Osiyo, River Otter families.

This week our class enjoyed some rainy days, both indoors and out. Monday afternoon brought some thunder, so we had the opportunity to spend the second half of our day indoors. Students enjoyed playing with our indoor toys and having stories read to them by Ki Kim. We also used this opportunity to learn to use a mortar and pestle, working hard to grind coriander seeds into powder. On Friday our forest classroom was very muddy! We felt the squishy mud with our hands and moved in it in our boots. We explored puddles seeing how deep they were, experimenting with splashing and putting items in the puddles, and digging mud, and scooping water out of the puddles. Everyone played hard all week, and on Friday, half of the students even fell asleep at rest time!

Our story this week was a Cherokee solstice story, Grandmother Spider Brings The Sun. The students really enjoyed this story, listening attentively each day and watching closely during the puppet show on Friday. This story takes place when the world was new and there was no light in this part of the world. The people got together and heard that people on the other side of the world had a sun to give them light and warmth. Possum travels to the other side of the world and tries to bring back part of the sun in his beautiful furry tail, but the hot sun burns all of the hair off of his tail and the people find him and take the sun back. Buzzard tries to bring the sun back on his head, but it burns off the feathers on top of his head and the people take it back again. Finally, grandmother spider decides to try. Ask your child to retell the rest of the story for you!

Announcements and Reminders

This week there is a HALF DAY of school on Thursday, 12/16 (12:15-12:30 dismissal for all students) and NO SCHOOL on Friday, 12/17. Following this week we will be on semester break, returning to school on Wednesday, 1/5.
For our last days of the semester, on Wednesday and Thursday, students may bring hot cocoa to enjoy with their snack.
If you would like to join our class one day this week to share a story, craft, or other activity that you do at home or enjoyed from your own childhood in the wintertime, please send me an email to arrange a time to do so. We would be happy to have you!
The last day to drop off toys for the Must Ministries Toy Shop is this Thursday. Please bring any new, unwrapped toy for the toy shop, where families in need can shop for gifts for their children this season.

Thank you so much for sharing your children with us, and for being part of our community.

Gvyalieliga,

Ki Holly