Greetings Doty Families!

Even though I forgot my sloth earrings, Sloth Day was a success! It is so sweet to see the whole school in their comfy-cozies, chilling, and enjoying some fun stories.

Our next event coming up is our annual Halloween parade on Halloween. It will happen around 3PM. Hopefully the weather cooperates with us and we don’t have to do a gym version of it. After the parade, we will gather for cider and cider donuts, families are welcome to join!

This means it’s time for my annual candy reminder. Please check and make sure your student’s aren’t bringing in gobs of candy to school for the rest of the week. A piece or two for a treat is fine but more than that can be hard on the kids. Highly sugared muffins tend to fall apart at the seams and often wind up in puddles of feeling icky.

Also thinking of sweets, we need someone to organize a pie breakfast this year! While in the past, there has been an accompanying silent auction, that is not mandatory. I know that is a lot to pull off. I am happy to come and help serve, I just know that putting it together isn’t something I am good at! Please email me or Chris if you are interested in taking on this fine (and tasty - oh my gosh Worcester can bake!) event.

Remember to pack layers this week, the weather is going to be all over the place!

As always, thank you for sharing your students with us!

Gillian

Happy Week Before Halloween. There has been candy flowing through school already, and it doesn’t seem to be helpful in the students’ learning. I was reading an article explaining how sugar consumption decreases mental alertness and increases fatigue within 30-60 minutes after intake. Some of you may have heard of the “sugar high or sugar crash”. These ups and downs may affect your child’s emotions, energy and ability to learn. Please keep the candy home.

I am trying to encourage healthy diets, which means eating less sugar and eating more food you can identify that grows from the earth. For example: This week in the lunchroom, students ate lettuce, cucumbers, grapes and watermelon. The Mac and Cheese was enjoyed as well. I’m attaching a good recipe for roasting pumpkin seeds if you carve a pumpkin:

How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds: Don’t throw out the seeds! Make a tasty and healthy snack in a few simple steps to add flavor and yummy texture to each bite. Pumpkin seeds are composed of two parts; the cream-colored shell and the kernel or pepita which is olive green in color. Both are edible, so you can’t go wrong roasting the whole seed and enjoying the maximum nutritional benefits.

STEP 1: Remove the Seeds: Use a large spoon or ice cream scoop to remove the inside pulp, stringy fibers, and entangled raw seeds from the pumpkin. The seeds from carving pumpkins and pie pumpkins are edible. Depending on the size of your pumpkin, the more or less seeds you will have.

STEP 2: Wash and Dry Seeds: Add the seeds to a colander, wash and remove any pulp left on the seeds. It’s okay if some flesh remains. Make sure to dry the seeds as much as possible in between a towel. This process will help to crisp up the seeds during roasting. Any excess moisture will create steam in the oven and prolong the cooking time.

STEP 3: Season the Seeds: Toss the seeds in a bowl with olive oil, salt, garlic powder, paprika, and black pepper. Make sure to separate and spread the seeds evenly on a lightly greased cookie sheet for even roasting. (You can also just use salt only as a seasoning!)

STEP 4: Roast the Seeds: The seasoned pumpkin seeds get roasted at a moderate heat of 350°F for about 12 to 15 minutes, tossing the seeds every 5 minutes to encourage even browning. When the seeds give a nutty aroma and golden brown color, they are ready!