Osiyo, River Otter families,

It was wonderful to see so many family members at the Thanksgiving Luncheon. We love having the opportunity to share community and our lovely space with our families.

This was a very busy week in our class, as students naturally engaged in a lot of physical activity and heavy work, keeping their bodies warm and senses engaged. Students raked and jumped into leaves, went on a hunt digging for buried treasure, climbed trees, modeled with mud and Georgia clay, and more. On Thursday, some students shoveled gravel into a wheelbarrow and helped spread it in an area of our classroom for our fire pit to sit on. Other students filled a bucket with water from the creek to keep near the fire. We also gathered firewood, kindling, and dry grass. On Friday, students learned how to make a fire with only items from nature and matches! They also learned about fire safety. Soon, we will have several kindergarten-sized stumps to use as seats, surrounding the fire pit.

We also spent some time enjoying our indoor classroom this week. We started Tuesday indoors with a twist on our morning circle. We did our circle sitting, and walked on four legs like horses instead of galloping on two legs! The students enjoyed some time playing with the castle, kitchen, and blocks in our indoor classroom. We also enjoyed 12 Flores, an herbal tea from Mexico, all morning, and made necklaces with needles, thread, and beads. Wednesday is painting day. This week, Tippy spent time playing with her friend Blue. Yellow and Orange were her usual autumn playmates, but we will spend more time with Blue as we head into winter. This week we added lentils to our soup to give us a heartier snack before heading into the cooler temperatures. Throughout the winter we will often add legumes to our soup to help us stay full and warm.

We hope you all enjoy a restful break filled with love and warmth. Thank you for sharing your children with us, and for being part of our community.

Reminders: