Beautiful Butterflies

 

Again with a project that started a long while back. It has been a long standing tradition in the JK classes to raise butterflies and release them - our wonderful Parent Council made this possible again this year. Thank you!

When the tiny little caterpillars arrived, they moved slowly, and were the length of our baby finger nail. We mixed the nutritional mash for them (made from dehydrated stonefly larvae) and put them in tiny little containers with the mix. We poked holes in the lid for air circulation to ensure they could breath.

And there they sat, in their containers, at the centre of each table. Each day at snack time, there was intense observation. They were moving faster, growing bigger (longer and thicker), and getting hairy. Eventually, they formed a chrysalis and were transferred to the butterfly containers.

 

The picture shows one of the children holding up one of the plastic models

of the "butterfly lifecycle stages".

 

While the chrysalis were hanging from the inside of the butterfly homes, they were often forgotton, until one of them would start jiggling. And once one would start, neighbouring chrysalis would start jiggling too. One morning we entered the classroom to discover that many butterflies had emerged from their chrysalis.

 

The children observed and documented the lifecycle in their nature journals.

 

And finally the day arrived that we decided they could no longer be satisfied drinking Gatorade, cooped up in the "cage". They fluttered about wildly in their temporary home, and we knew that their little wings longed to dance in the sunshine. After several stormy days, our opportunity arrived....

 

We gently reached in the butterfly cage, and occasionally they would settle

down to land on a little hand.

 

 

They passed the timid butterflies from hand to hand.

 

Some flew away quickly, and were compared to hummingbirds

because their wings beat so fast.

 

Other butterflies were reluctant to part ways.

 

But in the end, they were released to continue their life cycle. While we were sad to see them go, we bid them farewell, and said good-bye butterflies. Flutter by.

 

I embrace emerging experience.

I participate in discovery.

I am a butterfly.

I am not a butterfly collector.

 

~ William Stafford

 

 

 

In the days that followed, we spotted our butterflies in the gardens. And one morning we arrived to another big surprise on the yard...

 

Grade 1 "Kite Day", featuring a butterfly!

 

Thank you for visiting our atelier. There is much to look forward to in the years ahead.

I am ever grateful this journey. Enjoy the summer!