Mary Hogan Family News
October 9th, 2026
Hello Mary Hogan Families!
October has already been filled with lots of apples, a strong sense of community, and lots of exploration. Students turned apples they picked last Friday into apple sauce this week in at least 6 classrooms (and likely more!). I also saw a beautiful apple pie that a 5th grader made and brought into his class.
The sense of community that was evident last Friday on the apple orchard trip was evident all week long in the bit and small ways at school. I saw many students arrive at school, find a friend, and hold hands on their way to class. This warm welcome was a great way for them to start the day. Students in 5th grade led our community in thinking about caring and how we are kind. Today, students had a chance to practice bus safety with many busses and think about how we are a community at school and on the bus, and as partners we have to take care of ourselves, each other, and the spaces we are in.
Throughout all of these moments, there have been deep questions of wonder and exploration. Students are thinking, learning, asking questions, helping each other with new ideas, and persisting through challenges. Pretty awesome!
Have a great weekend!
💙,
Jen
Tomorrow's Event!
Saturday 10/10 - 9-11am - Fall Garden Clean Up Day
Apple Sauce
Apples are the Harvest of the Month in October. Many people have their own applesauce recipe, but in case you don't here is a good one:
Ingredients
- 6 lb. apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 8 slices
- 1 cup apple juice or apple cider
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp. cinnamon, more or less to taste
- Optional ingredients: Nutmeg, maple syrup, allspice, butter, to taste
Directions
- Combine all ingredients in a large pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes.
- Carefully puree in a food processor or blender (don't fill too full; split into two portions if needed) until smooth. Store in the fridge and serve by itself, over pork chops, over ice cream, over pancakes... or any place where applesauce is needed!
Walk and Roll to School Day
Wednesday was our Walk and Roll to School Day. It was actually the International Walk and Roll Day so we were doing this with many kids around the world. The goal was to get students moving in the morning and to minimize the number of individual cars arriving at school. Many students walked and rolled on Wednesday. We will be awarding the Muddy Boot to the class with the greatest percentage of students who participated at our November All School Meeting.
Climbing!
5th graders went all the way to Bolton Adventure Center on Tuesday to do high ropes and low ropes courses, and play some games. It was a very chilly morning, but the students were resilient and had a great day challenging themselves on the different elements and in working together. This was our first time with this trip and I suspect it will become a staple of the 5th grade experience at Mary Hogan.
The opportunity was possible because of our McGilton Fund that provides expanded experiences to Mary Hogan students!
Working out in the Garden
This month is Farm to School Month, so you will likely hear lots of stories about our work connected with Farm to School. Here is just one of the tiny ways we connected students with aspects of Farm to School this week:
2nd graders were out in the garden this week. They spent time in the garden observing the space around them. Then they did some sketching of what they observed. It was perfect weather to be outside this week, so where better than to celebrate in the garden.
