the horses were delighted with their treats!

I thought that the swallows had left a couple of weeks ago with the bad weather but yesterday we saw a couple and waved goodbye as they set off for Africa!

Our new school new year got off to a rocky start with dreadful weather! Rain and wind greeted the children on their first days back and the leaves turned prematurely brown and began to fall from the trees.It seemed like October had arrived before September.

However,the weather didn’t deter my new children and all settled in very quickly. It was wonderful to welcome back Hugo, Arlo, Kate and Emily as my helpers for the morning class and Louis as helper in the afternoon. I would also like to welcome Miss Triona who is job sharing the afternoon class with me.

Despite the bad weather,we managed to get out doors as much as possible and the children were delighted to discover the apple, pear and damson trees laden with fruit!We gathered the damsons in baskets and all helped wash and weigh the fruit to prepare it for jam! The next day after I had cooked the fruit in the preserving pan all helped to sieve the stones and prepare for jarring!Each child proudly took a pot of damson jam home to their families!Apples were also gathered and tasted whilst tomatoes are picked and sampled daily!The children are busy helping to weed the raised beds with the salad leaves and yesterday Benny dug up the potatoes! We picked courgettes today and tasted the last of the garden peas! The children can see that Autumn is the Season of plenty !

And of course, they are climbing the apple trees, swinging on the hammock and having fun!

Its hard to believe that we are once again at the end of another great school year! In May, we had our annual trip to the zoo and once again it was a day that the children wont forget…a great day!!

The weather has been so cold and wet that it has been impossible to have our teddy bear picnic but hopefully we will hold it next week!! Despite the cold,the children are outdoors most of the time and enjoying playing together.

We gathered elder-flowers and made elder flower cordial! Our tomato blossoms are turning into fruit,the apple blossom are now tiny apples and the blackcurrants are ripening! So despite the cold,the garden is flourishing!

At every opportunity we picnic in the field or orchard.At this stage all the children are climbing and swinging of the apple trees! We are also busily practicing for the school concert ! It will be sad to say “goodbye” to the older group,we have come a long way together ! Lets hope the sun will appear and fill the last days with as much fun as possible and lasting memories!