Hello Friends and Family, 
We've had an exciting week at Next Step so far.  On Monday, Rory John Paul and Bennett packed up their art supplies and headed to Fort Williams for the morning.  It was perfect weather to create some oil pastel and watercolor masterpieces.  In the afternoon, we explored downtown Portland with stops including the Public Library, Longfellow Books and a gluten-free bakery Bennett's been dying to get to called Bam Bam Bakery.  
Tuesday morning we used our Smartboard for an interactive lesson about 'Needs vs. Wants' and began to talk about how these are important considerations when making a budget.  Nate, Evan and Rory enjoyed a picnic lunch in Tommy Park.  Wednesday morning, Nextsteppers showed off their pottery skills while making coil pots, pinch pots and sculptures- hopefully we'll get around to painting them during free time on Friday afternoon.  Wednesday afternoon was spent exploring Smiling Hill Farm.  
This morning (Thursday) we are preparing to drive up to Augusta for a tour of the State House.  Tomorrow will be a relaxed day, probably involving some games and a movie.  In the middle of the day, we'll be heading to the Cumberland Fair Grounds for the Cumberland Art Show- an event some of our artists have been looking forward to.  We're looking forward to next week when Kristine will be re-joining us, and we'll be taking our much anticipated Fire Boat ride!