Kindergarten Honeybees: March 18 - 22, 2024

Greetings, Honeybee Families,

Spring is in the air and the lovely weather seems to be inspiring the children’s creativity and imagination. The students have been making their own plays and taking turns putting on a show for each other. It is very sweet, and all the children enthusiastically sit and watch their peers and applaud them. This past week, the children put on a beautiful play about our Lady Spring story. On Thursday and Friday, they watched the story in a puppet show.  It was extra special because we used the beautiful landscape they have been designing as the layout. The students are so proud of their work that they ask to work on it more each day. 

We also celebrated our dear Lark’s fifth birthday on Tuesday. It was lovely to hear stories from each year of her life and to hear the heartfelt birthday wishes from her family and friends. Thank you for sharing the beautiful stories and the delightful basket of fruits with our class! Happy birthday, Lark! 

Below is one of our popular spring Circle songs that the children love to sing along and do the movements to:

Spring is coming, spring is coming,

Birdies build your nests.

Weave together straw and feather,

Doing each your best.

Spring is coming, spring is coming,

Flowers are coming too.

Crocus, lilies, daffo-dillies,

All are coming through.

Spring is coming, spring is coming,

All around is fair.

Shimmer, glimmer, on the river,

Joy is everywhere.

If you have not already sent your RSVP for Grandfriend’s tea on March 31st, please email fatima@thegardenmarietta.org with the names of your student’s guest(s), their relation to your child, and how your child will go home that day.  Please remember it is an early dismissal day.

Announcements and Reminders:

  • Picture Day is this Wednesday! If your child does not usually attend school on Wednesday, please arrive at 10:00 a.m., as we would love for 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.

  • 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

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 Turtles: March 18 - 22, 2024

Greetings, Turtle Families,

Thank you to everyone who came to the park on Saturday to help finish our wooden toys for the auction. They are beautiful and unique. It took many little hands, big hands, and lots of love. When you look at them, you can see the teamwork and care that went into them. We are excited to present them at auction, and whoever gets to take them home will have loads of fun playing with them!

The weather in the forest was very Springy!  The children enjoyed planting seeds and bulbs in pots and planters.  One of our verses in Circle is A Little Brown Bulb (see below).  When we say this verse in the Circle each day, one child acts the part of the brown bulb in the center.   Many of the children did not know what a bulb was, so we planted some gladiola bulbs in our large planters. We also planted Forget Me Not seeds in small plantable pots.  Forget Me Nots are perennials and pollinator plants.  The children will bring them home after they germinate; you can plant them at home if you would like. The children also planted some Kale seeds in class. We are planning to add this kale to our soup as it grows and can be harvested.   

On Thursday, as we were returning to class from our morning restroom break, a student with a sharp eye spotted a deer in the forest! Our class took an impromptu nature walk to see if we could spot it again, and we did!  It was so exciting to see one of the bigger creatures we share our forest with.

If you have not already sent your RSVP for Grandfriend’s tea on March 31st, please email kim@thegardenmarietta.org with the names of your student’s guest(s), their relation to your child, and how your child will go home that day.  Don’t forget, it is an early dismissal day.

A Little Brown Bulb

A little brown bulb went to sleep in the ground

In her/his little brown clothes

She/he slept very sound

King Winter roared and raged overhead

But the little brown bulb never lifted her/his head

There she/he slept the winter through.

So very quiet, like me and you

Lady spring came tiptoeing over the leaves.

With finger to mouth as quiet as can be

Little brown bulb shook in her/his bed.

She/he tossed off her/his covers and she/he lifted her/his head.

She/he grew and she/he grew,

Up toward the sun 

And she/he opened her/his spring clothes and danced and had fun!

Announcements and Reminders:

  • Picture Day is this Wednesday! If your child does not usually attend school on Wednesday, please join us at 10:00 am if you are able; we would love for 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.

  • 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


Grace and Peace,

Ki Kim

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 Honeybees: March 11 - 15, 2024

Greetings Honeybee Families,

Our Spring Circle is now in full swing and the children are enthusiastically following along with the sweet spring songs and movements. The tulips we planted started to bloom, and some of the sunflower seeds we planted are coming up as well. It’s so wonderful to be able to witness the growth process and the delight of the children when they see a new sprout or blossom. 

We all kept busy in the forest. Some of the students made necklaces using seashells; we drilled a little hole inside the shells, and the children strung shells and beads to make necklaces. We also are making good progress on our auction project. We added a little bonfire and bridge to our landscape, and we also extended the river and made a little pond - the children are getting very creative! Our class celebrated dear Sophia’s 6th birthday this past week. Her parents shared sweet memories of Sophia for each year of her life and shared birthday wishes for her. Happy Birthday, Sophia! 

Our story is about Lady Spring who rises each morning by the warm sun tickling her face. She puts on her gown made with the colors of the flowers, puts on her slippers made with the color of the earth, and steps outside. Snowdrop flowers spring up wherever she steps. Then, a gust of wind chills her, and she quickly returns home to her bed. This happens day after day until one day, the powerful sun tickled her awake, and she again walked outside.  This time, everywhere she stepped, flowers of all sorts sprung up from the earth. The children loved this story, and we can’t wait to see it in a play next week. 


Announcements and reminders: 

  • Please dress for the weather. On rainy days or days after it has rained, children need full rain gear and rain boots.

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

  • Please pack two full water bottles.

Upcoming Events: 

  • 3/27-3/28: 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 precious honeybees with us! 

Peace & Light, 

Ki Fatima

Kindergarten Turtles: March 11 - 15, 2024

Greetings, Turtle Families,

Spring is coming!  The mornings have been cold, but the afternoons have been beautiful, sunny, and warm, and the children have enjoyed the warmer weather.  Several children have asked, “When can we go to the creek?”; Creek days are quickly approaching.  Please send in close-toed, hard-soled water shoes so that when the water is warm enough, we are prepared.

Thank you to the Turtle families who came to help with the auction project.  It is coming along and we can’t wait to see the finished product.  Many hands make light work, and the children love having you in class! As promised, we will have a park playdate to finish work on our auction project.  Please click this link to sign up.

St. Patrick’s Day was Sunday, so our story last week was about a tricky and clever leprechaun named Paddy O’Connor.  On Wednesday and Thursday, you may have heard that he visited our class.  He spilled his gold and ran off.  The children had lots of fun dreaming up traps to capture him. Unfortunately, the traps were not a success, and our story continued throughout the week to include his clever hi-jinks in the Turtle classroom. We will begin a new story this week.

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.

Upcoming Events:

  • 3/27-3/28: 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

Grace and Peace,

Ki Kim

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 Honeybees: March 4 - 8, 2024

Dear Honeybees Families, 

We had such a lovely week under the warm sun. The children have started working on our auction project. They are designing a beautiful felted landscape to go with the special structure our parents are working on (thank you!). So far, they have laid out the grass, hills, a lake, a river, and stones. It’s wonderful to see them work together, planning out their very own design for the land. In the forest, we started planting our spring flowers! The students filled our planters with soil we collected near the creek, and we planted tulips, snapdragons, and pansies. The students also planted seedlings in their own personal planters. We look forward to seeing sweet pepper and sunflower sprouts very soon! 

On Wednesday, the children put on an endearing play about a sleepy bulb deep beneath the earth who was woken from her winter slumber. Mother Earth’s creatures were hustling and bustling, for she had invited everyone to a celebration - Lady Spring was bringing everyone a gown. It’s always a delight to see how the children interpret the story and how they plan it out with minimal teacher intervention. On Thursday and Friday, the students watched a puppet show of our story. In the forest, our classroom was full of puddles; thus, the mud kitchen was a busy and bustling kitchen. The day before, the students had set out all the pots and pans to collect rainwater for the next day. They were delighted to find that their plan had worked; their pots were nearly full! 

Announcements and reminders: 

  • Please dress for the weather. On rainy days or days after it has rained, children need full rain gear and rain boots.

  • 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 (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 precious children with us. 

Peace & Light,

Ki Fatima

Kindergarten Honeybees: February 26 - March 1, 2024

Greetings, Honeybee Families,

We were welcomed back to school with beautiful, warm, and spring-like weather. The students are beginning to see the subtle changes in our forest, such as budding flowers, flying bugs, and lizards! The hustle and bustle of spring feels close. We introduced a new song into our morning circle called “Spring is Coming” and shared a heart-warming story about a little brown bulb tucked away deep in the earth, fast asleep. All the bulb’s friends make a commotion and finally wake her up; Spring has arrived and is gifting everyone with new gowns. The little bulb rises and rises and is dressed in a beautiful gown of purple, white, and yellow. Meanwhile, a little boy playing nearby sees the crocus flower and admires her beauty with his beloved mama. 

Many Honeybees participated in our handwork activities this week. Students sewed little cat stuffies. We also finished stuffing our green snake, Snakey Pal. The students picked out buttons for his eyes and finger-chained a little red tongue for our new platform friend. Some students came home with a cedar necklace they sanded. These children noticed that the harder they sanded the medallion, the smoother it became, and it also smelled more fragrant. They proudly wore their necklace all afternoon. 

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 wonderful children with us. 

Peace & Light,

Ki Fatima 

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 Turtles: February 26 - March 1, 2024

Greetings, Turtle Families,

It was so nice to spend the week together.  The children missed each other over the break and were happy to play together again.  The weather was quite a mix, but we had some beautiful spring-like days.  The children began work on the auction project this week by sanding some of the items that parents had cut and prepared.  We are excited to have you come to class to help us get the project completed.  If you are available to help, please click this link to sign up.  

Our most recent story is about a postman who delivers mail in his friendly little town. He feels joy and pride as he delivers happiness to all of the people.  To complement this story, each Turtle student should have received a letter in the mail over the break.  We also talked in class about sending and receiving mail, and this week, we will have a puppet show and play of the story.  In class, each student will work on a card or other piece of mail to send home, so please be sure to check your mailboxes for a special delivery.

We also began a new circle; all the songs and verses focus on the changes we see in nature during the transition from winter to spring. You may hear your child singing this new song:


Spring is coming, spring is coming.

Birdies build your nest. 

Weave together straw and feather,

Doing each your best,  

Spring is coming, spring is coming.

Flowers are waking, too.

Tulips, lilies, daffodillies,

all are coming through.

Spring is coming, spring is coming. 

All around is fair.

Shimmer quiver on the river, 

Joy is everywhere, joy is everywhere.

Announcements and Reminders:

  • Dress for the weather with layers and send in full rain gear daily (raincoat, rain pants, and boots)

  • 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 9 am - 12 pm - this workday is hosted by the Turtle class.  While it is not required, it would be lovely to have a lot of Turtle families there.

  • 3/15: Teacher In-Service (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 a part of our community.

Grace and Peace,

Ki Kim

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 Honeybees: February 12 - 16, 2024

Greetings, Honeybee Families,

We had a lovely week full of sunny days! The activity of the children became quieter and more focused when the weather was warm. It was great to see them working together in the forest with such joy and collaboration.

 We had several different crafts the children partook in during the week, with the theme being love and hearts! On Wednesday, we shared rosy red hibiscus tea after our morning circle. The children made bird feeders out of cardboard heart-shaped cutouts. The students busily used a hole punch,  threaded it with twine so that it may hang, spread peanut butter on one side, and sprinkled birdseed on top. Some students hung them up in the forest for our feathered friends, while others decided to hang theirs up at home. The students also made heart-shaped weaving looms and wove flowers through them- a beautiful craft project to remind us spring is around the corner. We also made a heart-shaped link chain and hung it across our platform for decoration. One of our students had the idea to place little honeybee cutouts onto it. It was the perfect finishing touch. 

On Friday, we enjoyed delicious s’mores! Thank you for volunteering to bring the food items! The children have been anticipating this sweet snack for a long time. It was the perfect way to end our week and welcome the mid-winter break.

Have a wonderful week, and wish you all warmth and adventure together.

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)


Peace and Light,

Ki Fatima

Kindergarten Turtles: February 12 - 16, 2024

Greetings, Turtle Families,

It was a beautiful week in the forest, with cold mornings followed by spring-like afternoons. It was also very MUDDY! The students love digging and making creations with all of this mud. The shovels, wheelbarrows, pots, pans, and wood mallets were well-used.  Their gear was put to the test; you already know that, as your children came home with mud-caked boots and well-used waterproof clothing.  The layers are very important during this time of year.  The children need winter gear in the mornings to be warm enough.  Then, we all shed many layers in the afternoon so we do not overheat.

We celebrated Valentine’s Day, and our class was filled with love and hearts.  The children brought home the crafts they had been working on and made many more.  We folded and cut paper hearts; the children were thrilled to open the paper and see the beautiful, symmetrical heart they had cut out all on their own. Then, they used glue and crayons to create Valentines for loved ones. We also made Valentine bird feeders to gift the birds of our forest, and the children watched as the birds enjoyed them.

On Monday, we celebrated Esther’s 5th birthday.  Her parents and little sister, Cora, visited our class and shared fun memories from each year of Esther’s life.  Classmates, teachers, and her parents shared a wish for the coming year.  

On Wednesday, we celebrated Alma’s 4th birthday.  Her parents visited our class and shared fun memories from each year of Alma’s life.  Classmates, teachers, and her parents shared a wish for the coming year.  

Happy Birthday, Esther and Alma!

We wrapped up the week making pizza in the pizza oven! What a fun time and special treat!

Announcements and Reminders:

  • We have begun work on our auction project.  Thank you to the families who have volunteered already.  There will be more opportunities coming. Do not forget to keep up with the time you spend on the auction project; it counts for your volunteer hours.

  • 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. 

Upcoming Events:

  • 3/9: Community Work Day– sponsored by the Turtle Class. We would love to have as many Turtle Families as we can come and help on this day 😁

  • 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 a part of our community.

Grace and Peace,

Ki Kim

First Grade: February 05 - 09, 2024

Hello, First Grade Families,

Last week we packed our classroom supplies and headed back outdoors. The children did the majority of the work themselves by first cleaning our indoor space. They then took several trips up and down the stairs bringing all of our important supplies outside. The children put everything in its place on the platform and organized the supplies independently. At the end of the day, the children learned how to pack the supplies neatly into the shed. Now, each morning, the children take the supplies out of the shed and arrange the classroom, and each afternoon, the children put everything away. Practical work such as this supports a child’s will development, builds their inner confidence, gives them a sense of accomplishment, and allows them to work toward a goal that serves the entire class. It beautifully illustrates how much they have grown as a class community.

Last week we continued practicing the vowels and consonants, and the students are excited and eager to write new words each day. We are learning to write CVC words such as hop, pan, kit, and sun, and the children continue to gravitate towards reading during their free time. It is lovely to see the class taking their first steps into reading in such an organic way. Some choose to look at the books that only have pictures, others prefer to sit and read with the teacher, and others yet, are reading beginner books independently. A Waldorf education gives room to meet the students where they are each day. 

Next week we will be away for our mid-winter break. When we return, we will begin our third math block. In this block, we will move deeper into the four processes and practice addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division equations. 

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend conferences. It was nice to catch up and discuss how much the students have grown this year! 

Announcements and Reminders:

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

  • Winter is not over; we will spend as much time outdoors as possible.  Please continue to dress your child in layers and send in winter coats for our chilly mornings. 

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)


Warm regards, 

Meredith

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 Honeybees: February 05 - 09, 2024

Greetings, Honeybee Families,

It was wonderful to meet with you all last week at conferences. It’s such a gift to share about our days with the children in our forest classroom and how the children are learning and growing together. 

We introduced three new winter songs in our morning circle. We sang about the North wind blowing and various creatures either seeking shelter to keep warm or flying away until Springtime returns. We also have a verse about King Winter and a silly, sweet song about Jackie Frost. We also visited the animals on Tuesday, and afterward, the children ran around and played in the large field adjacent to the farm. We saw bunches of daffodils growing, and the children enjoyed crawling through an enormous tree stump with openings on multiple sides. We shared a story called Sweet Porridge about a pot that accidentally overflowed into the entire town. Each person who wanted to return to their home had to eat their way back. This story induced many giggles!  

On Wednesday, the children were invited by our grade students to watch performances for the Lunar New Year. Grades Second through Sixth put on a specific performance as part of their Mandarin lesson block. There was a puppet play, a play, singing, and a beautiful dance- it was delightful. The students seemed to enjoy the show. In our classroom, the children put on their own puppet play. Incidentally, the main characters were dragons, and this Chinese New Year it’s the year of the dragon. 

Announcements and Reminders:

  • This Friday, we plan to make s’mores! Please sign up here to donate items for our delicious treat! 

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 precious children with us and for being a part of our lovely school in the forest. 


Peace & Light, 

Ki Fatima