Osiyo, Chickadee Families,

Thank you to everyone for attending conferences last week! It was wonderful to meet with each family and discuss your children’s school experiences so far this school year. Your work at home and partnership with us in your child’s education make an enormous positive impact.

This month has been all about apples! The students have begun connecting our circle song and verse about apples, our story about the first apple tree and the magical stars, and the apples we often have on fruit day. Last week, the students saw a daily puppet show of our apple tree story and were amazed to see the star inside each apple, which was cut in half between the stem and blossom. They learned about the parts of an apple and how it grows. The children also learned in the story that the stars inside the apples may have a little magic in them. They may wish to show you this star at home; cut an apple in half the round way (between the stem and blossom instead of through them), and the star appears!

This week, the students will act out the apple tree story as a play, with children acting as the apple tree, the fairy, the stars, or the apples. Stars that students dyed with goldenrod and marigold, and apples they painted with watercolors, will be used as props for the play. The students will wet felt apples to take home next week, our first felting craft of the year. On Thursday, the children will taste different types of apples at snack time and vote on which apples they like and which is their favorite. We will create a chart of the popularity of the different apples and display it in the class for the students to look at and discuss.

Announcements and Reminders for Chickadee Kindergarten:

Kingdom of Halloween is THIS SATURDAY! It is a magical event with crafts, food, vendors, and the highlight, a Fairy Tale Walk through the beautiful forest. Please join us for this special festival, and please sign up for a volunteer spot in any area as you are able.
Recent weather events have brought mosquitoes to our forest classroom; please apply insect repellant to your child before school each morning and send repellant in their backpacks so we can help them reapply as needed.
The weather overall, and especially mornings, is becoming cooler. Please send your child with a sweater, sweatshirt, or medium jacket every day and long pants, too.

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

Gvyalieliga,

Ki Holly