Scrumptious Butternut Squash

Butternut Squash Recipe 

Ready to Bake!

Cleaning out the seeds!

1. 6 Butternut Squash - halved and cleaned
2. Bake flesh side down for 45 minutes at 350 degrees
3. Scoop out the flesh and mash together in slow cooker (kids love both of these tasks!)
4. Add 1 stick of Dairy Free butter (real butter can also be used)
5. 2 pinches of sea salt
6. 2 pinches of Black Pepper
7. 4 shakes of cinnamon
8. 1 teaspoon of Vanilla
9. Brown Sugar OR Maple Syrup to taste
10. 2 shakes of Garlic Powder OR 2 gloves of garlic minced and mixed
11. Keep warm on low and serve when your family is ready to eat!

Great Feast and Families

Our Feast Squash.
Students made a sign to remind friends that the squash were not toys!

The seeds of 6 squash weighed the same as 107 cubes!

Thankful for You

 As we prepare for a few days focused on giving thanks, I simply want to say that I am so thankful to work alongside your children each day. Your time, commitment and energy to your children is evident in all that they do - especially their smiles. As a school are so grateful for each family that creates our Willowwind Family. Thanks to all who contributed food and time and for those who were driving and cleaning to make our FEAST successful. 

Birthday Fun

Birthdays, no matter how old, are special moments to celebrate and reflect. For 31 years I have been so blessed to celebrate with family, friends and yummy food. For four years I have had the privilege of spending my birthday with Willowwind Friends - participating in singing Happy Birthday in 4 

languages, Birthday Books and the best present of all...homemade birthday cards. It is the best way to celebrate - surrounded by my students and  teaching community. Thank-you for helping me feel so special.

Ms. Brooke was honored with handmade cards and books
from her students. Thank-you!

A Busy Month

Ms. Michelle takes a break at the
library to read with our K-2 friends

These next few weeks will be busy as students work to illustrate and publish their Partner Books, finish their math unit and continue to learn about Habitats. It will also be a time of working closely together as the weather turns colder and we spend more time in our cozy classroom - reading, writing, working and learning how to be contributing members of any community. The December Newsletter will be available at the end of next week.

Thankful for ... Volunteers!

Thankful
We are thankful for ... the opportunity to eat outside on November 15th in Iowa City, Iowa. It was a great day for a picnic.

We are thankful for ... a new friend in the Prairie Racerunner Classroom beginning on November 17th!

We are thankful for ... kind 1st and 2nd grade friends who made sure our new friend knew our love and welcoming hearts.

We are thankful for ... very successful conferences!

We are thankful for ... the awesome write up about Ms. Michelle in the Press-Citizen on 11-16-11

We are thankful for ... the opportunity to go to Puppet Shows! Please bring $2.00 for admission by Monday, November, 21st!

We are thankful for ... volunteers!

Volunteer Opportunities

There are a few great opportunities for you to volunteer with the Prairie Racerunner Friends before Thanksgiving.

• 6 Butternut Squash (preferably from your garden or a midwest grower) for our Feast on Tuesday. Please bring squash by Monday morning before school
• 1 more driver! - Monday, November 21st from 12:00 to 3:00 to help drive to West Liberty for a Puppet Show
• 2 volunteers - Monday, November 21st from 2:00 to 3:00 - Help the Office Staff set up the scene for our Feast. 
• 2 volunteers - Tuesday, November 22nd from 11:45 to 1:30 to help serve our food!
• 2 volunteers - Tuesday, November 22nd from 1:30 to 3:00 to help clean up from our feast. 

There is a lot of fantastic writing happening in our classroom! It is a wonderful time of year as students are engaged in their academic growth and looking forward to celebrations with family and friends.

 Happy Thanksgiving!

What's in a map?

Today students worked together to create maps of Willowwind School in order to identify how the school building meets their needs. It turns out that Willowwind does a remarkable job of providing light, water, shelter, and oxygen. We even have a food source in our garden! 

Labeling the classrooms on our map

Identifying the NORTH door

We enjoyed identifying our Green Roof as a source for oxygen, our water fountains as a spot to quench our thirst, and the doors and windows to shelter us from extreme temperatures. Students discussed how lunch boxes and kitchens, although we may think differently, do not grow our food! So we discussed how food gets into our kitchen and into our lunch boxes (or snack bags). Based on our rich discussions this year in GD and with Chef Gaby, students engaged in a great talk about buying locally and the process of food consumption. 

Drawing the windows on our map

Using the Burrowing Owls map to get ideas for our own map

Tomorrow students will work together to differentiate between needs and desires. Until then, check out some great cooperative work together as students spent their morning making the most fabulous detailed maps of Willowwind School. 

Gluten- (and Dairy) Free Apple Crisp

Before you read on... please visit the NEWSLETTER tab for a November update on curriculum happenings in the classroom. Also, enjoy the PHOTOS tab where you will find pictures of our recent celebrations, kitchen science and community building activities. 

On October 31st Willowwind Friends enjoyed a Costume Parade, Preschool Reading Buddies, Sugar Skull Decorating, a Prairie Animal Pumpkin contest and some delicious Apple Crisp. Chef Gaby worked with Kindergarten through 2nd Grade Students to bake this community dish. Please find the recipe below. Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Apple Crisp (and Dairy Free Too!) 

Ingredients

Chef Gaby works with students to prepare the Apple Crisp 

1. 6 Granny Smith Apples, peeled and chopped
2. 1/4 cup of water
3. 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
4. a little brown sugar
5. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. 1/2 cup PURE maple syrup
2. 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3. 3 cups old fashioned gluten-free oats
4. 1/2 cup cold Earth Balance (Dairy Free) butter (real butter may also be used)
5. 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup craisins (optional)
6. 1/2 cup pecans (optional)

Crumble

• Mix together maple syrup, cinnamon, and oats (you may also add pecans if you choose)
• Cut in butter (go ahead - use your hands)
• Put in refrigerator until apples are prepared

Crisp

• Add apples, water, cinnamon, and a little brown sugar to large sauce pan with lid 
• Cook 10 to 15 minutes until NEARLY soft.
• Stir in vanilla
• Spread into bottom of 9X13 pan
• Sprinkle OPTIONAL craisins here 
• Top with oatmeal mixture (recrumble as needed)
• Bake at 375 degree for 40 to 45 minutes
• If your oatmeal is turning too brown, cover with foil for 1/2 of baking period. 

Serve warm. 

If you would like you may serve with Vanilla Ice Cream or Whipped Cream,

 but that of course, would not make it Dairy Free. 

It is not crispy the next day, but is still delicious served as a snack.
The Recipe Author suggests experimenting with Flax Seed as well!

Original recipe found by Chef Gaby from www.inthekitchenwithjenny.com
We tweaked it a bit to meet the needs of our students.

It was delicious!