Osiyo, Chickadee Families,
Thank you for attending our fall Curriculum Night about the value of play! It was wonderful to share more information with you about the work your children do at school each day and the purpose and benefits it serves today and for the rest of their lives.
During the month of September, the Chickadee class focuses on inner courage. This shift is quiet but intentional, brought through story, art, and imagination. Last week, the students began hearing a fairy tale from Ecuador called The Magic Lake. This is the first longer fairy tale the Chickadee students have heard, and they have made great progress in sustaining attention for listening to stories. In The Magic Lake, a young girl travels in search of the lake at the edge of the world to bring back water to heal the Emperor’s son. With the help of birds, who reward her for her kindness, she bravely faces three dangerous creatures, saving the Emperor’s son, her brothers, and the kingdom. The children will experience this story as a puppet show this week and act it out as a play the following week.
Next week, as we continue our Day of Courage activities, kindergarten students will help make yellow dye and dye their own golden capes. Please collect and send in goldenrod and marigolds if you find some; students will pick off the flowers to be steeped for the dye. We will also be making cards for Veterans. The students will decorate handmade cards with watercolor paint and crayons, and teachers will assist them in writing a short message of gratitude. As a developmentally appropriate explanation, students will be told that the cards will be sent to people who have done something special for their community. These cards will be dropped off at the Cherokee County Parks and Recreation office over fall break for distribution through their Cards for Vets program. If your family is interested in making or writing cards at home as well, you may send them to school by Friday, September 20th.
Announcements and Reminders for Chickadee Kindergarten:
Mornings are becoming cooler; please send a long-sleeved shirt or sweater in your child’s backpack each morning. If they wear shorts to school, please also include an extra pair of long pants.
Please send rain gear each day, as the weather is unpredictable and the forest often stays wet for several days after a rain.
Thank you for sharing your children with us and for being part of our community.
Gvyalieliga,
Ki Holly
