Snow, snow, and more snow filled our play yard and made for a short week!  It was so high that we were all worn out from walking around, pulling each other in sleds, and shoveling out.  The children had so much fun digging out houses, shoveling roads, making snow angels, creating and eating snow pies, and taking sled rides.
For art on Monday the children were introduced to portrait painting by European artists.  We looked at the Mona Lisa by da Vinci, The Girl with Pearl Earring by Vermeer, and The Blue Boy by Thomas Gainsborough.  We then chose a partner to work with and took turns posing and painting.  We introduced portrait painting to the entire class on Wednesday, and many children created some truly delightful portraits of their friends, many of which are displayed in our portrait gallery.
We welcomed Isabella Southworth on Wednesday, a native of Poland.  She shared many interesting facts about Poland.  She showed us a photograph of herself when she was a little girl, as well as her family and friends.  We learned that many Polish people have blond hair and fair skin, though some are a little darker.  She spoke about the weather in Polish.  She spoke very quickly and we heard lots of swishy sounds.  We talked about how we could get to Poland and how long it would take – 22 hours by plane!  She brought some vegetables that are commonly eaten in Poland, including a beet, potato, and cabbage.  We learned that Poland used to have princes, princesses, kings and queens.  We saw photos of castles and learned that there are hundreds of castles in Poland, some that have been damaged or deteriorated, and others that are still maintained.  We saw photos of the houses in Poland, which are mostly made of brick.  Isa showed photos of people in traditional dress for special occasions, but learned that daily wear is the same as we wear here in the US. We also saw a photo of a beach along the coast of the Baltic Sea on the northern boarder.
On Thursday morning we made thank you pictures for Isabella and for Liz, who visited last month to tell us about South America.  The children drew pictures of guanacos, beaches, clay houses, and harpy eagles for Liz.  They drew princesses, beaches, Easter eggs, and castles for Isa.
The market was once again busy with shoppers, bakers, and cashiers.  Lots of baked goods, fruits, vegetables, and boxed items were purchased.  The children have been enjoying their market and have been working hard to keep it organized and get everything back to where it belongs when they are finished.