Kindergarten Turtles: January 31 - February 4

Greetings Turtle Families!

This week we picked up some hammers and started our first woodworking craft project! It has been a while since we worked with hammers and nails so we started by hammering into the ground and then removing the nail with the back of the hammer.  We then hammered into a stump and started to wind colorful thread around the nails.  Everyone chose to participate and many students spent quite a bit of time at the carpentry station!


The children also worked together making a new clubhouse in a different location in the forest play area.  One of the students decided to turn the wheelbarrow on it’s side and then sticks were hauled and leaned against it until a small fort was created.  They even collected pine straw to place on top and then began searching for pinecones as a final touch.  

The rain brought us inside for a bit on Friday where we sat together and strung wooden beads and played with blocks and in the toy kitchen.  Although the forest is our favorite spot, a change of scenery inspires new, creative play experiences :) 

Reminders:

  • Please make sure your child has warm, insulated boots for forest play.  Especially this time of year, unlined rain boots are not warm enough.  It is best to always send two pairs of shoes, just in case toes get wet and cold and a change is needed. 

  • If you haven’t already, please sign up for a conference time here.  Please indicate whether you prefer virtual or in-person when signing up. 

Kindly,

Ki Amy 

Kindergarten River Otters: January 31 - February 4

Osiyo, River Otter families.

This week we started some fun new activities! We have a new station in our outdoor classroom where students have the opportunity to hammer nails into a stump during our free play times. This takes not just strength, but a lot of focus, patience, and coordination. Students are also learning safety rules when working with tools, and have been very conscious to observe those rules. We have added some additional practical work ‘jobs’, as well, such as platform clean up and morning sweeping. We also heard our first fairy tale of the year this week, “The Porridge Pot”. To go along with this sweet and funny fairy tale, we had a shared snack of oatmeal with agave and cinnamon on Thursday and Friday. Almost every student tried the oatmeal on both days, and some discovered that they really enjoyed it, asking for second and even third helpings.

In the River Otter class, our tradition is to observe Valentine’s Day by making something to gift to the animals of the forest rather than sharing cards, candy, or other gifts with classmates. Please do not send cards or other treats to school on this day, as we will not be able to hand them out and do not want to disappoint the child hoping to share them. This year we will also share a class snack of rice pudding made with coconut milk, and have raisins and nutmeg available to add in.

Announcements and Reminders

  • Please send a small blanket with your child every day if they are a full day student. We are resting outdoors almost every day, and blankets help the students feel warm and comfortable.

  • Conferences are next week, on Wednesday 2/16 through Friday 2/18. All three of these days will be early dismissal for all students, from 12:15-12:30pm. If you have not yet signed up for a conference time, you can do so here. Please indicate in the comments whether you prefer to meet in person or virtually.

  • Mid-winter break is 2/21-2/25, there will be no school during this week.

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

Gyvalieliga,

Ki Holly

Kindergarten Beavers: January 31 - February 4

Greetings Dear Beaver Families,

The students enjoyed playing in the rain last week, and while some preferred to stay dry and color on our platform, eventually everyone decided to join in the rain fun. Puddles were jumped in and the mud kitchen was overflowing with mud pies and other baked goods. On Thursday, we celebrated our dear Oliver’s fifth birthday. A few friends discovered they could fit together inside a large tire and made it into their own bathtub. They took turns to taking leaf baths, and showering each other with leaves. Thank you to Ki Kim for gifting our class with a beautiful handcrafted Tic Tac Toe board- a new favorite game to play at Basecamp. 

On Friday, the students watched a heartwarming puppet play about a kind woman named Anna who lived alone in a cottage in the woods. On her way to collect wood to keep her cottage warm she found a little snow child. She carried the snow child home since it was all alone. She knew the snow baby had to live where the cold winds blew, so she pushed and patted the snow together outside her cottage until she built the baby a snow cave. Anna cared for the snow baby all winter long, she would sing and play with the baby and rock her to sleep. One day, Anna noticed patches of green grass starting to show. She became afraid her snow baby would melt so she urgently took care to push more snow onto the snow cave to keep the baby cool. One night she dreamt grandmother Snow came to her, she told Anna that she saw how much love and care she showed the snow baby and told her to look inside the snow cave. When Anna woke up, she ran to the cave where she saw the baby smiling and reaching out her arms to her mama. Anna noticed the baby had warm rosy cheeks and her hands were warm too. Since she loved the snow baby so much, it became a human baby and they lived together with joy all through the Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. 

Reminders:

  • If you haven’t already, please sign up for a conference at the following link. If neither of those days or times work for you, please let me know and we can schedule a meeting separately.

  • Please make sure your child has gloves, plenty of layers and warm, insulated boots for forest play.  Especially this time of year, unlined rain boots are not warm enough.  It is best to always send two pairs of shoes, just in case toes get wet and cold and a change is needed.

Kindly,

Ki Fatima

Kindergarten Turtles: January 24 - 28

Greetings Turtle Families!

It was another frosty, blustery week but we stayed warm by keeping our bodies busy.  We chose a nice clearing in the wooded area to begin digging a hole. We found some worms deep in the ground, keeping warm from the winter frost.  We talked about what we might find – maybe dinosaur bones? We’ll keep digging to see! As the students dug, they filled mud kitchen buckets with dirt and delivered them to the mud kitchen for others who were working there.  The Turtles really worked together as a team! For our craft this week, we wrapped sticks with yarn and placed them in a planter.  Ki Kim made us felted flowers to sew on top to complete our lovely little winter garden! 

On Wednesday, we visited the farm and observed both donkeys and both goats laying down in the sunniest patch of ground, enjoying a good rest.  The students had fun jumping across the culvert on the large rocks and boulders and exploring its contents.  We also watched the chickens as they walked around, pecking their beaks in the ground. As we traveled around campus, we also observed ducks, geese, and six bright red cardinals! 

 Our story this week may have been the children’s favorite so far.  A kind woman named Anna wishes on a snowflake for a baby.  She is given a snow baby whom she loves and cares for with all her heart.  When springtime comes, Anna is sad, for she fears her baby will melt.  Grandmother Snow comes to Anna in a dream with a special surprise.  See if your child can tell you what happened. 

Reminders/Announcements: 

  • Conferences are coming up! Please sign up here for a time slot. If you would prefer to meet virtually, please indicate this in your comment and I will create a Zoom link for your time. For those who would like to meet in person, we will meet outside, weather permitting, and I will notify you of the exact location on campus closer to the date.  

  • February 5th is a Work Day and All School Meeting.  The workday will run from 10:30-12:30, followed by a soup lunch.  The All School Meeting is an adults only event and will begin at 1:00.  Hope to see you there! 

  •  Some children would benefit from heartier snacks. This week, several students were hungry prior to snack and hungry again before the day was over. The colder weather and busy days can make tummies hungrier than usual! Many thanks! 

 Kindly,

 Ki Amy

Kindergarten River Otters: January 24 - 28

Osiyo, River Otter families,

What a beautiful week, filled with new activities, and new ideas created by the students. This week students built a structure with large rocks from the “rock store”, filled the holes with pine straw, and began covering it with dirt as they dug a new large hole. They rolled stumps to the climbing dome as an added challenge, and became interested in testing their strength, coordination, and balance by leaping over holes, sticks, and stumps. We took walks to visit the ducks in the wetlands and strung dried orange slices to create beautiful decorations for our classroom. We also began finding sticks and sorting them into three piles by size to have a nice fire in the future.

This Saturday, February 5th, our class is hosting the community work day at the school. We need a family or two to volunteer to donate bottled water for the workers; the water can be dropped off at the school any time this week. Although it is not required for our families to attend this Saturday, we would love to see as many of you as possible!  The All School Meeting will immediately follow the work day. There will be a lot of great information about the school year so far and what is upcoming; please attend if at all possible. The All School Meeting is for grownups only; children are welcome during the work day.

Announcements and Reminders:

  • Conferences are coming up soon!  Please sign up for a time here. If you don’t see a time that works for your schedule, please let me know so that we can find a more convenient time. Please also indicate in the comments when you sign up whether you prefer to meet in person or virtually.

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

Gyvalieliga,

Ki Holly

Kindergarten Beavers: January 24 - 28

Greetings Dear Beaver Families,

The Beavers class welcomed a new, already dear friend to our class - welcome Gia! On Monday, we went straight to work and the children helped roll several large stumps into our classroom. They love this new addition and it has become a very popular play spot in our forest space. The students took turns using the stumps as stepping stones and testing their jumping and balancing abilities. We heard that the pond near the garden has been busy with ducks on their migration, so on our way to the garden this week, students quietly walked down the path to see if we could find them. Much to our delight, the pond was full of beautiful ducks. In the garden, we sat beneath a tree and read “The Tin Forest”, we checked for chicken eggs, and the children enjoyed exploring the garden terrain. 

On Friday, students watched a puppet play about a little snowflake who was hesitant to leave mother cloud. Eventually, she took the risk and dropped down to the earth. She was surprised to see all her brothers and sisters there and how beautiful the snow covered earth looked. Soon the little snowflake heard the laughter of children and felt herself being rolled into a snowball; she discovered she was helping them to build a snowman! She was happy to bring them such joy. But as the sun came up, she felt herself warm up and begin to melt. The snowflake was afraid at first, but when she melted into the deep, dark earth she discovered a friend in the form of a bulb. She hugged her new bulb friend and it bloomed into a beautiful yellow daffodil.

Reminders:

  • Please sign up for a conference at the following link. If neither of those days or times work for you, please let me know and we can schedule a meeting separately. 

  • Please pack wholesome, nutritious snacks and lunches that will keep your child energized throughout the day. Candy, highly processed snacks and other sugary snacks and beverages should not be brought to school.

Kindly,

Ki Fatima

Kindergarten Turtles: January 18 - 21

Greetings Turtle Families!

Jack Frost has visited the forest, leaving glistening trails of ice crystals in his wake.  The Turtles had fun exploring all the places where ice has formed.  We found a ladle full of ice, a tray with a layer of ice on top and water swirling beneath, and even a frozen piece of yarn! Friday was so chilly that we took a reprieve from the cold inside during snack time.  For some students, it was their first time seeing our indoor space so we took a few minutes after eating to play on the balance boards and explore the play kitchen.  

On Wednesday, we spent some time at the farm, exploring the rocks in the culvert and observing the animals.  We took a story book with us and read with the animals nearby.  Ki Rachel, who leads the farming program, said that the animals like to hear stories and often wander close by if someone is reading. Next week, we will begin grinding cinnamon with the goal of filling a small container that can be kept to sprinkle on healthy treats for the donkeys.  

Our story this week was about Frosty the Snowflake.  He embarked on many adventures in  many forms - starting in a cloud and then falling through the sky as a snowflake.  The sun melted him and then the night sky froze him into an icicle. The sun again melted him and he dripped into a river.  The last part of his journey involved a canoe.  What happened to Frosty and where did he end up? Ask your Turtle if they remember! 

Reminders:

  • The All School Meeting is scheduled in tandem with a Community Work Day on February 5th.  More information to follow! 

  • Conferences are scheduled for February 16-18th.  There will be a Sign-Up Genius for slots closer to the date. 

  • Some students are hungry for their snack much before 10:00.  Please ensure that your child eats a hearty breakfast before coming to school that will sustain them through our first hour of play :)

Thank you! 

Ki Amy  

Kindergarten Beavers: January 18 - 21

Greetings Dear Beaver Families,

We made it through a virtual week successfully! Thank you for your cooperation.  I am grateful most of the children could meet together in some form. They really seemed to enjoy visiting each other through the screen and it was a nice way to experience aspects of each other's lives that we don’t normally get to see- such as younger siblings and our furry friends. It was wonderful to see how the children still managed to have a good time and enjoy each other's company regardless of not being physically together. On Tuesday and Thursday, we had a very small class on campus in the forest together. They went on a nature walk, took scraps to the compost, visited the animals, made their own poms poms using wool yarn, and got very muddy as they prepared “banana bread” in the mud kitchen. They missed their friends a lot and we look forward to being together again this week. 

Our story last week was about a boy named Nikki who asked his grandmother to knit him a pair of mittens as white as the glistening snow. At first she laughed, for she thought they would get lost if they were the same color as the snow, but she agreed to knit them nonetheless. As Nikki was playing outside, one of his mittens fell and eventually made a nice home for a few of the animals in the forest. Finally, a little mouse discovered the mitten that was full of all her furry friends and decided she would like to join them as well. As her paws tickled the nose of the bear, the bear let out a huge sneeze and all the animals came flying out of the mitten which went flying as well. Nikki caught the mitten with his hand, but now instead of it being the size of his hand, it was the size of Nikki himself! 

Thank you for all that you do! 

Reminders:

  • The All School Meeting & Community Work Day are scheduled for February 5th.

  • Conferences are scheduled for February 16-18th.  There will be a Sign-Up Genius sent closer to the date. 

Warmly,

Ki Fatima 

Kindergarten River Otters: January 18 - 21

Osiyo, River Otter families.

Our class was able to engage in play in many types of weather this week!  From warm and sunny to cold and rainy, we enjoyed so many activities. We discovered that we can check the bird bath each morning to see how cold it got outside overnight by observing whether there is water or ice.  We visited the farm on Tuesday morning to take care of the compost and visit the animals, and on Thursday afternoon we went on a nature walk. We walked slowly and were able to observe many interesting things along the way, from mushrooms and lichen to ducks and daffodils. In the forest we were dragons and birds, cooked and experimented with mud, created with nature treasures, rocks, and shells on the platform, and played tic tac toe with a beautiful wood burned board Ki Kim made for us.

Ki Rachel has provided us with some great practical work activities to help with the farm. This week during Golden Knights classes, the younger students used scissors to cut old t-shirts into cleaning cloths. We also sorted, matched, and folded together sets of work gloves for the farm. We will also start other new practical tasks in the coming weeks such as collecting and sorting wood and sticks to build fires, and making items for the spring auction that will occur in April. Kindergarten students love to help, so you may be surprised to see how much they enjoy having special tasks at home. Folding washcloths and towels, setting the table, sorting and putting away silverware, sorting laundry, dusting, and sweeping are all tasks your child may enjoy at home.

Announcements and Reminders

  • If extra clothing or outerwear has come home with your child recently, please wash and return it as soon as possible so we have them to lend to other students when needed. Thank you so much for your help!

  • You may hear new names from your child in the coming weeks. We will have students visiting our class over the next couple of months, during our enrollment season. It is a fun and exciting experience for everyone.

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

Gyvalieliga,

Ki Holly

Kindergarten Turtles: January 10 - 14

Greetings Turtle Families!

This week was a chilly one but we stayed warm by keeping busy in the forest! The Turtles played at the mud kitchen, dug at the mud hill, played hide and seek throughout the wooded area, hauled tires and large sticks, pushed the wheelbarrow around and around, and MORE! They are becoming skilled climbers, increasing their confidence and agility on the climbing dome.  We made pom poms with yarn this week, which came home attached to their backpacks.  The children often request to use the scissors to cut yarn and this activity was perfect for that! There were many yarn loops to cut and as a finishing touch, each pom pom needed a “haircut” to create a uniform circular shape.  

Our story this week was about King Winter and how he cares for all of the animals through the cold, snowy days.  As he walked through the forest, he realized that the animals were hungry and in need of warmth and shelter.  He called on his good friend, the old wise gnome who tends to the seeds and roots through winter. He asked him to make a delicious soup for the woodland creatures.  He then called on the snow children to build a warm cave.  When the meal was ready, the deer, squirrel, bear, fox, rabbit and robin gathered together to share a delicious meal and they were given enough grain and seeds to last through the rest of the winter season. 

We are looking forward to interacting with the animals at the farm more over the next few months. We will be spending some time just playing at the farm and having storytime there.  Every other week we will feed the animals some treats that the students will prepare ahead of time. We will use crinkle cutters to chop veggies and fruits and we will grate some cinnamon to sprinkle on top (donkeys love cinnamon!). 

Thank you so much!

Reminders: 

  • None :) 

Kindly,

Ki Amy 

Kindergarten Beavers: January 10 - 14

Greetings, Dear Beaver Families!

We had a fun and eventful past week. On Monday, the children painted their own wooden peg dolls. Some children painted them solid colors while others loved mixing the colors to see what would emerge. We even had a rainbow peg doll and one with a “galaxy head”. We were thrilled to discover that the hyacinth bulbs we planted last week are already starting to come up- although it’s just peeking out a little bit, the children were very proud. We watered our plants and planted some winter squash as well. Wednesday, we took out our sewing needles and thread and the children started practicing how to whip stitch. They took to it right away and were already sharing with each other what kind of “stuffies” they wanted to make next.

The Golden Knights, our rising first graders, started their class with Ki Ieva. The older children looked forward to going with her and the younger children enjoyed playing together.  It was wonderful to see how the different social dynamic benefited all the students.  It was heartwarming to observe the students greet each other so warmly and so enthusiastically when they came together as a class once again.   

We ended our week with a peaceful nature walk to the garden where we fed carrots to the animals. The children discovered a slide on the hillside and took turns sliding down. We continued our walk into the large playground and the class was very happy to play together on the swings, seesaw, tire swing, and the large climbing dome. It was all together a delightful week. As always, thank you for sharing your precious children with us. 

Thank you to our families who came to help at our community workday. Your time and help is much appreciated. 

We hope everyone had a lovely, long weekend and fruitful MLK day! 

Reminders & Announcements:

  • Conferences are here again! We will meet on the week of February 14. Please expect an email link to the sign up genius. 

Warmly,

Ki Fatima 

Kindergarten River Otter: January 10 - 14

Osiyo, River Otter families,

Our class had so much fun working and playing in the forest this week!  We got to explore ice and watch it melt back into water. Students did a lot of chopping and sawing trees with sticks and even tried to get maple syrup from some of our trees. They built forts, and were birds and dragons. We also took a nature walk on Thursday, looked at the inside of the composter for observation, and took turns spinning our fresh compost. After visiting the farm, we played on a slide on a hill near the farm and took a closer look at the marsh from the boardwalk.

This week was our Golden Knights’ first week with Ki Ieva. The older students had a great time making knots, bows, and pom poms, taking a nature walk, and hearing a story.  During this time our younger students played together digging, building, and playing house. The students are all enjoying the opportunity to spend time with students they might not usually play with, and bond with their same age peers.

Announcements and Reminders:

  • Please send a small blanket with your child for rest time. We are resting outdoors whenever possible (and the students are resting so well in the cooler weather!), and a blanket helps them stay warm and cozy on the cooler days.

  • Don’t forget to check your child’s backpack each day to make sure they have a hat and mittens. Heavy coats are a must each day, as well as at least 2 layers of shirts and pants. Insulated boots such as snow boots are needed on days that are in the 30s or below. Students who are not wearing layers and do not have all of the needed cold weather gear have a much more difficult time playing, learning, interacting with others, eating, and feeling happy and comfortable.

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

Gvyvalieliga,

Ki Holly

Kindy Turtles: January 5 - 7

Greetings Turtle Families!

It was wonderful seeing (almost) everyone’s smiling faces after such a long break!  The forest was especially interesting this past week a the heavy rains left our mud kitchen area and climbing dome in a large puddle.  Luckily, our newest mud kitchen was placed in a nice dry spot and the large puddle provided endless scoops of water for the new sinks! A few students collected and hauled sticks to place in the puddle in hopes of creating a bridge to the other side.  We added a wooden doll house to our basecamp toys, which was a fun, new addition for play.  The peg dolls and bean bags made a nice home there! 

On Wednesday, the frigid temperatures brought us inside for the first time! The students enjoyed our indoor space and had a lot of questions about the building.  We took a small tour of the building so that the children could understand their brand new surroundings.  The wooden balance boards and the xylophone were the most popular inside toys. The Turtles played the xylophone while the Beavers echoed with bells from their own classroom.  It was a musical wonderland! :)  On Monday, one of the students chose a book from our basket and asked to have it read aloud.  It was called “Ma’ii and Cousin Horned Toad.”  It is a traditional Navajo story about a lazy, cruel, trickster coyote and a kind, hardworking, and clever horned toad.  The children loved it so much that they asked to hear it again on Wednesday when we were inside.  We ventured outside for about an hour on Wednesday and the children kept warm with a game of “steam engine.” Leaves became “steam” which were collected and deposited into the wheelbarrow “steam engine” as it made laps around basecamp with a different pusher each time.  They worked so well together! 

Reminders/Announcements: 

  • Saturday, January 15th is a Community Work Day

  • Monday, January 17th, there is NO SCHOOL in observance of Martin Luther King Day.  Please see the main message for information for our school service project and resources for community service projects in our area.

Kindly,

Ki Amy 

Kindy Beavers: January 5 - 7

Greetings Dear Beaver Families, 

Happy New year! 

We had a pleasantly smooth and easy transition back to school after our long Winter break. It was wonderful to be back together again. The children were happy to see each other and be in the forest. We also welcomed a new friend to our Beaver class- welcome Glen! On Thursday, we stowed our shovels in the wagon and made a trek through the forest to a plot of ground next to the creek where the soil is very rich. The children worked together to fill the wagon then we pushed it back to basecamp where we used the soil to plant hyacinth bulbs. We also began crafting a butterfly out of wool roving. The children picked out the colors of the butterfly and helped roll tiny woolen balls for decorating  the butterfly. The children enjoyed making their own music in the forest using sticks and stumps and were able to carry a beat together. On Friday, we had mostly an inside day which the children always enjoy. Outside we noticed our pots and pans in the mud kitchen were filled with water and had frozen over; the students had a lot of fun crushing the ice and making ice baked goods. 

The children listened to an old Russian folktale called, “The Cock and the Hand Mill”. It’s about a couple who were very poor and gathered acorns in the forest for their food. One day, the woman dropped an acorn in the cellar and it struck root and grew until it reached the sky. The man climbed to the top of the tree and walked until he came upon a little cock with a golden crest and a hand mill. He discovered that the hand mill popped out a pancake and a pie with every turn. One day a nobleman happened by and decided to take their hand mill without them knowing. The cock reassured the couple he would return it to them and so flew to the nobleman and perched on his gate, crowing for the return of the hand mill. The nobleman ordered the cock to be thrown into a well. The cock filled his beak with the well water and flew back to the nobleman's house. This time, the nobleman ordered the cock to be thrown into a stove, where the cock put out the fire with all the water from the well he carried in his beak. Once more the cock returned to the nobleman’s house. The inhabitants ran out of the house out of fear, for the cock could not be drowned in water nor burned in fire. The cock retrieved the hand mill and returned to the man and woman who were never hungry again. 

Reminders:

  • Saturday, January 15th is a Community Work Day

  • Monday, January 17th, there is NO SCHOOL in observance of Martin Luther King Day.  Please see the main message for information for our school service project and resources for community service projects in our area.

With Gratitude,

Ki Fatima

Kindy River Otters: January 5 - 7

Osiyo, River Otter families.

Welcome back!  We hope everyone had a wonderful, relaxing break. It was so wonderful to see everyone back on campus this week and observe our rhythm and connections resume as if we had never been away.  We were able to spend most of our short, chilly week outdoors. The fresh, cold air is so good for little bodies (and us adults, too)! The students kept very busy in the forest working in and visiting a restaurant, building houses and garages, and riding dragons. As Friday brought extra cold temperatures, we spent time both outdoors and indoors. Playing inside doesn’t happen often at The Garden School, so it is always a special treat. Students enjoyed the blocks, play kitchen, and basket of silks, and ground coriander seeds with our mortar and pestle.

Next week we will return to our special daily activities such as visiting the farm, painting, and gardening and nature observation, which will take place on Thursdays. We will begin our first gardening activity planting some early spring seeds and bulbs. Monday will also begin Golden Knights, our enrichment program for older 5 year olds and 6 year olds. These students will spend an hour with Ki Ieva on most Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. It will be fun for the older kindergarten students to have time to bond as a group, and for our younger students to play together and have the opportunity to do some special activities with Ki Holly and Ki Kim.

Announcements and Reminders

  • Please reserve cookies, chocolate, and other treats, including hot cocoa, for at home. Special cocoa days at school will be announced the week before, here in our Monday Messenger.

  • There will be NO SCHOOL on Monday, 1/17, as we observe Martin Luther King, Jr’s birthday. Please take the opportunity to learn about Dr King and current social justice movements with your child, and participate in a local act of service. There are resources and ideas in the main part of the Monday Messenger, and you can also contact me if you have questions about other resources and opportunities.

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

Gvyalieliga,

Ki Holly

Kindergarten Beavers: December 13 - 16

Greetings Dear Beaver Families,

Our first semester in our Beaver forest class truly flew by and it is wonderful to see how much the children have grown and strengthened in their relationship to each other and as individuals. The harmony in our classroom and the play dynamics between the children has developed beautifully and we have grown so much together as a class, and we have more growing to do still. The last week was the perfect way to wrap up our first semester. On Monday, the children made watercolor paintings and enjoyed lemon tea together. We had a nature walk to the garden and fed carrots to the eager-to-be-fed animals. The children strung together necklaces with colorful wooden beads, many of them with the intention to give them as gifts. We also rolled dough and used heart and Christmas tree cookie cutters to make cookies! Gifts were shared and there was an abundance of joy and warmth in the air, literally and figuratively! 

Beginning next semester, in lieu of a formal Spanish class, our kindergarten classes will offer language and cultural experiences to our students throughout the day through stories, songs, verses, and games. In addition, we are inviting our families to visit our class during the year to share crafts, songs, and stories from their own cultures and backgrounds, or to send us ideas to share with the students. This change allows our kindergarten students to experience different languages and cultures embedded in their daily rhythm; as they rise into the grades program, formal foreign language classes will commence. We recognize this was a special activity for our students on Tuesday mornings, therefore, during that time we will hold a new special activity, Gardening and Nature Observation, for students to participate in at their interest and comfort level. We are all very excited about the upcoming semester and believe this will be beneficial and enjoyable for all of the kindergarten students.

Thank you all for your gifts and for all the contributions you make for our sweet Beaver class and school. I’m truly honored and blessed to have the opportunity to care for your precious children and look forward to spending the Spring semester together.

Happy holidays!

Warmly,

Ki Fatima 

Kindergarten River Otters: December 13 - 16

Osiyo, River Otter families,

This was a wonderful, eventful week to finish our fall semester of the school year. On Monday and Tuesday, students had the opportunity to make pomanders, which are oranges decorated with cloves that originated in Western Europe and smell even better than they look! On Wednesday and Thursday, students were able to make rolled beeswax candles to help light the long, dark nights of winter. On Thursday, Silas B and his mom, Miss Kristine, visited our class and showed us how to paint salt dough ornaments and string popcorn and cranberry garland. They also read How The Grinch Stole Christmas to us. Thank you so much for visiting and sharing your favorite winter traditions with us!

This first semester has been amazing, thanks to each of you and your sweet, unique children. We have all played, learned, and grown so much already this year, and I have learned more from the students than they have for me. Beginning next semester, in lieu of a formal Spanish class, our kindergarten classes will offer language and cultural experiences to our students throughout the day through stories, songs, verses, and games. In addition, we are inviting our families to visit our class during the year to share crafts, songs, and stories from their own cultures and backgrounds, or to send us ideas to share with the students. This change allows our kindergarten students to experience different languages and cultures embedded in their daily rhythm; as they rise into the grades program, formal foreign language classes will commence. We recognize that this was a special activity for our students on Thursday mornings, therefore, during that time we will hold a new special activity, Gardening and Nature Observation, for students to participate in at their interest and comfort level. We are all very excited about the upcoming semester and believe this will be beneficial and enjoyable for all of the kindergarten students.

Announcements and Reminders:

  • School will resume on January 5th. Enjoy the break and time with your families!

  • THANK YOU for helping make our toy drive for MUST Ministries Toy Shops successful!  Thanks to your generosity, we were able to deliver two shopping carts full of toys to the Cobb County MUST Ministries location on Thursday!

Nogwo ditsaliheligi (Happy greetings),

Ki Holly

Kindergarten Turtles: December 13 - 16

Greetings Turtle Families,

And just like that..the Fall semester has come to a close! The Turtles have developed such a special bond with one another and I with each one of them.  I am so thankful to be a part of their educational journey and I am so excited to spend the Spring semester with them as they continue to grow and blossom. :)

This past week was full of winter excitement.  We had fun molding our salt dough between our hands, flattening it onto a cookie sheet and cutting it into shapes with cookie cutters.  We found a small stick in the forest to poke a hole in each ornament before allowing them to dry.  Our woodworking was expanded a bit as the children graduated from hammering into the ground to carefully hammering into a large log and a stump.  A few weeks ago we planted kale, red lettuce, and okra into some pots in the forest.  We were delighted to observe that the seeds have sprouted and we hope that the plants flourish enough to send some leafy greens home with everyone! 

We celebrated Grace’s half birthday this week as well.  For students whose birthdays fall over the summer months, we honor their half birthday during the school year.  We were happy to celebrate six and a half trips around the sun for Grace and to learn fun and endearing memories from each year of her life thus far.  

From the bottom of my heart, thank you so very much for the mud kitchen and overflowing basket of gifts.  I am overwhelmed and filled with gratitude for your generosity and kind words.  Our woodland school is truly a magical place and the sense of community in our class is so strong and warms my heart! 

Announcement:

Beginning next semester, in lieu of a formal Spanish class, our kindergarten classes will offer language and cultural experiences to our students throughout the day through stories, songs, verses, and games. In addition, we are inviting our families to visit our class during the year to share crafts, songs, and stories from their own cultures and backgrounds, or to send us ideas to share with the students. This change allows our kindergarten students to experience different languages and cultures embedded in their daily rhythm; as they rise into the grades program, formal foreign language classes will commence. We recognize that this was a special activity for our students on Wednesday mornings, therefore, during that time we will hold new special activities, such as Gardening and Nature Walks. We are all very excited about the upcoming semester and believe this will be beneficial and enjoyable for all of the kindergarten students.

Happy Holidays! 

Ki Amy 

Turtle Kindergarten: December 6 - 10

Greetings Turtle Families! 

The mud in the forest is back, making the mud kitchen a busy place.  We’ve been given a second mud kitchen for our forest area, which has completed the little space, providing room for many cooks at once! We took advantage of the soft ground to practice using the hammer and nails once more.  Every child cleared leaves to create their own spot and hammered a large nail into the ground and then practiced prying it out.  

On Wednesday, we took a walk to the farm and talked about the wildlife on campus. The students were surprised to learn that all three kindergarten classes (The River Otters, Beavers, and Turtles of course!) are named after animals that live on our campus.  The beaver and the otter are the most elusive but there was one spotting of an otter so far this year.  Once at the farm, we had the opportunity to watch the third graders engaged in their farm chores.  They talked with us about their responsibilities and we were able to see the goats nibbling feed from their hands right in front of us.  We looked at the different types of feed for the goats, chickens, and donkeys and patted the donkeys on their heads. 

Ki Ieva spent time with us in our class this week.  She is our wonderfully talented handwork teacher who will be spending some time with kindergarten on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings.  We finger knitted, learned how to roll yarn into balls, and worked on finger chaining as well.  She is an amazing teacher and we are so happy that she will be sharing some of her time with us! 

Reminders/Announcements: 

  • Wednesday, December 15th is the last day of our Fall Semester! Wow :) 

  • It’s the final week of our TOY DRIVE for Must ministries.  Please donate a new, unwrapped toy during carpool or you can make a monetary donation here, if desired.

Kindly,

Ki Amy  

Beaver Kindergarten: December 6 - 10

Greetings Dear Beaver families,

While we experienced some chillier weather last week, our forest was alive with more birds than usual, new forest games, and busy children at work while they sang along to Christmas songs. We crafted rainbow wands using sticks we found in the forest by wrapping them with pieces of wool roving. The children enjoyed this activity that also helps to develop their fine motor skills. Some of the students also made their own necklaces using a thread and needle and some colorful buttons and beads. 

We had a lovely nature walk in the forest and visited the animals. The children watched a tree get chopped and accompanied the chopping with one of our circle songs about chopping wood. On Wednesday, we celebrated our dear Rémy’s fifth birthday, as we were sharing wishes, a bird swooped down in the middle of our circle and perched itself on the bird feeder near to us- it was a special thing to witness! On Friday, the students made their own cookie shop; they were making “all over the world” cookies. They also worked hard together to rebuild the fort in the forest and the new types of fungi growing on the tree branches were of special interest. The harmony in their play together has been such a sweet thing to witness. 

Reminders:

  • It’s the final week of our TOY DRIVE for Must ministries.  Please donate a new, unwrapped toy during carpool or you can make a monetary donation here, if desired.

As always, thank you for sharing your precious children with us! 

Warmly,

Ki Fatima