First Grade: October 21 - 25, 2024
Dear First Grade Families,
Your children have wrapped up their first Math Block and are excited to share their Qualities of Numbers Main Lesson Books with you. The books will be available for viewing at our Curriculum Night in January for your collective “oohs” and “ahs,” and at the end of the school year, you will be able to take the entire year’s worth of Main Lesson Books to treasure at home. The drawings in this block have engaged students on both a thinking and a feeling level. Would you believe that feelings of love actually grow and become palpable in the classroom when the children are deeply touched by the art that they produce within the group? It is incredible and a true privilege to share in the experience. Also, in that vein, the children have literally stepped and jumped for joy when counting 100 steps out loud with logs numbered in 10s along the way, with the number 100 naturally resulting in the biggest jump and the heartiest cry!
The class is now diving back into the world of consonants. In addition to looking forward to many more fairy tales rich in imagery from which to draw a deep appreciation of letter forms, students are excited to learn all 21 consonants! After the Winter Break, we will start a new semester with vowels, which will breathe life into the consonants and provide a springboard for our beginnings in writing and reading words. It will be a whole new world!
Announcements and Reminders for First Grade:
The temperature drop upon entering the forest (as compared with students’ driveways and the drop-off area at school, for example) is almost immediately appreciable. Therefore, a coat that blocks the wind (in addition to fleeces and sweaters) is needed, even if only for an hour, despite the weather being more temperate than the cold snap we recently experienced.
11/01: No School (Teacher In-service Day)
We look forward to seeing you at the Lantern Walk! On November 6th at 6:00 p.m., we will meet indoors to enjoy a story before heading outside for our forest Lantern Walk and gingerbread.
Warmly,
Ki Michelle
First Grade: October 14 - 18, 2024
Dear First Grade Families,
Thank you for joining us for our magical Kingdom of Halloween event! Also, thank you to those who were able to attend our Community meeting with the Board last night.
The class has been in great spirits this past week and is growing so much in their ability to work as a group. Their willingness to work cheerfully as a unit and put forth their best effort has been evidenced during morning Circle, in particular, where each member must develop an awareness of the others for increased success in the shared activities. For example, the children unite speech and movement while walking in time, counting to 24 forward and backward, stepping deliberately with each number and in sync with one another. The progression from those first timid steps, which sometimes involved a foot trodden on accidentally, to more surefooted steps with increased awareness of others’ bodies has been remarkable! Overall, the children are growing more understanding of how to compromise with one another and are becoming a team.
Our Extra Main Lessons have been varied and a source of both fun and learning. Our weekly meetings with Seventh Grade have provided additional opportunities for social lessons, the building of friendships, and physical exercise during games sessions. The children’s clay modeling abilities have come along as well! Using natural clay, students have harnessed their powers of concentration and self-discipline (and some muscle power in this fine motor activity!) in molding a sphere, an egg, and a bowl that was then transformed into a canoe. In addition, the class visited the farm during Third Grade’s Farming class and were able to help out and learn from their older peers and their Farming teacher, Ki Heidi.
On Friday, we celebrated Sofia's birthday and enjoyed homemade Bulgarian cake from her family. Happy birthday, Sofia!
Next week is the final week of our Qualities of Numbers Block before we return to Consonants.
Announcements and Reminders for First Grade:
Thank you for sending your children with plenty of layers, water, and food to get through their busy days in comfort and stable energy levels! Please do ensure that in addition to layers, your child comes to school with an overcoat as a barrier against cold winds. It is amazing how the wind can blow through those more permeable layers. Please see the Parent Portal link at the bottom of the main message to find and review our outdoor clothing guide.
11/01: No School (Teacher In-service Day)
11/06: Lantern Walk for Kindergarten through Third Grade at 6:00 p.m.
Warmly,
Ki Michelle
First Grade: October 7 - 11, 2024
Dear First Grade Families,
Thank you all for your time and energy last week at Parent Conferences! It was so good to hear your views and share all the wonderful work your children have been doing in First Grade. I hope you all enjoyed the extended weekend.
Your children have been creative and resourceful this week when making themselves comfortable in the face of temperature fluctuations, starting the day with chores before running through the forest, skipping rope, and wearing or shedding layers as needed. One thoughtful student suggested that we might sometimes bask in the sun like lizards, which will be a nice option from time to time at lunch! During Main Lesson, the journey through the qualities of numbers continued with Four through Six. The students’ four seasons drawing was beautiful, and it was fun finding evidence of numbers in their immediate world, such as the five-pointed star inside an apple, the five-pointed leaves of the sweetgum tree, and the five fingers on each hand. Next week, the class will learn about the qualities of numbers Seven through Nine. We will begin counting and arranging objects on the beautiful, soft desk mats the children felted and stitched themselves in their Handwork class with Ki Ieva.
Announcements and Reminders for First Grade:
Speaking of the number Five, it represents one-half of our class and also the number of pairs of boots that have come to school ready for the creek and farm. We look forward to having all 10 pairs of boots at school for these adventures, so please send them to school regardless of the weather.
Your child is welcome to bring in small natural objects, such as acorns for counting and patterns during our Math Block.
Warmly,
Ki Michelle
First Grade: October 1-4, 2024
Dear First Grade Families,
The class had a wonderful week back after the break! With beautiful weather during the early October days, it truly felt as if magic was in the air in the forest. Multiple wildlife sightings, including an owl drifting between trees near our platform, delighted and excited the class. The children seemed refreshed by the break and ready to immerse themselves in our Quality of Numbers Block. Finding examples in the world around them of One, Two, and Three provoked plenty of thought and imagination! The children enjoyed forming Arabic and Roman numerals in their Main Lesson Books as well as carefully drawing pictorial representations of each number. They are all increasingly self-assured in approaching their bookwork.
This week, we are exploring the qualities of numbers Four through Six. The children also learned to count to 10 last week in Mandarin, so it is all very numberrific right now!
Announcements and Reminders for First Grade:
Our Kingdom of Halloween class booth needs your support! Thank you to those who have signed up, and we will look forward to seeing more booth volunteering and general slots filled as soon as possible.
Please ensure your child brings rain boots daily to enable the class to visit the farm and creek.
Warmly,
Ki Michelle
First Grade: September 16 - 20, 2024
Dear First Grade Families,
Welcome back to school after what was hopefully just the break that your family needed. The week before the break culminated in our much anticipated Day of Courage. First Grade enjoyed all the pageantry of the Middle School Knighting Ceremony, which was presided over by Queen Lesley in full regalia. Our class was really swept into the romance of it all! Each Grade class brought a recitation to share, and First Grade acquitted themselves admirably in sharing Brave and True. One student expressed that reciting a movement verse in front of her older peers made her smile from the beginning to the end of our verse. This experience built each class member's confidence and filled each heart with warmth to carry them through the colder months.
We wrapped up our Consonants Block and enjoyed the gratification of seeing completely filled pages of the Main Lesson Book before the break. The class is looking forward to delving further into the consonants later this year. In the meantime, they are now starting their first Math Block! This promises to be a fun learning experience filled with movement, images, and direct ties to the world around them.
Announcements and Reminders for First Grade:
Please send in two full water bottles daily. The children get very warm with all the speech and movement work that they do in addition to recess.
Layers, layers, layers! They will continue to keep your child comfortable regardless of the weather/temperature range of the day.
10/10-10/1:1 Fall Conferences (adults only). Please sign up here. If you need a different time, please let me know.
Warmly,
Ki Michelle
First Grade: September 9 - 13, 2024
Dear First Grade Families,
The class is thriving and growing in confidence daily! Our Consonants Block, which wraps up at the end of this week, has brought the letters M, B, P, D, T, L, and N (followed by F later this week) to life. Why not follow the alphabet in order? When giving eurythmy training early in the Waldorf movement, Rudolf Steiner followed what has come to be known as “the evolutionary sequence” of consonant sounds. These consonants reflect the development of the human being’s speech faculty and form the rough basis for our sequence of letter introduction in First Grade. Although each child is operating on their own individual level in terms of phonemic awareness, it has been clear that the lesson content has inspired every child in unique ways and enhanced their understanding of the relevant letters. The class expresses interest and joy as they progress through the consonants! In addition to forming capital letters, the class had the opportunity to make mini picture-word books (such as “The M Book”) that they can proudly read aloud.
In Handwork, students completed their colorful wet felting projects. This very soapy undertaking engaged each child, especially as it yielded a visible result of the transformative work wrought by their own hands. Our Day of Courage songs and verse have been practiced during both Circle and Music. The class is looking forward to sharing the fruits of their labor with the other grades’ classes on the day of the festival. After the break, we will commence our first Mathematic Block: The Quality of Numbers.
Announcements and Reminders for First Grade:
On Friday, please remind your child to wear fiery colors (red, orange, gold, yellow) for our Day of Courage festival. On this half-day, we will enjoy activities internally as a school and finish by 12:15. Have a restful Fall Break, and we look forward to welcoming children back on Tuesday, October 1st.
Please remember to send in two full water bottles daily, even as the weather turns cooler. The children are doing a great job with hydration!
If your child’s lunch or snack requires a fork or spoon, please double-check that one is packed.
Fall Conferences are on October 10th and 11th and will be held at school. Please sign up here.
Warmly,
Ki Michelle
First Grade: September 2 - September 6, 2024
Dear First Grade Families,
Thank you for joining together for Curriculum Night! It was a wonderful opportunity to build community and learn more about what First Grade will learn this year.
Our class is thoroughly enjoying the first Language Arts Block of the year, studying consonants during Main Lesson and discovering examples of words beginning with the letters under study throughout the day, such as “P.” It is especially fun to think of names (Paloma!), snacks we have brought to school (popcorn!), and characters in our stories (proud princess!) to enliven our work. Try it with your child in the car, at meals, etc! It is wonderful to witness the children building their phonemic awareness.
The students’ ability to listen carefully to the daily story is evident both during the telling of the story and the next day during recall as well as in their imaginative renderings of selected scenes with crayon and paper. In addition, each student is improving their pencil grip and hand-eye coordination in these lessons. They are making huge strides! Next week, our journey into the alphabet will carry us through more consonants and stories that capture the children’s imagination.
Announcements and Reminders for First Grade:
To ensure your child is ready for any weather, please send them dressed in layers each day, especially as the mornings are turning chilly. Rain boots and gear may go home ready for the next day or stay at school if families prefer. We will continue to hold lessons in our outdoor classroom during the change in season!
Warmly,
Ki Michelle
First Grade: August 26 - 30, 2024
Dear First Grade Families,
What fun we are having in our outdoor classroom now that we have begun having our Main Lesson in the forest each morning! The class is nicely formed at this stage and deserves to be very proud of their progress as First Graders. They continue to impress teachers and the older children with their orderliness and manners around school while still remaining true to their playful six- and seven-year-old selves! They are becoming experts at their class chores, which have included cleaning tasks, clearing the paths of tree litter, sweeping, and even shelf building.
We began our Consonants Block with the letters “M” and “B”. The children enjoyed the fairy tales “Simeli Mountain” and “Snow White and Rose Red,” formed their letters carefully in the Main Lesson Books, and enjoyed some new Circle activities, including a partner clapping game and verses featuring the consonants being studied. During Music, the students continued to practice their songs and, to their great excitement, received their eagerly awaited flutes! Handwork provided the class with the opportunity to wet felt richly colored mats that we will use for math work at our desks. They come out of their Mandarin and Spanish classes all smiles! Finally, the class enjoyed a short visit to the farm, where the hens proved very popular. A couple of stray feathers were found to join our class feather collection.
Announcements and Reminders for First Grade:
Thank you so much for sending plants! They have beautified our indoor space and provided the class with something living to care for!
Bug spray will be needed more than ever now that we are spending even more hours in our outdoor classroom. Please ensure that your child has a good supply packed daily. Thank you for all that you do.
Please join us for Curriculum Night tomorrow from 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Warmly,
Michelle
First Grade: August 19 - 23, 2024
Dear First Grade Families,
Our class has continued forging bonds with each other as well as developing healthy routines and skills at school. Circle time has been a source of merriment and challenge to First Grade! In addition to our daily morning verse and song, the class has been engaging in rhythmic beanbag passing and singing and dancing to “Shoo Fly, Don’t Bother Me.” Form Drawing has captured the children’s imaginations with spiral forms that they have walked with their bodies and delighted in drawing with their crayons, round and round all the way to the center and outwards again!
The week also included many opportunities for open-ended play in the forest, especially with the class swings and loose parts. On Tuesday, First Grade was once more joined by Seventh Grade at the end of the day, this time in search of natural objects for our nature table.
We celebrated Jay’s seventh birthday. Happy birthday, Jay!
This week, the class begins their first Language Arts block, which focuses on Consonants. Fairy tales will provide imagery as a springboard for learning to form capital letters, and they will explore phonics through verses and tongue twisters. Farm visits will also start. Donkeys, goats, and chickens, here we come!
Announcements and Reminders for First Grade:
Please send rainboots and sunhats with your child to school, as they are required for farm visits.
The children are using their bug spray daily, and some bottles are running low, so please check to see if your child needs a new one.
Warmly,
Michelle
First Grade: August 12 - 16, 2024
Dear First Grade Families,
The past week has seen First Grade settling into their routine and beginning their specialty classes. They have been eager to find out what each day will hold and really excited to try new subjects! Each morning since receiving their Main Lesson Books and beautiful new crayon rolls (gifts from the trees and the bees!), the children have been creating Form Drawings inspired by a series of stories about a boy with a magic pencil. When recalling each story the day after hearing it, they have offered so many details that they noticed and retained!
A highlight of the week for the class was our Extra Main Lesson with our Seventh Grade Buddies. The warmth between the two classes was evident as they worked together to prepare our outdoor classroom for lessons. The whole group is excited about the possibilities of our future lessons together!
We celebrated Emmanuel's seventh birthday on Friday. Happy birthday, Emmanuel!
Announcements and Reminders for First Grade:
Please send rainboots and sunhats/baseball caps with your child to school, as they are required for farm visits, which we plan to start soon.
Warmly,
Michelle
