Osiyo (hello), River Otter families!

It was a great first (almost) full week of school for the River Otter class. We have established “helper jobs” in our class this year. Students have the opportunity to have a helper job once or twice a week, if they wish. Our jobs include leading the line, sweeping, filling the bird feeder, watering our plants, and filling the bird bath. We may add an additional helper job or two once we are ready to plant some winter crops in our outdoor classroom. All students are asked to help clean up at the end of the day, to hold the door for the next person when we enter and exit the building, to clean up after their snack and lunch, and keep track of their belongings (with reminders and assistance as needed, of course). They are doing wonderfully and I am so proud of how quickly they are learning and how they care for each other and our learning environment.

Reminders & Announcements

Thank you for bringing your child’s indoor shoes! If your child’s indoor shoes are still in their bag, please let me know they are there next week and they will be added to our basket. If you have not yet had the opportunity to send indoor shoes, please try to bring them next week during drop off or pick up. They help keep our indoor classroom clean and our feet safe.
Toys and other items from home should stay at home, however please reach out to me if your child would benefit from bringing a personal item such as a small stuffed animal for emotional comfort or fidget item for anxiety; we are happy to make accommodations to help all of the students be comfortable and successful.
Cookies, candy, and other desserts/sweet treats are a lot of fun and loved by children (and adults too!), however these treats should be enjoyed outside of school and not brought for snack or lunch. Over the years we have found that snacks and lunches that do not include these items help students get through the day with more energy, and that these items usually cause distraction and social difficulties during our shared eating times.

Thank you for understanding.

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

Gvyalieliga (with gratitude),

Ki Holly