Tadpoles!
In every classroom at Villa di Maria are some very tiny, very cute visitors: tadpoles! When Directress Jessie Braud discovered an abundance of the tiny creatures at her parents' unopened swimming pool (and after a month straight of record-breaking rainfall in St. Louis), she took it upon herself to save as many as she could. The mass email exchanges that followed between Jessie and the other Directresses and Assistants was heartwarming; everyone agreed to adopt the tadpoles, giving them homes in every classroom for children of all ages to observe, care for, and learn about. 
Though difficult to photograph (they are so very tiny right now!), we will document their progress as long as they survive to their next stages of development as the summer wears on.If you are interested in studying the life cycle of frogs, below are some good resources and materials to check out:
Growing Frogs, by Vivian French
Life Cycle of a Frog kit, by Safari
Also, if you're planning to spend time near ponds and in the woods this summer, be sure to check out Washington University's guide: Frogs and Toads of Missouri on this site. Have a hoppy day!