Maple syrup lesson tastes good

Sussex — Linda Carbone’s second-grade class at Sussex Christian School recently learned how to tap a maple tree, collect sap and then cook the sap down to make maple syrup. With the help of Alan Brands, a parent at the school and local “expert” on maple tapping, the children learned the many aspects of maple syrup making. Brands came to the school to demonstrate how to tap a maple tree and the young students tapped three trees and waited to collect the sap. They learned how Native Americans first discovered the sweet sap that comes from sugar maple trees as well as other maple trees. A statement from the school says this about the lesson: “Since they will be learning about Native Americans, this was a great introduction to how they carefully used everything God gave them without any waste.” Each day, the second-graders hiked up the hill to check and collect the sap. They had three gallons the first day, which enabled their teacher to began the cooking process at school. After hours of boiling at school, she had to finish the process at home. The next day, the children were able to enjoy pancakes with their own homemade syrup. The finished product was declared yummy!