Greetings Dear Beaver Families,

Thank you for the beautiful birthday flowers! 💐 It was so sweet. The Beaver students are readily living into our rhythm and, although our days are very full, they go by so seamlessly. On Monday, students enjoyed a new part of our creek where they are able to walk across the creekbed and find stones of all shapes and sizes. They also visited the garden for the first time and gathered kudzu to feed to the goats and donkeys. In the forest classroom, there has been a lot of building happening! Currently, students are working on a house next to the platform and another one farther back into the woods. The students found a little nook, cleared the ground, and moved stones before they started their construction. They all worked together carrying the sticks, moving stones with the wheelbarrow, and using yarn to tie sticks together. Now that we have spent more time together, the children are learning the morning circle and blessings and singing along with joy. It’s wonderful to hear them!

Last week we shared a story about a kind and generous queen who was always helping and sharing with those in need. Due to the queen's kindness, the people of the town loved her and would willingly visit her, bringing gifts. In time, however, the queen started to feel she was better than others. When the people and birds who sang with her in her garden noticed this change, they visited her less and less. Before she knew it, the queen was all alone. One day, as she was walking she noticed a little flower growing along the sidewalk; a bee was hovering over it drinking from its sweet nectar. The queen had a heartfelt realization and went to bed that night promising herself to be kind again. The next day the townspeople and animals noticed the queen returned to being her kind and generous self. In stories such as these, we, the storytellers, make a point to never tell the moral of a story directly to our students. We trust that the children will find meaning for themselves, and they do! In this manner, each lesson becomes the child’s own and deepens greatly in its value. We encourage you to take the same approach at home.

Reminders & Announcements:

•If your child is experiencing symptoms of potential illness, please err on the side of caution and keep them home until they are symptom-free. In this way, our whole class is stronger and healthier.

•Monday, 9/5 is Labor Day. We do not have school that day.

•Our Kindergarten parent night is Tuesday, September 6th at 6:00 pm, and is adults only, please. We look forward to seeing you all on campus then!

•Our school’s next work day is Saturday, September 17th. There are always many tasks to do to keep our amazing school running at its best; we are grateful for your support. And of course, it counts toward your volunteer hours.

Thank you for sharing your precious children with us and for all that you do.

Warmly,

Ki Fatima