Skip to main content

Letting Go

Two weeks ago we were gifted four chrysalises from Alexa's mother, an elementary school teacher. It was very kind of her to donate them to our classroom and we were most appreciative for this unique gift. We read through the instructions and set up their home.  On Friday, I decided to take them home with me just in case they needed care over the long weekend. And, predictably, the butterflies emerged over the weekend. I was ready for their arrival after reading and re-reading the instructions to ensure success. I felt so responsible for the life of these butterflies. I was eager to share this event with the children as I knew they would be totally ecstatic! We had decided to release them at Terra Nova so they could enjoy a peaceful and joyful existence.

We met at the farm and the kids were amazed at their beauty!  They are truly lovely and I was so glad to hear the positive comments from the children. They were very impressed and we briefly went over the metamorphosis that occurred. We carried them over, with careful hands, to the Healing Garden. We formed a circle and placed the butterfly house in the centre for all to see. I asked them if they thought the butterflies would like loud or quiet voices near them and they all agreed we should use our quiet voices. I asked them if they thought they would all fly out in quick succession, like a stampede of butterflies or would they slowly fly away, one at a time. There were various answers on this question.

I opened the lid, with some degree of trepidation, as we had cared for these little insects and it was hard to think about not seeing them anymore. After a short moment, one became brave and slowly made its way to the top of the aquarium and then off into the world. Then another. And another. And, finally, the last one.

Cheering sounds...
                          Goodbyes......
                                                Waves of hands.....
                                                                             Eyes following the flight pattern.....

Cole shouted out "Oh, look. it landed on a leaf."

         




This event was important on many levels and again I find myself thinking about connections. For a very short time, these children looked after these butterflies. In fact they did not even have the chance to see them turn from a crawling caterpillar to one in its chrysallis. And yet, they still feel a sense of responsibility towards them, a care for them and a knowledge that somehow they have impacted each other's lives. And, now as they wander through the Terra Nova trails and grasses, they will look for "their" butterflies. They will wonder if their butterflies are drinking nectar, if they are resting on a beautiful flower or if they are sheltering themselves from the rain. Caring and connecting...what more could we possibly need?

Emily



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mosaic Garden Stones

Today our children had an amazing opportunity to work with Glen Anderson, a local artist specializing in mosaics. You can see his work at http://www.mosaicplanet.net . I met Glen last year at Urban Weavers Studio in Strathcona. I asked him many, many questions about mosaics, all of which he patiently answered with expertise. I was gearing up for an art project in our preschool class so I really wanted to get any pointers I could from him. The plan was to have our students make mosaic tiles to place along our fence at the garden plot at Terra Nova Farm. They worked out very well, thanks to Glen's great advice and it was a beautiful moment when child and parent hung the stones at the farm on our last day of school. It was a moment of great pride for all of us. The garden that they cared for with their own hands- tended to its needs in sunshine and in rain. They will always remain part of that space, that land and their stone will remind them of this connection. Even though they turne...
Post a Comment
Read more

3 Year Old Class - Westham Island Herb Farm Field Trip

Our threes class recently visited the Pumpkin Patch at Westham Island Herb Farm in Delta. After a relatively short and scenic drive through Ladner en-route to the farm, we crossed a small, one-lane bridge that remarkably has been in place since 1911.    Westham Island Bridge We arrived at the farm in the early morning, before the school buses appeared. It was a very peaceful time of the day, and the morning mist floating over the fields only enhanced the feeling. Westham Island Herb Farm is a community oriented farm that promotes buying fruits and vegetables from local sources. This farm is part of the Ellis family farm and they have been in this location since 1916! Upon arrival at the farm, we were greeted by a beautiful display of pumpkins in all shapes and sizes. Prior to the tour of the farm, we visited the general store, which showcased a large variety of homemade jellies and honey selections such as wild flower, raspberry, pumpkin and ...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Day at the Farm... with a twist

We were all looking forward to heading to the farm. We had not been in two whole weeks so we were all experiencing farm deprivation disorder! We craved outdoor time, running on the paths, and checking out our favourite spots. We had no particular agenda- nothing to plant, nothing to weed, nothing to harvest and literally nothing to do! Perfect!!  Actually, we did have one special thing happening there but I will get to that in a moment. The children could not get off the bus fast enough, bounding down the tall stairs. Jackets on, zipped up, hats and mitts on, ready to face the chill of December. The children tossed their knapsacks onto the picnic table with abandon, and began to run around the courtyard area, obediently staying on the paths  ( finally, four months later they have learnt to stay out of the garden beds). They shouted, they chased and fell down! Once our initial burst of energy was out (only slightly), we walked over to the compost to see what the worms w...
Post a Comment
Read more