Osiyo, Chickadee families,
We hope everyone had a wonderful long weekend, and we are excited to see you at curriculum night tonight! A recap email will be sent later in the week.
Last week was full of strengthening work in our play and through practical work tasks. Students spent a lot of time in the forest, creating in the mud kitchen, digging, hauling wood and dirt in the dump trucks, building fairy forests, and experimenting with different consistencies of mud. The students discovered that they could chop and pull apart an old stump that was becoming soft. They worked until some of the stump was in small pieces of wood pulp, which they moved about the forest classroom in our dump trucks. They used other larger pieces in their fairy forest. The students also found woodworms, or wood beetle larvae, in part of the stump and were fascinated watching them. The students have been learning to not only love nature but also to respect it. They did a great job observing the worms without disturbing them further. We enjoy observing our animal friends and mushroom friends in the forest, but we do not touch them. A teacher can be called to help if an animal friend needs to be moved.
We have been slowly introducing practical work activities, and we will continue introducing more of these this week. We wash our dishes, sweep our crumbs and dirt, chop vegetables and apples, care for our painting supplies, put our toys and tools away, and sand cutting boards. This week students will be able to begin a small sanding project that they can take home when finished! We will sand small cedar pendants, which students will receive on our Day of Courage on September 22nd. Students who attend two days per week will receive their pendants on the 21st. Sanding is an excellent practical activity because it uses and builds motor planning, gross motor skills , focus and attention, proprioception, and patience. The results are visible and can also be felt and heard, engaging many senses. Students are excited to show how smooth they can make wood with their hands and some sandpaper. We are looking forward to this new activity!
Announcements and Reminders:
Please check your child’s backpack daily for soiled clothing and replace them with a new change of clothing as needed.
Please send your child in or with rain boots daily. Our forest has benefitted from the shade of the trees, but this also keeps our forest floor wet and muddy for a few days after rain.
Upcoming Events:
9/5 Joyful Beginnings and Kindergarten Curriculum Night 6 pm (adults only)
9/6 Grades 1- 5 Curriculum Night 6 pm and Sixth Grade 7- 8 pm (adults only)
9/16 Community Workday 9 am - 12 pm
9/22 Half Day - Day of Courage
9/25-9/29 Fall Break (No School)
Thank you for sharing your children with us and for being part of our community.
Gvyalieliga,
Ki Holly
