Kindergarten Chickadees: April 15 - 19, 2024

Osiyo, Chickadee Families,

The Chickadee students worked hard and showed off their incredible fine motor growth last week as they strung beautiful, multi-colored gems onto our class auction project. Some students sanded the maple branch used for the base of the wall hanging and polished it with beeswax. They all agreed that stringing the beads was their favorite part. The children were proud of their work and are excited for their parents and the community to see their project this Friday! Although they worked hard, the class also had great fun building forts and trucks and painting with all three primary colors for the first time. Some students also got to explore the woods across from the sixth-grade platform! 


Warmer weather is here, which means the Chickadees will soon enjoy Creekcess again! Starting this week, please send hard-soled, closed-toed water shoes in your child’s backpack. We will enjoy the creek as much as possible. The Chickadees’ scheduled creek days are Mondays and Tuesdays, and the students can typically visit the creek if the morning is warm and it has not rained in the preceding 48 hours. Students who do not have water shoes may still visit the creek area and play in the sand. We will also send home clothing changes to be replaced with warmer-weather clothes. Please send shorts, pants, short-sleeved shirts, socks, and underwear. As we begin revisiting the creek, clothing will come home more often to be washed and replaced. Please check backpacks daily!

We look forward to seeing you at our school Auction on Friday! 

Announcements and Reminders

  • Please send your child with two full water bottles each day. This is especially important as the weather gets warmer.

  • Please join us for The Garden School’s annual Hope Blooms auction fundraiser!  This is a beautiful, fun time for the grownups in our community to visit, eat, and look at the fantastic handmade and donated items available to bid on. We look forward to seeing you this Friday, April 26th at 6:00 pm.

Upcoming Events

  • 4/23 Third Grade class play

  • 4/23-4/25 Fifth Grade Pentathlon

  • 4/26 Annual Auction Fundraiser and Half-day Dismissal

  • 4/27 Community Work Day 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

  • 4/30 First Grade class play

  • 5/01 Second Grade class play


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

Gvyalieliga,

Ki Holly

Kindergarten Chickadees: April 8 - 12, 2024

Osiyo, Chickadee Families,

Last week, the Chickadee class heard a traditional Choctaw story about an eclipse. In this story, which takes place in what we now call Oklahoma, the Choctaw people notice the sun disappearing and the sky becoming darker. The people relied on the sun to help grow their crops and to live by, and were concerned that it was disappearing. When they look up at the sky, the people notice that a large, hungry black squirrel named Fvni Suna is eating the sun, nibbling at it a little at a time. The people discuss their predicament and decide they will make loud noises to scare Fvni Suna away. They grab all their pots and pans and look up at the disappearing sun, banging them together and yelling to create loud, startling sounds. Others throw sticks at the squirrel to scare him away. Finally, the people succeed in frightening Fvni Suna, who jumps down from the sky, allowing the sun to shine again. Since squirrels are forgetful, sometimes Fvni Suna forgets and tries to eat the sun again. Then, the Choctaw people bang their pots and pans, yell, and throw sticks until the squirrel jumps down again.  The students will continue hearing this story this week with an interactive puppet show on Thursday and Friday.

Last week, students planted their marigolds and parsley in outdoor planters. They drew with wet chalk in the outdoor classroom and observed how this was a different experience from drawing with dry chalk before the break. The children showed great joy and enthusiasm in puddle jumping, mud digging, and recipe preparation as they played outdoors. This week, the students will complete our auction project, a beautiful sun catcher wall decoration made of healing chakra stones. Students worked hard to sand and polish a beautiful branch and string gems. Pictures of the work will be in next week’s Messenger.

Announcements and Reminders

  • Please continue to dress your children in layers every day. It is ok to provide layers in their backpack if they feel too warm in the morning. The forest is cooler, especially when it is damp or cloudy. An expected temperature in the 60s and even lower 70s feels significantly different in different conditions, and we can not predict what layers will feel most comfortable. As a rule, students should always have lighter and thicker pants, short and long-sleeved shirts, and a sweatshirt or light jacket. Additionally, students must have full rain gear and rain boots every day. The outdoor classroom remains wet for several days after rain.

  • Please send your full-day students with a blanket for rest time if you have yet to return theirs following the break.

  • Please ensure your children eat a filling breakfast daily that will sustain them until snack time at 10:30 a.m.

  • Insects are making their return! Please begin sending insect repellant in backpacks.


Upcoming Events:

  • 4/23 Third Grade class play

  • 4/23-4/25 Fifth Grade Pentathlon

  • 4/26 Annual Auction Fundraiser and Half-day

  • 4/27 Community Work Day 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

  • 4/30 First Grade class play

  • 5/01 Second Grade class play


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

Gvyalieliga,

Ki Holly

Kindergarten Chickadees: March 25 - 29, 2024

Osiyo, Chickadee Families,

Seeing so many new and familiar faces at our Grandfriends Day before the break was wonderful. Hopefully, everyone enjoyed Spring Break and an extra special day for the eclipse.

Before the break, students transplanted their kale sprouts into planters. The children also heard a story about Ostara, the Germanic goddess of spring, and the magic bunny. After finding a bird frozen in the forest, a girl asks Ostara to bring it back to life. With the magic of Spring, Ostara can save the animal by turning it into a bunny. The magic bunny can not stay on Earth and finds a new home on the moon. Each year, when Ostara brings Spring to the forest, the bunny accompanies her. This allows the bunny to check on the girl and ensure she is well. The magic bird-turned-bunny leaves a special gift of rainbow-colored eggs each spring. As a special treat, the students each received a few colorful, felted eggs hidden in their wheat grass. The children grew the grass from seeds and took them home before break.

The coming weeks will be filled with adventure and activities such as planting, harvesting, and building. The students will create and participate in obstacle courses, use their senses on nature walks, and learn new playground games. The children will continue blending colors on painting days and building their fine motor and creative skills on drawing days. They will also use the rest of the egg cartons for a special art project! 

Announcements and Reminders

  • Please send a light rest blanket for full-day students.

  • Continue to send rain gear each day.

  • The weather can be unpredictable in spring. Please dress your children in layers, and keep hats and mittens or gloves in backpacks for now.


Upcoming Events

  • 4/12 Student picture make-up day

  • 4/23 Third Grade Class Play

  • 4/24 Second Grade Class Play

  • 4/23-4/25 5th Grade Pentathlon

  • 4/26 Annual Auction Fundraiser - Half Day

  • 4/27 Community Work Day 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

  • 4/30 First Grade Play


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

Gvyalieliga,

Ki Holly

Kindergarten Chickadees: March 18 - 22, 2024

Osiyo, Chickadee Families,

Happy Spring!  Last week, the Chickadees observed the solstice by clearing out, weeding, and pruning planters in our forest classroom. Two of these planters currently hold our mint and lemon balm plants, which are growing back after the winter. This week, the students will transplant the kale, which is proliferating, into two other planters. After the break, once they have some additional growing time, the marigolds and parsley will also be moved into planters. The students will also learn a new spring game this week. The Bluebird Singing Game will be a happy addition to the Morning Circle, and it will continue through our new circle when the children return from spring break. This week also offers Chickadee students a variety of opportunities to experience the work of some of the grade classes, such as watching a singing and juggling performance by the sixth graders and viewing the shelters made by the third graders.

Children learn best when they start their school day with their basic needs met. When they feel rested, safe, comfortable, and relaxed, with filled bellies and hearts, children can sense and engage with others and the world around them. With these important basic needs met, a child is ready to listen, process information, follow directions, and respond to each other and outside stimuli healthily. 

Some guidelines for a successful start to the school day include:

*provide a warm, nourishing breakfast, including protein and limiting added sugars

*create a relaxing bedtime ritual, trying to have your child in bed no later than 8:00 pm

*limit media exposure, especially before bedtime and before school

*avoid over-scheduling by limiting extra classes and activities for children

*keep your child home to rest when they are not feeling well

*wash your child’s face and hands, help them brush their teeth and hair, pull their hair out of their eyes, and ensure they are comfortably dressed for the weather

*set lovingly firm boundaries at home, giving your child the sense that the adults in their life are capable of making decisions that are best for them

We encourage all our families to follow these practices to set their child/ren up for success at school and in the world around them each day. 


Announcements and Reminders

  • Picture Day is this Wednesday!  If your child does not usually attend school on Thursday, please arrive at 10:00 am as we would love your child to be included in the class photo. They can also have their individual photo taken at this time so they do not have to dress for photos again on Thursday.

  • Grandfriends Day is this Friday!  You, a grandparent, or other special grownup friend(s) are invited to join your child at school for light refreshments from 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Please email Ki Holly the names of adults attending and who your child will be going home with. Name tags will be ready for those grownups joining our class. If your child does not usually attend on Friday, they are welcome to come to the celebration with their special grownup(s) as well!

  • Rest blankets will be sent home at the end of the week. Now that the weather should be reliably warmer, please send a light blanket with your child after the break.


Upcoming Events:

  • 3/27-3/28: School Photos

  • 3/29: Grandfriends Day (Half Day All School Dismissal)

  • 4/1-4/5 Spring Break (No School)

  • 4/8: No School: Solar Eclipse

  • 4/23-4/25 5th Grade Pentathlon

  • 4/26 Annual Auction Fundraiser - Half Day


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

Gvyalieliga,

Ki Holly

Kindergarten Chickadees: March 11 - 15, 2024

Osiyo, Chickadee Families, 

What a wonderful taste of summer the students experienced last week!  Along with the warm weather, new material was introduced to the children for our outdoor classroom: sidewalk chalk! The chalk was met with a great deal of enthusiasm as students excitedly colored and drew on wood, rocks, trees, and even dirt! The children further changed the landscape of our outdoor classroom by adding a deep cavern to our digging area. Students have worked to deepen this hole over many days, and are planning to dig tunnels to their homes so they can visit school whenever they want. Planks of wood have been fashioned into bridges, which students use to walk or drive dump trucks over the gap. More animal friends have taken advantage of the warmer temperatures to visit us at school. The children have been especially happy to see woodpeckers, carpenter bees, and skinks around the campus.

Throughout the year, students learn about the importance and sacredness of all life. This idea encompasses not only other humans but animals and plants as well. The children are encouraged to observe small creatures with curiosity and wonder as opposed to disgust or fear. They are reminded to show kindness to Brother or Sister Tree and to avoid injuring roots when digging. Brother Wind plays tricks when he blows the backpack blanket, and Jack Frost blows his icy breath on our picnic tables on chilly mornings. Ants are left to do their work and slugs to return to their families. In this way, the students are allowed to develop a deep respect and understanding for all life that sets a strong foundation for both arts and sciences once they enter formal academics. While “STEAM” is a newer idea to some methods of education, it has always thrived in Waldorf and forest schools!

Announcements and Reminders:

  • Thank you for continuing to send your children dressed in layers and with rain and cold weather gear each day.

  • It is a good time to begin adding insect repellant back to backpacks.

  • Please ensure your child’s lunch contains elements to provide them with sufficient energy for the day. Protein, long-acting carbs such as grains, and fruits and vegetables are all vital to helping students through their active day at school.

Upcoming Events:

  • 3/27-29: School Photos

  • 3/29: Grandfriends Day (12:30 All School Dismissal)

  • 4/1-4/5 Spring Break (No School)

  • 4/23-4/25 5th Grade Pentathlon

  • 4/26 Annual Auction Fundraiser - Half Day 

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

Gvyalieliga,

Ki Holly

Kindergarten Chickadees: March 4 - 8, 2024

Osiyo, Chickadee Families,

Last week was filled with adventures in gardening!  Each student planted several wheatgrass seeds in a small container. They filled the containers with potting soil, pressed the seeds into the soil, and watered them. They learned that seeds need soil, sun, and water to grow. The class will check on their containers each day, adding water when they are dry and observing what changes occur over the weeks and how long it takes the seeds to sprout. On Wednesday, after painting, students planted parsley, kale, and marigold seeds in egg cartons. It was fun for the children to observe that each of the four types of seeds planted looked very different. These seeds were watered and set on window ledges in the indoor classroom. The students can watch all the seeds grow and discover which sprouts first, which grows fastest, and how each plant looks as it develops from seed to grass, herb, vegetable, or flower.

One of the things that makes Waldorf Early Childhood Education unique and valuable is that it seeks to preserve childhood. The Waldorf Early Childhood classroom theme mirrors the healthy developmental view of the young child: "The world is good and beautiful.” Children deserve to feel safe and protected, and we, as teachers, parents, and caregivers, are tasked with providing our children with this view. In the classroom, we provide stories, activities, rhythm, and an environment that allows the students to feel safe and loved and to have a sense that all is well. We ask our families to provide this sense of peace and goodness at home by protecting their children from violent images and language. Closely monitoring the media your child is exposed to, such as television, music, video games, and even books, and ensuring they contain no depictions of violence, aggression, or content not meant for very young children helps protect your child and allows them to truly experience being a carefree young child for as long as possible. We ask all our families to support, nurture, and honor this beautiful time in their children’s lives.


Announcements and Reminders:

  • Please continue to dress your children in layers and send rain gear every day.

  • If your child is feeling under the weather, please keep them home.


Upcoming Events:

  • 3/15: Teacher In-Service (No School)

  • 3/27-29: School Photos

  • 3/29: Grandfriends Day Tea (12:30 All School Dismissal)

  • 4/1-4/5 Spring Break (No School)

  • 4/23-4/25 5th Grade Pentathlon

  • 4/26 Annual Auction Fundraiser - Half Day


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

Gvyalieliga,

Ki Holly

Kindergarten Chickadees: February 26 - March 1, 2024

Osiyo, Chickadee Families,

As our morning circle song says, “Spring Is Coming!”  Last week, the campus offered a warm welcome back from break, with sunshine and warmer temperatures for much of the week. The students explored the forest and fields and were filled with joy and excitement as they discovered several types of flowers blooming. This week, the children will start the seeds for the class garden indoors using egg cartons and potting soil. They will also start the seeds for their special plants, which they will bring home in a few weeks. We also began hearing a story about Lady Spring, who steps out each morning to take a walk but is quickly sent indoors again by cold winds. Finally, one morning, the sun is bright and warm, and Lady Spring can continue her walk around the land, bringing spring and a rainbow of flowers on her path. The students will experience the story through a puppet show this week as well.

The Chickadees have begun learning the new morning circle, which includes two new songs and a new verse, in addition to our regular opening and closing. Soon, another verse will be added, and after a few weeks, we will add a singing game. This progression allows students to become comfortable with the new words, tunes, and movements in developmentally appropriate segments. The Chickadee class previously worked on walking and running in a circle and is now practicing skipping in a circle. It will be fun to practice skipping at home, too! This circle includes movements that offer the opportunity to practice moving across the right and left, front and back, and upper and lower midlines, performing the same movement on each side of their body, crouching, and jumping. These movements help the class develop connections in the brain needed for formal academics. They also build and refine important motor skills for tasks such as writing and sitting up in a chair for lessons when they progress to the grades program.

Announcements and Reminders:

  • The weather is unpredictable this time of year; please send your child in layers and continue sending rain and cold weather gear every day.

  • Please send two full water bottles that your child can open and drink from independently every day. Please only send water in the bottles; juice and other beverages should be enjoyed at home. One water bottle of herbal tea is appropriate on colder days.

  • If your child is feeling under the weather, please keep them home to help keep our community healthy.

Upcoming Events:

  • 3/9: Community Work Day

  • 3/15: Teacher Inservice (No School)

  • 3/27-29: School Photos

  • 3/29: Grandfriends Day Tea (12:30 Dismissal All Students)

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

Gvyalieliga,

Ki Holly

Kindergarten Chickadees: February 12 - 16, 2024

Osiyo, Chickadee Families,

Welcome back from mid-winter break! Hopefully, it was a fun and restful week for everyone. It is wonderful to have the students back in the classroom.

Before the break, the students engaged in art and handwork projects. One by one, students are completing their wrist warmers. We will continue working on these in the coming weeks. The children strung red beads, buttons, and fabric on thread, making decorations to hang around the classroom. These decorations helped us celebrate the Lunar New Year and scare away the monster, Nian, in keeping with the Chinese folk tale about the holiday's origin. Students also created Lunar New Year drawings using light red paper and dark red crayons. These pictures will be added to their semester drawing books. 

Spring is around the corner, and the coming season is reflected in our new morning circle. Gardens, flowers, and birds are the theme of our new songs and verses and are witnessed in our environment. The students will begin preparing pots and starting seeds indoors. They will be growing marigolds, parsley, and kale at school this spring. Your children will also start a plant to keep; these will go home before Spring Break. Bird migration season will be starting soon, and this brings the opportunity to observe different species that visit our classroom. The students have already noted the abundant return of the robins, and have heard ducks and wood frogs calling from the wetlands.


Announcements and Reminders:

  • The weather is unpredictable this time of year. Please continue to send coats, hats, gloves, rain pants, and insulated waterproof boots to school every day.

  • Cold and flu season is still upon us. If your child has a fever, green mucus from the nose, a productive cough, vomiting, or diarrhea, please keep them home until these symptoms have been resolved for at least 24 hours. 

  • Please return rest blankets for nap time


Upcoming Events:

  • 3/9: Community Work Day

  • 3/15: Teacher Inservice (No School)

  • 3/27-29: School Photos

  • 3/29: Grandfriends Day Tea (12:30 Dismissal All Students)


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


Gvyalieliga,

Ki Holly

Kindergarten Chickadees: February 05 - 09, 2024

Osiyo, Chickadee Families,

Thank you for attending conferences!  It was wonderful to meet with each of you and discuss your incredible children.

Handwork projects are underway! Each student will make a set of wrist warmers over the coming weeks; some students have finished theirs. This introduction to sewing uses pieces of wool from a donated shawl, a tapestry needle, and strong, thin yarn. Students work one-on-one with a teacher, learning the sewing process using the backstitch. The children are also continuing to make pom poms from yarn. They are enjoying these new activities and show pride in their accomplishments of making things from scratch. Your children can also finger knit and make pom poms at home. There are many online tutorials for parents if you are interested in learning how to assist your child in these activities, which help develop fine motor ability, motor planning, and hand-eye coordination needed for future academic work.

Last Thursday, the students enjoyed a special snack of warm homemade applesauce and had the opportunity to watch the grades students’ performance for the Lunar New Year. This week, they will hear a story about the Lunar New Year and how an old man showed the people of a small village how to keep away the monster Nian. The students will make red decorations for our classroom to scare the monster away and take their decorations home on Thursday or Friday. Rest blankets will also come home at the end of the week as we head into the mid-winter break. Please wash the blankets and return them to school when your child returns after the break.

Announcements and Reminders:

  • Please send rain pants or snow pants every day. The forest remains damp and muddy for several days after rain. Particularly in these colder months, students must have rain or snow pants on to play in the forest to ensure they stay safely warm.


Upcoming Events:

  • 2/19-2/23 Mid Winter Break (No School)

  • 2/26 Teacher In-Service (No School)

  • 3/9 Community Work Day 9 am - 12 pm

  • 3/15 Teacher In-Service (No School)

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

Gvyalieliga,

Ki Holly

Kindergarten Chickadees: January 29 - February 2, 2024

Osiyo, Chickadee Families,

Thank you to everyone who came out for our Community Workday and All School Meeting last weekend!  It is always wonderful to work and meet together as a community. 

Last week, the students enjoyed an abundance of outdoor time, with sun and seasonal temperatures. On Tuesday, we visited the farm. Students had the opportunity to brush the goats, which was enjoyed equally by the children and the goats. Marshmallow, the white goat, especially enjoyed being petted and brushed. The students asked about what goats eat, how they play, and why they rub their sides on the fence. They also noted that baby goats are called kids, just like they are!  In the forest classroom, the children enjoyed watching and inquiring about the different birds visiting our new suet feeder. The students spent much time digging and moving dirt with dump trucks and a wheelbarrow. They made nests, roads, and mud kitchen feasts to share.

This week, students will continue working on pom pom making. They will also explore a new color combination in their painting adventure with Tippy the Paintbrush. The children will start some seeds indoors after the midwinter break; this week, they will begin discussing what types of seeds they want to grow. Caring for the seeds and ensuring they have enough sun and the right amount of water will create the opportunity for more helper jobs and build empathy and wonder in the students. Additionally, the children will experience the growing process from seed to flower, herb, and vegetable. The herbs and vegetables will be added to our soup later in the school year.

Announcements and Reminders:

  • Please adhere to the drop-off window of 8:25-8:45 am. If you arrive after 8:45, even if there are people at the picnic tables, please park and call the front office. You may wait with your child at the picnic tables until a kindergarten teacher is available to bring them to class after the morning circle. This will help us provide the necessary predictable rhythm for the well-being of our classes.

  • Please also adhere to the pick-up windows of 12:15-12:30 for half-day students and 3:10-3:20 (2:15-2:30 on Thursdays). 

  • Conferences are THIS WEEK!  It will be wonderful to meet with each of you. If you have not signed up for a time or need to change your time, you can do so here.

  • Please continue to send insulated, waterproof boots, coats, rain or snow pants, hats, and gloves to school every day.

  • As has been our tradition at The Garden School, instead of sending cards from home on Valentine's Day, please save all card and gift exchanges for off-campus playdates.

Upcoming Events:

  • 2/8 Half Day - Parent Conferences

  • 2/9 No School - Parent Conferences

  • 2/19-2/23- Mid-Winter Break (No School)

  • 2/26- Teacher Inservice (No School)

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

Gvyalieliga,

Ki Holly

Kindergarten Chickadees: January 22 - 26, 2024

Osiyo, Chickadee families.

Last week was filled with practical work and trains! Students engaged in many practical work activities such as folding towels, peeling and chopping apples, sweeping, and sawing branches for fort building and kindling. It is a delight to see the students happily engaged in their chosen jobs, working together as a community and showing pride in their accomplishments. On Tuesday, The Garden School had a special visit from the Southern Museum. The children learned about different types of trains, hand signals conductors use, what trains do, and how they work. They watched some model trains move on their tracks and had the opportunity to ask questions. It was an exciting morning! 

During the first half of the school year, the students showed considerable growth in their fine motor skills, ability to follow verbal directions, and attention spans. They now have the opportunity to use and continue to develop these skills as they begin working on handwork projects. The Chickadees are starting their handwork journey, making pom poms and learning to finger knit. The children will also begin sewing pieces of knit wool to make wrist warmers. This project uses larger, duller tapestry needles and yarn, making it a great beginning sewing project. 


Announcements and Reminders:

  • We have a new student who has joined our class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Welcome, Eli Maguire!

  • Please continue to work with your children at home on using tissues, coughing and sneezing into their “Chickadee wing,” and proper hand washing. 

  • If you have not yet signed up for spring conferences, you can do so here.

  • The first Community Work Day of the Spring Semester is on Saturday, February 3rd, from 10:00 - 12:00. Please come if you are able, and add to your volunteer hours! Children are welcome, and there are typically both indoor and outdoor tasks available.

  • Please also plan to join us for the All School Meeting following the work day at 12:30. A soup lunch will be served at noon, and the meeting should be around an hour to an hour and a half long. The meeting is a grownups-only event.


Upcoming Events:

  • 2/3 First Grade Risers Informational Meeting 11:15 a.m.

  • 2/3 Community Work Day 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

  • 2/3 All School Meeting 12:30 p.m.

  • 2/8 Half Day - Parent Conferences

  • 2/9 No School - Parent Conferences

  • 2/19-2/23- Mid-Winter Break (No School)

  • 2/26- Teacher Inservice (No School)


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

Gvyalieliga,

Ki Holly

Kindergarten Chickadees: January 15 - 19, 2024

Osiyo, Chickadee Families,

Last week Mother Nature left the students a special treat to explore: ice!  On Wednesday, the Chickadees went on a walk around campus looking for ice. The children saw that the wetlands and most of the pond were frozen and wondered how that happened. They saw ice in many places on the ground and in containers around campus, such as buckets and planters. Thursday brought warmer temperatures that allowed us more time to play in the forest classroom. The students discovered that our classroom also had many areas of ice to explore and play with. They enjoyed chopping chunks of ice with shovels and sticks and collecting them in the wheelbarrow. Ice even formed inside the class hand washing container, and students poked the ice into sheets using a stick, carried the ice sheets into the sun, and watched them melt. 

When Brother Wind and Jack Frost bring wintry weather, the students have the opportunity to spend mornings in the indoor classroom. On these mornings, different activities are offered, including working with beeswax. Beeswax modeling has many benefits, including building patience, increasing hand strength and dexterity, and offering creative expression. Children must work the wax in their hands slowly and firmly to warm it so it can be modeled into any item of their choosing. It has been a wonder to watch students work with beeswax and create a wide variety of items without prompting. Another indoor activity that builds hand and arm strength, coordination, and patience is grinding spices with a mortar and pestle. Students are currently grinding coriander, which we will try adding to our soup one day soon. They will also have the opportunity to grind saffron and try saffron rice for our snack later this semester.

Announcement and Reminders:

  • Our class Community Work Day is on Saturday, February 3rd, from 10:00 - 12:00. Please come if you are able, and add to your volunteer hours! Children are welcome, and there are typically both indoor and outdoor tasks available.

  • Please also plan to join us for the All School Meeting following the work day at 12:30. A soup lunch will be served at noon, and the meeting should be around an hour to an hour and a half long. The meeting is a grownups-only event.

  • Conferences will be on Thursday, February 8th, and Friday, February 9th. Please sign up for a conference spot here.


Upcoming Events:

  • First Grade Risers Informational Meeting - TBD

  • 2/3 Community Work Day 10 am - 12 pm

  • 2/3 All School Meeting 12:30 pm

  • 2/8 Half Day - Parent Conferences

  • 2/9 No School - Parent Conferences


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

Gvyalieliga,

Ki Holly

Kindergarten Chickadees: January 8 - 12, 2024

Osiyo, Chickadee Families,

It has been wonderful having all of the children back on campus! We have begun the spring semester with a new circle about winter weather and dressing for colder outdoor play. The students have learned the new verses, songs, and movements quickly. A wonderful song about putting on mittens has helped students with this task, and some children are singing the song while they put their mittens on during class!  We have also wrapped up our first story of the semester. Continuing on the theme of winter and winter clothing, students heard the Ukrainian folktale, The Mitten. Students listened attentively to the story and giggled as the bear sneezed, causing the mitten to fly into the air and the animals to tumble onto the snow. The Chickadees engaged in painting and drawing and enjoyed some indoor play time as well.

In the coming weeks, the students look forward to painting in multiple colors. In the first semester, the Chickadees had the opportunity to experience each color singularly and become accustomed to the process of wet-on-wet watercolor painting. This semester, the students will experience using two colors and then three colors while painting, observing how they blend and what happens when different colors combine. The children are given the space and freedom to experience on their own the way secondary colors are made (blue and red make purple, for example). At this age, the students live deeply into experiencing color on the page. While by the end of this school year, some of our older students may independently begin painting shapes and objects, others may continue to experience colors freely.  Both expressions are celebrated as each child makes their own developmental journey.


Announcements and Reminders:

  • Please join us tonight via Zoom at 6:00 pm for the Kindergarten Spring Curriculum Night. We will discuss the calendar for the spring, and brainstorm for our spring auction. Please be ready to share any ideas you have for a class auction project. 

  • Please continue to send a vegetable for your child to chop each Monday and an apple each Tuesday.

  • We are collecting cardboard/paper egg cartons (no styrofoam, please) for upcoming projects. These can be sent to school with your child at any time over the next month.

Upcoming Events:

  • 1/16 Early Childhood Curriculum Night (via Zoom) 6:00 p.m. 

  • First Grade Risers Informational meeting - TBD

  • 1/17 Grades Curriculum Night (on campus) 6:00 p.m.

  • 2/3 Community Work Day 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

  • 2/3 All School Meeting 12:30 p.m.


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


Gvyalieliga,

Ki Holly

Kindergarten Chickadees: December 11 - 15, 2023

Osiyo, Chickadee Families,

We have reached the end of the semester!  The students have been hard at work the past couple of weeks, making projects and completing their Fall semester painting and drawing books. Over the past few months, the children have been slowly increasing their attention and focus for sustained, independent tasks such as drawing and painting. Every other Thursday and Friday, the class spends time drawing with the goal of working quietly on their own art for 10 minutes. The class has shown so much growth over the semester, and many students are now able to draw quietly with care, focus, and pride in their work for at least 10 minutes. Last week, students made their drawing book covers. They were asked to create whatever they would like for their cover, doing their personal best. The students learned about parts of a book, what a cover is, and why books have covers. This created excitement and pride that they were making their very own books, and the children were all excited to show their families their work.

Last week’s special project with Mr. Matan was moved to this Monday; these projects will be going home this week. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the students will enjoy an end of semester pajama party!  They have the opportunity to wear (warm) pajamas to school, participate in a fun activity, and have a special snack. We will finish our last story of the semester, The Tomten, by sharing the picture book of the story. The students will also be bringing home a small gift to provide some calming entertainment during the break. Please be sure to check your child’s backpack this week as they will be bringing home their special project, painting book, drawing book, and end of semester gift.

Announcements and Reminders:

  • Please continue to work on independent dressing and personal care (hand washing, nose wiping, etc) over the break. Students wash dishes, fold towels, and take care of their belongings at school each day. Continuing to have small tasks to maintain that feeling of independence and responsibility at home is helpful, too!

  • Please replenish backpacks upon returning to school. Ensure a change of clothes complete with pants, long sleeves, socks, and underwear are in their backpacks.


Upcoming Events:

  • 12/20 Grades Assembly - 11:45 a.m. & Last Day of Fall Semester - Half Day

  • 12/21 - 01/03 Winter Break (No School)

  • 01/04 First day of Spring Semester

It has been a wonderful first semester, and we are so thankful for each of our Chickadee families. Thank you for sharing your children with us and for being part of our community. We hope you all have a wonderful break filled with rest and connection, and we look forward to seeing everyone back in a couple of weeks!

Gvyalieliga,

Ki Holly

Kindergarten Chickadees: December 4 - 8, 2023

Osiyo, Chickadee families.

Last week, we concluded our story about King Winter feeding the animals with a puppet show, which the students truly enjoyed. Students also made a different type of bird feeder to take home. They built fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and hand strength as they strung fresh cranberries and orange slices onto thick string using a tapestry needle. They counted the number of pieces of each fruit they were stringing and chose their own patterns, building early math skills. As they worked in small groups, the children discussed different types of birds in our forest. They learned that some birds like seeds and nuts, some like insects and worms, and some like fruit, too! On Wednesday, students painted the covers for their first-semester painting books. While typically they paint with the same color, this week, each child chose which primary color they wanted to use. Most of the class chose our wintry paint friend, blue!

We are almost at the end of our fall semester!  Next week, painting books and drawing books will go home. We will also send rest blankets home to be washed and returned after the break. We have a special treat planned for next week to celebrate the end of the semester!  On Tuesday and Wednesday, students may wear their favorite warm pajamas to school! Please still dress your child in layers and with winter outerwear. We will spend those mornings indoors, however, so everyone can show off their pajamas. For snack on Tuesday and Wednesday, we will share vegan cocoa (oat milk, organic cane sugar, sea salt, cocoa powder), popcorn, apple slices, and peanut butter. 

Announcements and Reminders:

  • As cold and flu season is upon us, please continue working with your children at home on coughing and sneezing into their “chickadee wings” (elbows) and on wiping and blowing their noses independently.

Upcoming Events:

  • 12/20: Grades Assembly - 12:00 p.m. & Last Day of Fall Semester - Half Day

  • 12/21: Teacher In-Service (No School)

  • 12/22 - 01/03: Winter Break (No School)

  • 01/04: First day of Spring Semester

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

Gvyalieliga,

Ki Holly

Kindergarten Chickadees: November 27 - December 3, 2023

Osiyo, Chickadee Families,

It was a joy to have our class back together for a full week last week. Our current story is about King Winter walking through the land where he hears the hungry animals in the forest. With help from the gnomes and snow children, King Winter prepares a shelter lit by candles and a feast for the animals. On Thursday and Friday, we made our own feast for the animals using pinecones, peanut butter, and bird seed to make bird feeders and hung them in the forest. The children joyfully watched different birds, and especially the chickadees, visit the feeders they made.  In the spirit of sharing love and warmth, we also made cards for seniors living in nursing homes. Using watercolor paintings completed by our Wednesday students, the children folded cards and drew pictures inside.  These beautiful cards will be delivered to and distributed by Cherokee Recreation & Parks.

As colder weather is settling in, and Jack Frost is blowing his icy breath through our grounds, we are working on independence with our new warm layers. Students are encouraged first to try to add or remove layers themselves. When assistance is needed, they are guided through the steps to independently achieve success or assisted more directly when needed. It is very helpful for the students to work on these skills at home, too. Going on walks or playing outdoors in their winter gear while at home will also help them become more used to the feeling of the layers. Putting shoes/boots, hats, and gloves on and taking them off independently is most important, as these are taken off and on most often. We have found the ‘flip’ method is typically easiest for young children regarding coats. Fastening coats is also a skill we are working to develop. Thank you in advance for helping your child practice these skills at home!

We will be walking the Winter Spiral this Friday. This reverent festival of light occurs during the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. The children quietly walk, one by one, to the center of the spiral, carrying a candle they will light from the candle in the center. Each child will find a star along the spiral where they place their candle. By the end, a beautiful lighted spiral forms. This is symbolic of each of us sharing our light with the world and how together we can help guide each other through the dark. Our walk will begin promptly at 10:15 am in the sanctuary. Families are welcome to watch their child’s class walk the spiral. 


Announcements and Reminders:

  • Please continue to send water-resistant heavy coats, hats, gloves, snow pants or rain pants, and insulated boots daily. Please also continue to dress your child in layers. Wool socks are highly recommended on days under 45 degrees.

  • Winter Spiral is this week!  Our class will participate on Friday, 12/8, at 10:15 pm. Families are welcome to attend, and two-day families are invited to bring their children to participate with the class as well. Please send your child with long hair pulled back and in clothing that is not loose fitting as protection from the candles.

  • Help us support Tweens and Teens this year for the MUST Ministries Toy Drive. Please see the Main Message in the Garden Messanger for more information.

Upcoming Events:

  • 12/07 Grades 1st - 5th Winter Spiral 

  • 12/08 Kindergarten Winter Spiral

  • 12/20 Grades Assembly - 12:00 p.m. & Last Day of Fall Semester - Half Day

  • 12/21 Teacher In-Service (No School)

  • 12/22 - 01/03 Winter Break (No School)

  • 01/04 First day of Spring Semester


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

Gvyalieliga,

Ki Holly

Kindergarten Chickadees: November 13 - 17, 2023

Osiyo, Chickadee Families,

It is wonderful to see everyone back from Thanksgiving break! Thank you for joining us for our luncheon before the break. The time with you all sharing community, food, and your incredible children was the perfect way to end the week.

Before the break, the Chickadees enjoyed several special activities. On Tuesday, students made “nature napkins.” Each student chose a few colorful leaves and flowers, arranging them on a stump. A linen napkin was placed over the plants, and the students used a hammer to transfer pigment from the plants to the fabric. They watched their hard work with the hammer, seemingly magically, make colors appear through the white fabric. We then hung the napkins along our classroom ribbon boundary, creating a beautiful scene as the light shone through them. The napkins were later rinsed, dried, and sent home on Thursday. 

On Wednesday, pirates secretly visited our forest classroom. They left behind treasure buried beneath the leaves in the Chickadee nest. The children excitedly searched for the buried treasures, and each took home a special gem. On Thursday, we learned what an auger is and how to use one to drill a hole in a stump. Through trial and error, students realized that while the auger turned easily, it was more difficult to use enough force to drill the hole deeper. We will continue to practice using this tool and later use it to make practical and fun projects.

As we return to school for the last few weeks of the semester, we will enjoy a new morning circle and special stories that focus on the upcoming solstice, the time when we can look forward to the days beginning to grow longer again. Continuing with the theme of light in the darkness, we also look forward to our Winter Spiral next week!

Announcement and Reminders:

  • Please send coats, hats, and gloves every day, and dress in layers!

  • We need Greenery for the Winter Spiral. Please consider asking for extra clipping from tree lots or donating trimmings from pruned evergreens in your yard. Greenery can be left alongside the fence in the field area. Thank you! 


Upcoming Events:

  • 12/02 Prospective Family Open House: 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

  • 12/07 Grades 1st - 5th Winter Spiral 

  • 12/08 Kindergarten Winter Spiral

  • 12/20 Grades Assembly - 12:00 p.m. & Last Day of Fall Semester - Half Day

  • 12/21 Teacher In-Service (No School)

  • 12/22 - 01/03 Winter Break (No School)

  • 01/04 First day of Spring Semester


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

Gvyalieliga,

Ki Holly

Kindergarten Chickadees: November 6 - 10, 2023

Osiyo, Chickadee Families,

Thank you all for joining us for a beautiful, reverent Lantern Walk in our magical forest last week. It was humbling to see each person carry their own individual light and combine them to help light the way for each other. We now look forward to this Friday when we will enjoy a time of community together in our forest classroom as we celebrate with our Thanksgiving Luncheon.

Last week, the class enjoyed trips to the farm and the opportunity to explore an area where we hadn’t visited before. The children tested and expanded their physical strength and ability to balance as they leaped from rock to rock through and across the dry stream bed that winds through the farm. In the forest classroom, students continued to combine planning, focus, strength, and balance as they added more to our small tree house. The children expressed incredible creativity as their house grew to include a storm shelter, a kitchen, a bathroom, and different entrances and exits with wood and cloths. Watching others display their strength was a source of excitement for our class as well, as Mr. Matan and the Fourth Grade class delivered stumps and a bench made from stumps and a log. The stumps and bench will primarily serve as seating around our fire in colder months. In the meantime, students have enjoyed hopping from stump to stump and then into a cushiony pile of leaves.

Four year olds love to imitate us and to be helpful, making this a wonderful time to begin having chores at home! Chores help children build confidence and independence along with developing their will. Having jobs at home also helps them feel a sense of accomplishment as an important contributor and part of the family. If your child does not already have regular chores, it is best to start with one daily chore. There are many jobs at home that are appropriate for four year olds, such as helping adults with setting the table for meals, feeding pets, sorting, folding, and putting away laundry, loading/unloading the dishwasher, hand-drying dishes, getting the mail, dusting, and watering plants. If you have any questions or would like suggestions on how to encourage your child to participate in chores, let us know!

Announcements and Reminders

  • Rest blankets will go home this week. Please wash them over break and return them on the day your child attends school.

  • Please ensure that your child wears shoes they are able to remove and put on independently and water bottles that they can carry, open, and close on their own.

Upcoming Events

  • 11/17- Thanksgiving luncheon and half-day dismissal– We invite you to join our class for a picnic lunch in our outdoor classroom on Friday, November 17th, from 11:00 - 12-00. T/Th Chickadee students and families are invited too.  Please bring lunch (and maybe a blanket) for your family.  The school will provide a sweet treat (a gluten-free/vegan option will be available). This is a half-day dismissal day.  We hope you will join us!

  • 11/20 - 24: Thanksgiving Break (No School)

  • 12/02: Prospective Family Open House: 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

  • 12/07 - 08: Winter Spiral

  • 12/20: Grades Assembly - 12:00 p.m. & Last Day of Fall Semester - Half Day

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

Gvyalieliga,

Ki Holly

Kindergarten Chickadees: October 30 - November 3, 2023

Osiyo, Chickadee Families.

Thank you for coming out for our second curriculum night of the year! This was our first curriculum night combining Early Childhood classes and it was great to be all together talking about warmth and winter gear and procedures. Next week is our lovely and introspective Lantern Walk. We will meet in the Sanctuary at 6:00 pm to hear a special story then share and combine our individual lights as we walk the candle-lit path in the evening’s darkness. At the end of the walk, you will receive a piece of gingerbread (allergy-free option available as needed), and then, please maintain quiet reverence as you head home. 

Last week, we introduced herbal tea. We will have different herbal teas available each morning to warm our bodies and spirits in these cooler and darker months. On Tuesday, we tried Apple Cinnamon tea, and on Thursday and Friday, we had Peppermint tea. On Thursday and Friday, we also kept warm with a fire in the mornings. The students enjoyed helping gather sticks of different sizes and sorting them as we built the base of the fire, first with pinecones and brush, then tiny sticks, and progressively larger sticks until the fire was underway and ready for firewood. 

This week, students will spend time at the farm and have the opportunity to do more gardening. We will plant onions in our class garden and also add more spinach seeds. The children have watched with curiosity as some of their spinach seeds have begun to sprout. They observed that the tiny shoots look like grass so far and are excited for them to get big enough to eat. The students will also have the opportunity to harvest some of the lemon balm in the class garden. We will hang the herbs to dry for a week or so, then wrap them in cheesecloth and brew them into a tea that we will share.

Announcements and Reminders:

  • Please join us for the lantern walk TONIGHT at 6:00 pm (the story will begin promptly at 6:00 pm in the sanctuary, as the grades classes will be using the space by 6:30). At the end of the walk, your child will return the electric candle and take their lantern home to keep. If you are unable to attend the walk, lanterns will be sent home the next day your child attends school.

  • If you have not yet sent in your child’s winter weather change of clothes, please do so as soon as possible

  • Please remember that if it is under 50 degrees (with wind chill), students must wear a zipped coat, hat, and gloves. It feels colder in the forest, so please send these items every day.

Upcoming Events:

  • 11/07: Kindergarten Lantern Walk: 6 pm

  • 11/07: Grades 1 - 3 Lantern Walk: 6:30 pm 

  • 11/17: Thanksgiving Luncheon 11 am - Half Day

  • 11/20 - 24: Thanksgiving Break (No School)

  • 12/02: Open House: 10 am - 12 pm


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

Gvyalieliga,

Ki Holly