Osiyo, River Otter families.
Welcome back for the spring semester! It was wonderful to see students return to school for the start of the spring semester. We enjoyed getting back into our daily rhythm and are excited for a full week together this week.
Our schedule will remain much the same as last semester, with a few changes. Our weekly schedule is as follows:
Monday: Vegetable chopping, and herbal tea with snack
Tuesday: Farm day, and herbal tea with snack, Golden Knights (for students who are 6 before June 1st) 9:15-10:15
Wednesday: Painting, and soup for snack
Thursday: Games, and oatmeal for snack. Golden Knights 9:15-10:15
Friday: Puppet show or play, and rice for snack. Golden Knights 9:15-10:15
It is the winter season! As our classroom is in a shaded part of the school property, it is cooler and, after a good rain, it is wetter than it is by the parking lot or at home. Please send your child with the following items every day, regardless of the forecast:
*winter coat
*hat and gloves
*rain suit or rain pants and water-resistant coat
*insulated, waterproof boots
*change of clothing in a wet bag (pants, shirt, sweater, socks, underwear)
*warm blanket (for full-day students only)
Staying warm, with thanks to appropriate clothing, allows our students to thrive every day!
Please read the following article I wrote last year about sleep and children. It is a helpful reminder and resource as we all get back into a routine for school days.
Sleep is important for all of us, especially for children who are still going through so much growth and development physically, mentally, and social-emotionally. The need for enough quality sleep is especially pronounced for young children under third grade, as they are going through an intense time of development in all areas. Sleep is regenerative to our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual selves. It charges us for the next day and helps us process the day that just passed and what we have learned. The only time the body physically grows is during sleep, and it is critical for the development of the senses and nervous system.
As we have all experienced, the ability to tackle life’s challenges, interact with others and feel that we have had a ‘good day’ depend on having had enough sleep. Likewise, children who are well-rested are far more capable of healthy development and engaging socially with other children. Rested children are more able to engage in play, have a more clear sense of their own physical capability, and eat more easily. Conversely, children who have not had their need for quality sleep met may have difficulty listening, display aggression or appear quick-tempered, have difficulty expressing themselves, or appear withdrawn or sad. Lack of sleep places stress on the body, mind, and spirit. The more sleep deprived a child is, the more excitable they will be, which creates a stress hormone in the body that is harmful to the whole child. As Lisa Gromicko notes in her book Toward Human Development: The Physiological Basis of Sleep, “In consideration of healthy physical development, one cannot stress enough the need for long periods of rest and sleep for young children. In fact, due to the increasing pace of life, more sleep is needed now than ever before to offset the physiologic strain on the young body”.
A helpful guideline for increasing the ability of your child to get enough sleep is if you need to wake them in the morning, you probably need to tuck them into bed earlier that evening. Also, if a child is typically too tired to eat breakfast when they wake, they need to begin their night of sleep earlier. If a child is overtired, it is most beneficial for them to unwind before bedtime with a quiet activity while a caregiver in the same room engages in a quiet, repetitive activity such as knitting or other handwork or folding laundry. If a child is having difficulty sleeping or does not appear rested after sleep, there are many aspects of their day that can be considered when looking for solutions. One of the most common needs children have that promotes healthy sleep is rhythm. If the child does not have a consistent, healthy rhythm to their day, it is difficult for their bodies to know they are tired and be able to fall asleep or remain asleep. Other questions to consider if a child is having difficulty sleeping are: Is the child receiving enough physical exercise? Do they have enough time throughout the day for closeness, physical touch, and eye contact with caregivers? Are they overstimulated or taking in too much media? Are the sensory impressions they receive throughout the day from their environment and caregivers warm, positive, and joyful? These questions can assist caregivers in evaluating their child’s day and the barriers to quality sleep they may be experiencing. If you are interested in learning more about the importance of sleep and how to help promote a healthy sleep life for your child, please let us know and we would be happy to share some resources with you.
Thank you for sharing your children with us, and for being part of our community.
Gvyalieliga,
Ki Holly