1. Fruit Salad:  As they checked in in to Better Beginnings on Monday, each of our young students brought with him a piece of fruit.  Over the weekend, with family members, each selected a favorite fruit to bring.   They discussed the fruit, its name, its color, how it tastes, and why it is a favorite.  Thus, at their first gathering into circle in their classrooms, each was prepared to name and say a few words about the fruit before depositing it into a fruit bowl.

Okay, okay, we did have some of our regular fruit on hand from which anyone who “forgot (or ate) their homework” could select, in order to participate.

After admiring how nice their fruit looks all together, they began the process of paring, peeling, cutting into pieces, whatever, to make a delicious fruit salad they enjoyed together at snack time.

2. Fruitful Endeavor:  I am joyful.  If I were a bird, I would twitter.  This is one of my favorite times. .  The learning opportunities are many:  sorting and classifying; sensory perception using all five senses in identifying the fruits, bodily and kinesthetic in handling and preparing the fruits for the salad.  Adding to the pleasure, we learn that eating fruit is good for our health!

Importantly, there is the concrete example of what we can do together through cooperation and teamwork.   And, dear to my heart, we gain the knowledge that we are like the fruit:  we come in all variety of colors, sizes, shapes, each worthy and unique  in our own way, alike in certain facets too, but each with something special to offer to the beautiful whole.

Bearing Fruit:  Later, the whole experience will be repeated     (cont.)

and reinforced when each young student brings in a vegetable for “stone soup”.   Ahhhhhh.  The whole building is going to smell delicious. If I were a cat, I would purr.

"Love is a fruit in season at all times, and within reach of every hand."  ( Mother Teresa)

Thank you for a fruitful week:

A doll house, puppets, remote control toys, trunks (for yard sale), games, playhouse, outside toys, toys, books, pretzels, paper goods, computer paper and more:  Marilyn Menninger, “Mr. Jonathan Craig, Margarita Davila, Karen Pollard, Wendy Gregory, Joan and office staff at  Borough of Hightstown.   A special thanks to Minnie Bell and Frances Rios for their faithfulness to Better Beginnings, with their monthly pledge in honor of their brother, uncle and our friend, Jimmy Jackson.   We love you all.

When Penny Pinching is Fruitless  My alter ego, the Pincher, warns that sometimes we can be penny wise and pound foolish.  Example:  driving 5 miles to redeem a 50-cent coupon.  This week, however, the young learners are enjoying making cardboard boxes of all sizes and shapes into pretend transportation of their choice.   Their drive (sorry), enthusiasm, energy and imagination are a wonder to behold, and, of course, the cardboard gets re-used instead of being thrown into the landfill.

Two Cents Wordth:

(You were ahead of me on this one, weren’t you?) For the fruit salad, Perry brings a pair of pears, which he pares.   Can you imagine the bewilderment (but not despair) of someone who is learning to speak and read in a second language?