ART IN HAND

Snow, glorious snow! ❄️ ⛄️ Oh how we have missed you. In fact, given the snow drought we have had the last few years, this is the first significant snow event most of our students have experienced in their lifetimes. We think it has lived up to its reputation, as it has opened up a whole new chapter of scientific discovery about the natural world, inspired sensory and creative engagement, and of course prompted lots of exhilarating physical challenge and FUN! Hooray for outdoor school and wintertime adventures!

Now accepting applications for our Board of Directors. If you are interested in getting involved in supporting the mission and vision of our unique school, this may be the opportunity you were looking for. The Board is particularly in need of applicants with expertise in the areas of education and/or fundraising, but interested parties with other expertise are also encouraged to apply. These are volunteer positions with a 2-year term. Please submit this application by July 3: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe7WPm6KRUkPMifcnzH-mlO4bhFtbqEVVMI-kFC27NSfwHXWg/viewform

Eastern Ridge School Welcome to Eastern Ridge School at home! These are unprecedented times, but ERS is doing everything we can to stay connected and consistent. Join us for song...

Updated information about our new Fledglings Parent-Child class at ERS. Tell your friends about this unique Reggio and Nature inspired experience for parents and their mobile infants and toddlers. Starting April 3!
Forms for registering can be found on our website: https://www.easternridgeschool.org/parent-child-class2/

Accepting applications now for the 2020-21 school year. Summer camp registration coming soon.

Nature Preschool - Vienna

How Art Can Help Center a Student’s Learning Experience Art has often been relegated as an additional activity in schools. But schools that put art at the center of a child's learning experience through arts integration are seeing kids thrive.

Speaks for itself

From a LEGO brochure from 1974: "To Parents. The urge to create is equally strong in all children. Boys and girls. It’s the imagination that counts. Not skill. You build whatever comes into your head, the way you want it. A bed or a truck. A dolls house or a spaceship. A lot of boys like dolls houses. They’re more human than spaceships. A lot of girls prefer spaceships. They’re more exciting than dolls houses. The most important thing is to put the right material in their hands and let them create whatever appeals to them."

Daniel Fry discovered this brochure in boxes of LEGOs at his grandmother's house and posted it to Reddit. He told HuffPost that "I was surprised at what a modern message it was and how simply and eloquently it communicated a very powerful idea. I thought people would be interested to see that such a well-known brand like LEGO was so progressive 40 years ago.... I hope people will be reminded of how important it is not to lock their children in to playing with one type of toy, and to let them play how they want to, to nurture creativity and individuality."

While harder to find in stores today, free-form LEGO sets are still available. A great option that is currently on sale at Amazon is the colorful 790-piece Creative Brick Box at https://amzn.to/2lomeQN

For younger children, the 80-piece DUPLO Brick Set is also on sale for 43% off at https://amzn.to/2lPRpoj

At A Mighty Girl, we believe strongly in giving all children the opportunity to build and create so we've showcased our favorite building toys -- which are all excellent choices for both girls and boys -- in our blog post, "Top Building Toys for Mighty Girls" at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=10430

For more ways to encourage your Mighty Girl's interest in building, we've also featured many books about girls and women who love engineering, math, and science in our blog post, "70 Books to Inspire Science-Loving Mighty Girls," at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=13914