Kindergarten Turtles: October 23 - 27, 2023

Greetings, Turtle Families,

We had a busy week full of play and activities.

Throughout the week, the children talked of the Kingdom of Halloween, and they re-enacted it in their play.  Some students were Fairy Guides, and some were storytellers, while others were the audience.  It is amazing how well they can retell a story they have only heard one time, and their ability to imitate what they experienced during the evening is impressive.  The magic of our Kingdom of Halloween festival certainly made an impression.

On Tuesday, Second Grade visited our class to perform songs in Spanish. The Turtles were a great audience for the performance; it is so beneficial for them to experience interaction with the older students.  

Thank you to all the parents who volunteered to help with lanterns.  The children always enjoy it when they get to share time with you at school, and your help is very much appreciated.  The lanterns are beautiful!  We cannot wait to see them illuminated at the Lantern Walk on November 7th.  We began practicing the Lantern Walk songs in class this week.  You can click here to see the music and lyrics if you would like to practice them at home. (To hear the songs click these links: My Lantern, I Walk With My Bright Little Lantern, Oh How Lovely Is the Evening )

On Monday, we celebrated Alina’s 5th birthday. Her mom visited our class and shared fun memories from her birth and each year of her life.  Classmates, teachers, and Alina’s Mom shared a wish for the coming year.  Happy Birthday, Alina!

Announcements and Reminders:

  • Please join us tomorrow tonight, 11/1, at 6:00 pm for our Early Childhood curriculum night. We will meet upstairs in the kindergarten classrooms to talk about what winter looks like for our forest program and the clothing and gear needed when cold temperatures set in. This evening is for grownups only.

  • This week looks to be getting quite cold, especially in the mornings. Please dress children in layers, with warm socks and footwear and coats, hats, and gloves.

  • We are looking for two volunteers in our class to bake gingerbread and bring it to Lantern Walk.  We have a standard recipe and individual bags for pre-portioning that we will provide to all volunteer bakers. Please coordinate with our class rep, Crystal Thomas, if you are willing to help.

Upcoming Events:

  • 11/1: NO SCHOOL: Teacher in-service

  • 11/1: Joyful Beginnings and Kindergarten Parent Night: 6 pm - 7 pm

  • 11/7: Kindergarten Lantern Walk: 6 pm

  • 11/7: Grades 1 - 3 Lantern Walk: 6:30 pm *Please note new date for grades

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

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

Grace and Peace,

Ki Kim

Kindergarten Turtles: October 17 - 20, 2023

Greetings, Turtle Families,

The mornings were quite chilly last week; thank you for sending your children in layers. We sent the change of clothes bags home last week so that the summer clothes can be changed out for fall clothes.  If you have not sent your child’s change of clothes bag back to school, please do.  To help us keep warm each morning, we share a different tea each day.  The children enjoy trying new flavors (Apple Cinnamon, Lemon Myrtle, Autumn Spice, Strawberry Hibiscus, and Peppermint). Sharing food and drink together is a bonding experience, and it is nice to see them gather around the teapot as they chat and refill their cups. 

The children finished sewing their leaves and stems onto their felted apples and took them home last week. Each apple was unique and beautiful, and they were proud of their efforts.  Those students who have mastered finger chaining are now learning how to finger knit, so you may see finger-knitted creations coming home over the following weeks.  

In the forest, raking leaves has been a favorite activity.  They rake them into piles and jump in those piles; they clear paths and fill the tires with leaves and pine straw to make nests. Fall leaves provide the loose parts for many creative endeavors. We invited the Honeybee class over on Tuesday afternoon to share in our leaf play. It is lovely to see the Turtles share their classroom and play with the Honeybees. It is always fun to play with new friends.

Thank you for attending and volunteering at Kingdom of Halloween. It was so nice to work with the Turtle Families to make this wonderful festival a reality for the children.  We hope you all had fun.  It was a magical night!

Announcements and Reminders:

  • Please continue sending coats, hats, and gloves daily.

Upcoming Events:

  • 11/1: NO SCHOOL: Teacher in-service

  • 11/1: Joyful Beginnings and Kindergarten Parent Night: 6 pm - 7 pm

  • 11/7: Kindergarten Lantern Walk: 6 pm

  • 11/7: Grades 1-3 Lantern Walk: 6:30 pm *Please note new date for grades

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

Grace and Peace,

Ki Kim

Kindergarten Turtles: October 9 - 13, 2023

Greetings Turtle Families,

Thank you all for attending conferences last week.  It was so nice to have the time to talk with you about your children.  We are so grateful for each and every Turtle and what they bring to our class. It was lovely to be able to share with you about their growth and learning so far this year.  Your support is so important and it is truly an honor to work with the community of families that make up the Turtle class. We look forward to working with you all at the Fish Pond booth at Kingdom of Halloween on Saturday.

On Monday and Tuesday, we made adorable little apples using a process called wet felting. Each student was given a little silver star to hide inside their apple and then they each took some wool batting and wrapped the star tightly.  When each star was tightly wrapped, they got red wool roving and fluffed it up.  When it was properly fluffed, they wrapped the red roving around the batting with the star hidden inside. Then the ball of wool was dipped into warm soapy water and the children rolled the roving back and forth in their hands to create a felted ball. This experience, along with being a lovely sensory time, helps students to develop patience as the loose strands of roving slowly bind to each other to create a more solid form.  Each student will choose a small twig from the forest to use as a stem and cut some green cloth for a leaf to be sewn onto their apple. Some students have already sewn their leaves, so we will continue to work this week.

We finished our week with a play of our story on Wednesday and Thursday.  Our play included a Great Apple Tree and a Star Fairy as the lead parts.  All of the other children were assigned the part of a Star or Apple and it was lovely to watch each of their personalities show as they interpreted what it meant to be a star or apple in the story. It is such a pleasure to spend our days in the forest with your children!

The children are continuing to learn our new circle songs and verses.  Grey Squirrel is a class favorite! 

Grey squirrel, grey squirrel,

Swish your bushy tail.

Grey squirrel, grey squirrel,

Swish your bushy tail.

Wrinkle up your little nose;

Hold an acorn with your toes,

Grey squirrel, grey squirrel,

Swish your bushy tail.

 …climb up in the tallest tree,

Let your tail blow in the breeze...

 …hide your nuts both near and far

But don’t forget just where they are…

…in the winter you will need

To find those nuts so you can feed…


We are looking forward to seeing you all at our Kingdom of Halloween Festival THIS Saturday! If you are able to volunteer for more craft support, please review the Main Messenger and jump in to help for any class that needs it!  Thank you!

Announcements and Reminders:

  • Please remember to send your children in layers- including hats and gloves/mittens.  The mornings can be quite chilly.

  • Please plan to attend our next curriculum night on Wednesday, 11/1 at 6:00 pm. All of the early childhood classes will meet together to talk about winter weather gear and how we manage winter weather at school.


Upcoming Events:

  • 10/21 Kingdom of Halloween: 4 pm - 8 pm

  • 11/1 NO SCHOOL:  Teacher in-service

  • 11/1 Joyful Beginnings and Kindergarten Parent Night: 6 pm - 7 pm


Grace and Peace,

Ki Kim

Kindergarten Turtles: October 2 - 9, 2023

Greetings, Turtle Families,

The fall weather was refreshing this week. We had cool mornings and warm afternoons. Please remember to send your children in layers so that they are comfortable as the temperatures change throughout the day.  Our days at the creek are on hold until Spring as the water is too cold in the mornings. Water shoes will be sent home this week.  We are still enjoying adventures around campus and visited the farm on Wednesday and Thursday this week, spending time with the donkeys, goats, and chickens!

It is apple picking season, and our story, How the Apple Got Its Star, is about a Great Apple Tree who loves to look at the stars at night. The Star Fairy places a star deep inside each apple on the Great Apple Tree’s branches. To complement this lovely story, we cut open an apple each day to find the star hidden inside. On Thursday and Friday we made apple prints using paint. This week the students will make wet felted apples. The class has also been playing a circle game where we pass some wooden apples around the circle while singing My Nice Red Rosy Apple. The lyrics are included below. This is a collaborative game that involves cross-body movements and helps proprioceptive development. Our Autumn circle also incorporates more challenging movements, such as galloping, and we even go on a small adventure through the forest to harvest a pumpkin.  The lyrics and verses from our circle will be shared in the weeks to come.

On Tuesday, we celebrated Caspian’s 5th birthday.  His parents visited our class and shared fun memories from his birth and each year of his life.  Classmates, Teachers, and Caspian’s parents shared a wish for the coming year.  Happy Birthday, Caspian!

MY NICE RED ROSY APPLE

My nice red rosy apple 

Has a secret hid unseen. 

You'd see if you could look inside 

Five rooms so neat and clean. 

In each room there are living 

Two pips so black and bright. 

Asleep they are a-dreaming 

Of lovely warm sunlight.

Important Dates and Reminders:

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

  • 10/11 - 10/12 Sixth Grade caving field trip

  • 10/12 HALF DAY - Parent Conferences

  • 10/13 NO SCHOOL - Parent Conferences

  • 10/14 Community Work Day 10 am - 1 pm *Please note the date change

  • 10/21 Kingdom of Halloween

  • 11/1 NO SCHOOL - Teacher in-service

  • 11/1 Parent Night for Joyful Beginnings and Kindergarten classes, 6 pm - 7 pm

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

Grace and Peace,

Ki Kim

Kindergarten Turtles: September 18-22, 2023

Greetings, Turtle Families,

Hopefully, you all had a wonderful break! It is so great to come together as a class again. The children missed each other and we missed them!  Fall is here!  We are starting a new autumn circle this week. There will be new songs, verses, and movements for the students to learn.

The week before break was busy!  We completed our shooting star rings and the children brought them home.  We also dyed some fabric; the dyeing process is an amazing sensory experience!  First, we collected goldenrod and marigolds. (Thank you to everyone who added to our collection.)  As the students pulled the goldenrod flowers from the stems and plucked all of the marigold flower petals, many commented on how good they smelled and how soft the marigolds were. The children also learned how it felt to strip the goldenrod from the stems.  We added all of the plucked flowers to a pot and poured water on top.  Ki Ieva helped us by boiling the flowers and water and letting them stew, and she also prepared some turmeric for us to add.  When the dye was ready, each student dipped a cloth into the mixture and stirred it.  As they did this, many noted the good, but different smell, of the dye mixture and also that the dye water was not clear anymore.  A few hours later, we pulled the cloth out and hung them each to dry.  The children were thrilled to see the white clothes turn such a beautiful yellow.  Naturally dyed fabric makes a wonderful addition to loose parts and imaginative play - it can be a cape, a blanket for a stuffed animal, a fort for some peg dolls, or anything they can imagine.  

Our story to connect with our Day of Courage celebration was about a hungry dragon collecting cloudberries and a kind family.  The dragon was afraid of people and the people were afraid of dragons.  As the story went, the dragon found himself face to face with a child who was very scared to talk to the dragon.  The dragon was scared too.  The child’s family needed help lighting their fire to cook their food.  The dragon agreed to help them. When the fire was lit, the family invited the dragon to stay and eat pancakes with them, and the dragon shared his cloudberries to make a delicious syrup.   On Thursday and Friday, we had pancakes and cloudberry (Blueberry) syrup.  Just like the dragon and the family, we ate every last bite!

Announcements and Reminders:

  • If you have not yet signed up for conferences, please do so here. It will be lovely to meet with each of you.

  • As the days get cooler, and mornings can be especially cool, please send your child with a sweater, sweatshirt, or jacket every day. It is around 10 degrees cooler in the shaded forest. Please also include long pants in your child’s backpack if they wear shorts to school.

Upcoming Events:

  • 10/11 - 10/12 Sixth grade caving field trip

  • 10/12  Half Day - Parent Conferences

  • 10/13  No School - Parent Conferences

  • 10/14  Community Work Day 10 am - 1 pm *Please note date change

  • 10/21  Kingdom of Halloween

  • 11/1 NO SCHOOL - Teacher in-service

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

Grace and Peace,

Ki Kim

Kindergarten Turtles: September 11-15, 2023

Greetings, Turtle Families,

This past week, we added a slackline to our forest classroom which quickly became a favorite activity. The children love it! Students are already experimenting with different ways to walk and move across it. They are using and developing their sense of movement, sense of touch, and sense of balance as they navigate this new challenge. We visited the farm and the large playground on Wednesday and Thursday. The class enjoys spending time with the farm animals and climbing the big rock and the goat stand. Time at the big playground is always a special treat! 

On the platform, many children are sewing and weaving. The sewing and weaving projects take time, and students will work on them for days or maybe even weeks.  As they finish their projects, they will bring them home.  A few students were able to bring the beanbags they have been sewing home this week. The whole class worked on rainbow rings with a shooting star attached. Thank you to Finley’s parents for donating the rings and ribbons for our class.  The children worked with teachers to tie knots, attaching the ribbon to the rings. This project required scissor skills as each child cut two stars from a red and yellow watercolor painting to attach to their ring. We will continue working on this project, so they can bring these home at the end of the week. 

On Thursday, we celebrated Isabel’s 5th birthday.  Her parents visited our class and shared fun memories from her birth and each year of her life.  Classmates, Teachers, and Isabel’s parents shared a wish for the coming year.  Happy Birthday, Isabel!

Announcements and Reminders:

  • Mornings are getting chilly! Please have your child equipped with a light sweater. 

  • This Friday is a HALF DAY (12:15-12:30 dismissal) for all students. Please use the carpool line for pickup as usual.

  • Next week is FALL BREAK! There is also no school for students the following Monday, 10/2, due to teacher in-service

  • Conferences are coming up soon, October 12th and 13th. A sign-up will be available in the next messenger.


Upcoming Events:

  • 9/22 Half Day - Day of Courage

  • 9/25-9/29 Fall Break (No School)

  • 10/2 Teacher In-Service (No School)

  • 10/12 Half Day - Parent Conferences

  • 10/13 No School - Parent Conferences

  • 10/21 Community Work Day 10 am - 1 pm

  • 10/21 Kingdom of HalloweenEnjoy the Fall Break!

Grace and Peace,

Ki Kim

Kindergarten Turtles: September 4-8, 2023

Greetings, Turtle Families,

It was lovely to spend Tuesday evening with so many of our Turtle parents. I hope that you enjoyed our first Curriculum Night of the year. Our class is such a wonderful community, and we are grateful you all are a part of it. We look forward to coming together again with our wider Early Childhood community on November 1st for a second Curriculum Night when we will discuss the importance and value of warmth and winter gear in Early Childhood. 

The Turtles had a short though busy week. We painted with two colors, red and yellow, on Tuesday.  We spent the morning at the creek on Wednesday and Thursday.  Please remember to check your child’s backpack for wet clothes each day and to pack a new change of clothes when they bring wet clothes home so they are prepared for all our activities. On Friday, we colored in our drawing journals; we will do this every Friday. The children enjoy their handwork bags, and many projects that are in progress stored there. They can pick them up and work on them as they choose throughout the week. In the forest, we continue to monitor the spiders that call our classroom home. It is sweet to see the children excitedly check on all of our resident spiders each morning and throughout the day. Building with our large, loose wood parts is also a favorite activity in the forest, and the structures they build are impressive! It is lovely to observe the children get involved in so many creative and imaginative activities and gain confidence and trust in each other as they play.

We will be naturally dyeing cloth later in September.  To do this, we need specific flowers that when boiled, make a beautiful golden color.  If you have marigold flowers that you could share with us, we would love to have them (just the flower head, please).  Also, if you are able to harvest any goldenrod, a yellow wildflower often found growing freely along the road or trails, we would appreciate that too.  Please send any marigolds or goldenrods in by 9/15. 

 As promised, here are the lyrics to the first and last song from our circle.  We will begin and end the circle with these two songs all year long.

Good morning, Dear Earth

Good morning, dear earth.

Good morning, dear sun.

Good morning, dear stones.

And the plants, everyone.

Good morning, dear trees

And the birds flying free.

Good morning to you

And good morning to me!

Good morning to you

And good morning to me!

School Song

Inch by inch

Row by row

We’re gonna make this garden grow

All it takes is a rake and a hoe

And a piece of fertile ground

Inch by inch

Row by row

Sun bless these seeds we sow

Earth warm them from below

Until the rain comes tumbling down

School Song

Announcements & Reminders: 

  • Please send your child in with bug spray. 

  • Our mornings are getting chilly, please pack a light sweater with your child.


Upcoming Events:

  • 9/16 Community Workday 9 am - 12 pm

  • 9/22 Half Day - Day of Courage

  • 9/25-9/29 Fall Break (No School)

  • 10/2 Teacher In-Service (No School)

  • 10/12 Half Day - Parent Conferences

  • 10/13 No School - Parent Conferences

  • 10/21 Community Work Day 10 am - 1 pm

  • 10/21 Kingdom of Halloween


Grace and Peace,

Ki Kim

Kindergarten Turtles: August 28-September 1, 2023

Greetings, Turtle Families,

We have been busy getting our supplies ready for the handwork activities we will do this year.  This week, each student collected leaves, pine straw, and other natural elements to use for decoration on their handwork bags.  They each arranged the treasures they collected on top of canvas bags, and then we sprayed dye onto the bags.  The children were amazed to see the final results as we removed the leaves and saw the lovely shapes left behind.  We will keep our handwork projects in these bags throughout the year.  This allows the students to keep up with their own supplies and work on projects over time.  They will bring their creations home as they complete them. We continued learning how to finger chain, and a couple of the students have already begun finger chaining independently. Many students made a rainbow finger chain this week to go with our rainbow story.  Some students have been stringing beads also.  The children sit with a quiet focus for long periods of time.  These handwork activities are beneficial for fine motor development. While that is valuable in itself, it also builds their ability to problem solve, follow a process with specific steps, and build stamina and focus.  When the children work on a handwork project, they are making something useful and beautiful, and it gives them a sense of tangible accomplishment.  As they bring home their projects, please take a moment to appreciate the time and love that they have put into them.

On Monday and Tuesday, the children watched a puppet show and sat in rapt attention as the current story was presented in a new way.  On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, the children performed a play of the story as it was narrated.  They each accepted the part they were given and played out our beautiful story about Mother Nature, two playful Bluebirds, and all of the colors of the rainbow. It was so special to watch each of them bring their personality and ideas to the story. Our class is blossoming into a beautiful, supportive community as the children work and play together and deepen their friendships.  Thank you for sharing your children with us and for being a part of our community.

Upcoming Events:

  • 9/5 Joyful Beginnings and Kindergarten Curriculum Night 6 pm (adults only)

  • 9/6 Grades 1- 5 Curriculum Night 6 pm and Sixth Grade 7 - 8 pm (adults only)

  • 9/16 Community Workday 9 am - 12 pm

  • 9/22 Half Day - Day of Courage

  • 9/25-9/29 Fall Break (No School)


Grace and Peace,

Ki Kim

Kindergarten Turtles: August 21-25, 2023

Greetings, Turtle Families, 

We had a wonderful and very hot week in the Turtle class. The children are learning the words and movements of our circle songs, and it is so nice to hear them singing along each morning.  We were able to visit the creek on Wednesday and Thursday, and the children enjoyed playing in the water and sand. Some students spent time building a rock bridge so they could walk across a section of the creek where it is slightly less shallow. Many children found clay in the creek bed and had fun squishing it between their fingers and rolling it into balls. 

The Turtles are continuing to explore the forest play area, digging holes and moving dirt. The mud kitchen is always very active, with lots of pizzas, pies, muffins, and soups being created. We spent the afternoons in our indoor classroom due to the high heat, and the children enjoyed drawing, weaving, playing games, and making marble runs. It is exciting to watch their friendships blossom and strengthen as they all become comfortable and confident in our classrooms and with each other!

We started a new story about Mother Nature and two playful bluebirds.  While she was using her paints to add color to the flowers of the meadow, the little bluebirds would fly down and dip their wings into her paint pots. Later, the little bluebirds flew through the mist of a waterfall to create a rainbow. Each story shared will be told for a week. The following week, we will enjoy a puppet play of the story on Monday and Tuesday, and the children will have an opportunity to perform a play of the story on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. This week will be the children’s first opportunity to perform a play this year.

Please save the date for our Curriculum Night on September 5th (adults only, please). We will gather together to review our daily rhythm and learn the value of practical work for the students, and more!

Upcoming Events:

  • 9/4 Labor Day (No School)

  • 9/5 Joyful Beginnings and Kindergarten Curriculum Night 6 pm

  • 9/6 Grades 1-5 Curriculum Night 6 pm, Middle School 7 pm (Adults only, please)

  • 9/16 Community Workday 9 am - 12 pm


Grace and Peace,

Ki Kim

Kindergarten Turtles: August 14-18, 2023

Greetings Turtle Families!

Our first full week of school was very busy and so much fun! On Monday, we chopped vegetables and had a variety of carrots, onions, green beans, potatoes, basil, and zucchini. Thank you for remembering to send in vegetables and apples! On Tuesday, we had our first weekly painting class. In Kindergarten, the students begin by experiencing one color at a time; this week, we painted with the color yellow. On Wednesday, we visited the farm, and the students learned our farm rules and got to pet the new bunnies. 

With all of our shared snacks and activities, there are lots of dishes and laundry, and the children have been learning many practical work tasks as they help to clean up after themselves. Each student washed their own dish and spoon each day. The children also helped with the laundry by folding our washcloths. The children are eager to help and take pride in their work. We had a wonderful time playing in the creek for Creekcess on Thursday and Friday. The children explored the water and the creek shore, finding river rocks and clam shells and digging and building in the sand. On Friday, we started work on our drawing journals – thank you for sending in the cereal boxes!

The Turtles are a sweet, kind, and helpful class! The children are developing friendships, and seeing how they play together is beautiful. They are becoming great climbers on the climbing dome and have begun working together, using boards and wood pieces, to build obstacle courses. They also like to spend time playing on our platform and sharing in some handwork projects offered there. We began finger chaining, and several students created bracelets and necklaces to take home. We ended the week with a puppet show of our story on Thursday and Friday. Again, thank you for sharing your children with us; they are so kind and helpful, and spending each day with them is a pleasure.

Announcements and Reminders:

  • Please continue to send your child in with bug spray; the mosquitos are active!

  • Bring rain gear, including boots, daily!  It can be left at school, stored in the shed.

  • Hard-soled, closed-toe water shoes or old sneakers are required at Creekcess.


Upcoming Events:

  • 8/26 Community Work Day 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

  • 9/4 Labor Day (No School)

  • 9/5 Joyful Beginnings and Kindergarten Curriculum Night 6 p.m.

  • 9/6 Grades Curriculum Night 6 p.m.


Grace and Peace,

Ki Kim  

Kindergarten Turtles: August 9-11, 2023

Greetings Turtle Families,

It was so nice to see our Turtle families together at Meet and Greet on Monday! On Thursday and Friday, the class had a lovely couple of days getting to know one another in the forest. It was a joy  to see the children’s excitement as they explored our forest and indoor classrooms and made new friends. Everyone played so nicely together and it was fun to watch them play and discover all that our classrooms have to offer. Inside, the children played together in the kitchen, played games, and built with blocks. Outside, the mud kitchen area was a favorite spot, along with playing with peg dolls, blocks, and babies on the platform. The rain on Thursday and Friday morning provided water that was just the right ingredient for lots of stirring, pouring, and creating mud kitchen specialties. While playing, we found a daddy long-leg spider and had fun watching him crawl around our wheelbarrow. We also observed many ants, birds, and other creatures that we share the forest with. The week was wonderful and we are so excited to spend this school year together, learning and growing, in the Turtle class.  

This week is all about getting to know each other and our space, and establishing a strong rhythm that will help us move through our days. We will enjoy a story that we started last week, about a Mommy Cloud and her little raindrops. One little raindrop is scared to fall to the earth below with all the other raindrops. The raindrop gathers its courage and joins the other raindrops. Together they help a flower bud blossom. They play on the flower petals until the afternoon sun is bright in the sky. Then Mommy Cloud, with the sun’s help, collects them all again. On Thursday and Friday we will have a puppet play of the story. We will also begin our other weekly activities this week, such as chopping vegetables, visiting the creek or farm, painting, and drawing.

Announcements and Reminders:

We will begin shared snack this week.

  • Monday- oatmeal with optional cinnamon and agave; also bring a vegetable to chop

  • Tuesday-rice with optional nutritional yeast, aminos, and seasoning salt; also bring an apple

  • Wednesday- vegetable soup with optional nutritional yeast, and with legumes in the colder months (probably lentils)

  • Thursday- quinoa with cooked apples and cinnamon

  • Friday- gluten-free cornbread with butter/dairy-free substitute, and apple slices


Upcoming Events:

  • 8/26 Community Work Day 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

  • 9/4 Labor Day (No School)

  • 9/5 Joyful Beginnings and Kindergarten Curriculum Night 6 p.m.

  • 9/6 Grades Curriculum Night 6 p.m.

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

Grace and Peace,

Ki Kim  

Kindergarten Turtles: May 15-19, 2023

Greetings Turtle Families,

School is out for summer- WOW!  Our last week was full.  The children loved bringing their stuffies to school and sharing all about them with their friends.  We went to the creek on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday;  we even got to play there with the Beaver Kindy class.  We chopped strawberries on Monday and Tuesday and then ate delicious strawberry sorbet on Thursday and Friday.  We painted terracotta pots and planted marigolds to take home – a  little piece of the garden to continue to care for. The children created a flower pot covered in butterfly and bee fingerprints for Ki Kristine. She will be very missed in the Turtle class next year, and will certainly carry this year with your children in her heart forever - we were all so lucky to have her!  Field Day was lots of fun, a day full of games; it was so nice to have all the Turtles together at one time! We visited the farm on Thursday and Friday, to say farewell to the animals for the summer. While there on Thursday, we harvested some turnips and strawberries. Our circle was our “Greatest Hits”,  the children picked their favorite songs and verses from the year and we did a circle of those songs.  It was a special, super busy, lots of fun, I can’t believe we’re done kind of week.

On Monday we celebrated Paloma’s 5th Birthday. Her Mom and Dad visited our class and shared fun stories from each year of Paloma’s life. Classmates, teachers, and her parents shared a wish for the coming year. Happy birthday, Paloma!

The children have learned and grown so much this year! It was an honor to watch them and guide them. For those not returning next year, you will be missed, we wish you all the best – your children hold a special place in our hearts.  For those who will be back at The Garden in the Fall, have a wonderful summer and we can’t wait to see you again!

Grace and Peace, 

Ki Kim

Announcements and Reminders:

  • May 22: Start of Summer Break!

  •  May 22-26: Teacher In-Service

  • Please look out for your child’s End of Year Report to arrive in your email mid-June.

  •  If your child is attending The Garden School kindergarten program next year, the welcome letter from your child’s teacher will be emailed to you on June 12th.

  •  August 5: Community Work Day

  •  August 9: Grades First Day of School!

  •  August 10: Kindergarten First Day of School!

  •  August 14: Joyful Beginnings First Day of School!



Kindergarten Turtles: May 8-12, 2023

Greetings Turtle Families, 

It is the last week of school, unbelievable! Thank you all for making us feel so loved and appreciated during Teacher Appreciation Week.  It has been a wonderful year and we are so grateful to have spent it with your children in our beautiful forest. This sweet class, children and parents, has been such a blessing!

Last week, we were very busy, getting the most out of the forest and our time together.  On Tuesday and Thursday, we were fortunate to watch the 1st grade and 2nd grade plays as each class performed its dress rehearsal.  The Turtles were a great audience. We visited the creek on Wednesday and Thursday.  We explored some new areas, in the water and on the shore.  The children spent many hours happily playing in the water, rocks and sand. This week we will go to the creek every day if the weather allows, so please send a change of clothes each day. All week, the children created, with love, a special present for Mother’s Day. They put lots of care into creating handmade wrapping paper too.  They collected leaves from our forest classroom and used block crayons to make beautiful leaf rubbings on the paper and then wrapped the special Mother’s Day gift inside. The project and wrapping had many steps and the children worked diligently for two weeks.  They were each so proud to bring the gift home for their moms.

We celebrated two birthdays last week!

On Tuesday, we celebrated Kirby’s 6th Birthday.  His Mom and Dad visited our class and shared fun memories from each year of Kirby’s life.  Classmates, teachers and his family shared a wish for the coming year.  Happy Birthday, Kirby!

On Wednesday, we celebrated R.E.’s 6th Birthday.  His Mom and baby brother visited our class and shared fun memories from each year of R.E.’s life.  Classmates, teachers and his Mom shared a wish for the coming year.  Happy Birthday, R.E.! 

We have lots of fun activities this week:

  • Monday and Tuesday - bring a favorite stuffed animal from home

& chop Strawberries for Sorbet later in the week

  • Wednesday - FIELD DAY! (T/TH can join us from 8:45am until 12:30pm)

  • Thursday and Friday -  Strawberry Sorbet 


We are looking forward to this fun week together and a brief celebration of our Golden Knights, who will be moving on to first grade at the end of the school year.

As always, thank you for sharing your children with us and for being a part of our community!

Grace and Peace,

Ki Kim


Reminders:

● 5/17: Field Day

● 5/19: Last Day of School (Full day: dismissal 3:00-3:15)

● 5/20: SUMMER BREAK BEGINS!



Kindergarten Turtles: May 8-12, 2023

Greetings Turtle Families,

It was a windy week in the forest!  Due to high winds, we spent some time in our indoor classroom, which the children love.  On Tuesday, we ate lunch at the picnic tables, another nice change of scenery.  On Wednesday, we went for a nature walk complete with some time on the bridge in the marsh area.  At the farm, we talked to the fourth graders, who were busy at work.  They are preparing an enclosure for the rabbits that will call the farm home in the next school year.  The kudzu is growing again, and the children were excited to feed the goats.  

All week, the children discovered lots of creatures that live in our forest classroom and are emerging with the spring weather.  We found spiders, worms, beetles, daddy long legs, and many ants living under the bark of the tree stumps.  The children are learning to observe, but not disturb, knowing that we are guests of the  creatures we encounter. On Thursday, our classroom area was visited by a beautiful hawk and we watched it swoop down and catch something and then fly away again.  Very exciting!

Our late spring circle is all about spring creatures, seeds, and plants.  One of the children’s favorite rhymes involves a lot of cooperative movement. The children link arms with their partner and walk in circles, then they use their arms to make a sturdy nest and their hands become the babies.  I have included the rhyme; the children would love to show you how it goes!

A bird sat in the willow tree
And sang a song so sweet for me
She hopped and hopped so merrily,
Then flew away, tra-lee tra- lee.
I watched her bring back straw and feather,
She wove it in and out together,
She worked all day and did not rest,
Until she made her sturdy nest.
She sat upon that nest so long,
And only sometimes sang a song.
One day there were four babies there,
Now she sits in the willow tree,
She sings her song, but not for me!

We celebrated two birthdays last week!

On Tuesday we celebrated Asher’s 6th Birthday.  His PaPa visited our class and shared fun memories from each year of Asher’s life.  Classmates, teachers, and his PaPa shared a wish for the coming year.  Happy Birthday, Asher!

On Friday we celebrated Louie’s 5th Birthday.  His Mom and LaLa visited our class and shared fun memories and pictures from each year of Louie’s life.  Classmates, teachers, and his family shared a wish for the coming year.  Happy Birthday, Louie! 

Grace and Peace,

Ki Kim

Announcements and Reminders:

● 5/9: First Grade Play 5pm

● 5/9: Third/Fourth Grade Play 6pm

● 5/11: Second Grade Play 5pm

● 5/11: Fifth Grade Play 6pm

● 5/13 Community Work Day

● 5/15-5/19 No shared snack

● 5/15 & 16: Bring your favorite stuffed animal to school

● 5/17: Field Day (T/Th students welcome 8:45-12:30)

● 5/18 & 19: Strawberry Sorbet days 

● 5/19: Last Day of School



Kindergarten Turtles: April 24-April 28, 2023

Greetings Turtle Families,

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Auction Fundraiser on Friday.  It was a success and so much fun to attend in person, and to see all the class projects as well as additional amazing donations along with having a chance to meet, chat, and “shop” together as adults.  Thank you for all the support to complete our class project! 

We had a wonderful week in class.  We had cold, wet, dry, hot, and even some windy weather - a little bit of everything!  Thank you for continuing to send the Turtles in layers and with rain gear!  We needed it all last week!  The weather prevented our creek visit on Wednesday and Thursday, however, because of the forecasted rain – we got a trip to the creek on Tuesday.  While it was too chilly to get in the water, the children had lots of fun playing in the sand on the beach and using water they scooped from the creek in their creations.  Hopefully, this week the weather will allow us more time at the creek.  If you have not already sent in hard sole, closed-toe shoes, please send them.  We will be trying to get as many creek days in as possible for the remainder of the year.  

We had THREE birthday Celebrations this week!!! 

On Monday we celebrated Leo’s 5th Birthday.  His mom visited our class and shared fun memories from each year of Leo’s life.  Classmates, teachers, and his Mom shared a wish for the coming year.  Happy Birthday, Leo!

On Tuesday we celebrated Adeline’s 5th Birthday.  Her Mom, Dad, little sister, and PaPa visited our class and shared fun memories from each year of Addie’s life.  Classmates, teachers, and her family shared a wish for the coming year.  Happy Birthday, Adeline!

On Thursday we celebrated Soulen’s 6th Birthday.  His Mom, Dad, and little brother visited our class and shared fun memories and pictures from each year of Soulen’s life.  Classmates, teachers and his family shared a wish for the coming year.  Happy Birthday, Soulen! 

As always, thank you for sharing your children with us and for being a part of our community.

Reminders:

  • 5/5: Half-day school

  • 5/9: First Grade Play at 5:00 pm/Third and Fourth Grade Play at 6:00 pm. 

  • 5/11: Second Grade Play at 5:00 pm

  • 5/13: Community workday

  • 5/19: Last day of school

Grace and Peace, 

Ki Kim



Kindergarten Turtles: April 17-21, 2023

Greetings Turtle Families,

This Friday is our annual fundraiser!  We are so excited and we hope to see you all (adults only, please). Thank you for your participation in our class auction project and thank you for your continuous support of our school!

Our week in the forest was lovely!  The mornings still have a chill, so please send your child with pants, long sleeves and a coat or  jacket.  They can wear shorts and short sleeves under their longer layers, so they are prepared for the beautiful, sunny, spring afternoons. We have spotted several large mosquitos, so please pack insect repellant in their bags too.

Our story for the last two weeks has been about a wise Grandfather Rabbit.  He is very old and knows the ways of the winds and the rain, the sun and the moon, and he knows how to outsmart coyotes.  A coyote has been scaring all of the rabbits in Cottontail Village and Grandfather Rabbit comes up with a plan.  He sends his friend, Jaybird, to tell Coyote about the biggest rabbit of them all who lives in the hole by the Great Oak Tree.  He always comes out of his hole just as the sun is rising.  Coyote hides and waits to catch the biggest rabbit of them all.  Just as the sun is rising, Grandfather Rabbit, beating his drum, emerges from the hole, and his HUGE shadow and loud “footsteps” scare Coyote away. From that day forward, all of the rabbits in Cottontail Village call him Thunder Longshadow.  The children enjoyed the story and all of the drum beating that went along with it.  This week we had a puppet show of the story on Monday and Tuesday and then the children performed a play on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. To go along with our story, we have been watching our own shadows as we walk in line.  On Thursday and Friday, we used our sidewalk chalk to trace each other’s shadows and see how they change throughout the day.

We visited the creek in the late afternoon a couple of times last week. If the weather allows, we will go to the creek on Wednesday and Thursday, early in the day, this week.  So, if you have not sent in closed-toe, hard sole water shoes, to be kept at school, please do.

On Friday we celebrated Silas’ 6th birthday. His Mom, Dad, little sister, little brother and baby sister visited our class and shared fun memories and pictures  from each year of Silas’ life.  Classmates, teachers, and his parents shared a wish for the coming year.  Happy Birthday, Silas! 

Thank you for sharing your children with us!!!

Grace and Peace,

Ki Kim

Important dates:

  • 4/25-4/27 5th Grade Pentathlon 

  • 4/28 Annual Fundraiser - Half Day 

  • 4/29 Community Work Day  

  • 5/5 Half Day 

  • 5/9: First Grade Play 5pm

  • 5/9: Third/Fourth Grade Play 6pm

  • 5/11: Second Grade Play 5pm

  • 5/11: Fifth Grade Play 6pm

  • 5/13 Community Work Day 

  • 5/19 Last Day of School 





Kindergarten Turtles: April 10-14, 2023

Greetings Turtle Families,

It was so nice to welcome everyone back from Spring Break!  The children were happy to see each other and play together.  We began a new circle that revolves around spring creatures, seeds, and plants, and incorporates a few cooperative movement games that keep the children engaged and giggling. It is always so impressive to watch the children learn the songs and rhymes so quickly! 

On Monday, it was such a beautiful day, we decided to bring our painting lesson into the forest for the first time this school year.  The children enjoyed painting with blue and yellow and creating green.  It was nice to use our watercolors in a different setting.  We also had fun creating all week with a selection of brightly colored wooden beads.  Many beautiful pieces of jewelry were created to wear and share with friends and loved ones.

We visited the farm on Wednesday and weeded a section of the garden.  We also spent some time with the chickens.  On our walk to the farm, we visited the creek.  We did not go in the water as it is still too cold, but the children are all very excited to begin Creekcess again.  Please send in water shoes (hard-soled and closed-toe), to be kept at school, so we are prepared when it is time to start playing in the creek again.

On Thursday we celebrated Èowyn-Lys’ 6th birthday.  Her parents, sister, and baby brother visited our class and celebrated with us.  Her classmates and teachers shared a wish for the coming year.  Happy Birthday, Èowyn-Lys!

Reminders:

  • Bring EVERY day:

    • Warm coat–spring mornings are cool in the woods

    • Rain gear–classroom stays wet for a while after the rain

  • NEW items to send daily:

    • insect repellant

    • sunhat

    • water shoes (MUST have hard-soled, closed-toed. Can use old sneakers too!)



4/25-4/27 5th Grade Pentathlon

4/28 Annual Fundraiser - Half Day

4/29 Community Work Day

5/5 Half Day

5/13 Community Work Day

5/19 Last Day of School

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

Grace and Peace,

Ki Kim


Kindergarten Turtles: March 27-31, 2023

Greetings Turtle Families,

It was so wonderful to see so many family members and friends at the GrandFriends’ Tea.  The weather was perfect and we hope that those who attended enjoyed visiting our beautiful school.  The students had fun showing everyone around, too.

The past week went by quickly and before we knew it, Spring Break was here!  The class stayed busy every day at work and play in our forest classroom.  They built, dug, climbed, swung, and moved freely and happily through the beautiful weather we enjoyed each day. 

While we will start a new circle when we return to school after the break, this song is a favorite from our current circle  The children sing it with the most enthusiasm and glee and you may wish to sing it with them at home during break. 

Who is this I hear? Deep down in the ground?
Hacking, cracking rocks and stone? 

 Is it the squirrel scampering so, collecting acorns to and fro?  

No! It’s not the squirrel! 

Who is this I hear? Deep down in the ground?
Hacking, cracking rocks and stone? 

Is it the giant so big and bold, stomping around in the winter cold? 

No! It’s not the giant!

Who is this I hear?
Deep down in the ground?
Hacking, cracking rocks and stone? 

Listen closely to the sound! 

Behold the dwarfs inside the hill–
Their tiny hammers are never still.
Little dwarves so short and strong

Heavy-footed march along

Every head is straight and proud

Every step is firm and loud.

Trip trap trip trap go the dwarves along the track

Trip trap trip trap go the dwarves along the track

Pick and hammer each must hold

Hacking cracking  - mine the gold

Hacking cracking  - mine the gold

That is who I hear…deep down in the ground

Little Dwarves that’s where they’re found


We hope you all have a restful break full of fun family time. Thank you for being a part of our community and for sharing your children with us!


Reminders:

4/3-4/7 Spring Break (No School) 

4/25-4/27 5th Grade Pentathlon 

4/28 Annual Fundraiser - Half Day 

4/29 Community Work Day  

5/5 Half Day 

5/13 Community Work Day 

5/19 Last Day of School 


Grace and Peace,

Ki Kim



Kindergarten Turtles: March 20-24, 2023

Greetings Turtle Families,

The week brought temperatures as low as 26 and as high as 80 degrees. It is definitely springtime in the south! It is exciting to discover little surprises the weather leaves for us in our classroom.  The children mixed water and dirt to create mud paint to paint the doors in our classroom.  It was fun to discover that our mud paint had frozen solid overnight; they enjoyed breaking it into big chunks of mud-ice.  They also discovered ice in many of our bowls and pots and got busy creating delicious icy dishes in the mud kitchen. Even when the classroom warmed up, the ice remained in the shady spots and provided hours of fun and imaginative potential!

Thank you to everyone who came to the park on Saturday to help assemble the pillow for our Turtle’s auction project.  It is beautiful and unique.  It took many little hands and big hands and lots of love. All of the togetherness shines through when you look at it.  It will be exciting to present it at auction and whoever gets to take it home will possess a masterpiece!

On Monday, we celebrated Ivy’s 6th birthday.  Her parents visited our class and shared memories and pictures from each year of Ivy’s life.  Her classmates, teachers, and parents shared a wish for the coming year.  Happy Birthday, Ivy!

On Tuesday, we welcomed a new student to our class.  Aaliyah, welcome to the Turtle class!

If you have not already sent your RSVP for Grandfriend’s tea on March 31st, please email me this evening to let me know the names of all guests who will be attending. 

Reminders 

3/31 Half Day - GrandFriend’s Tea (11:00-12:00)

4/3-4/7 Spring Break (No School)

4/28 School Auction Fundraiser - Half Day

4/29 Community Work Day


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

Grace and Peace,

Ki Kim



Kindergarten Turtles: March 13-17, 2023

Greetings Turtle Families,

It was winter in the forest again this week! Brrrrrrrrr!  Thank you for dressing all of the Turtles well.  We had a great week!

Our story this past week told us about a very clever and sneaky leprechaun named Paddy O’Connor. Paddy lived in the leprechaun land of lush green hills at the end of the rainbow.  We had lots of leprechaun and rainbow fun throughout the week.  We watched in wonder as cups of red, yellow, and blue water climbed pieces of paper towel and mixed in empty cups.  We checked on the colors throughout the day and ended up with the colors of the rainbow. Then we were able to use those beautiful colors to paint.  We also had a leprechaun visit our class.  We think he saw us and ran away.  He was in such a hurry that he spilled his gold.  The children were excited and delighted to search throughout the forest to find all the gold.☘

Thank you again to everyone who has come in to help with our auction project.  It is coming along nicely.  Many of the children have finished their weaving and many more are almost finished.  It has been so wonderful to have your help in class. Be on the lookout for an email from Sam Chavez.  We will meet on Saturday, 3/25 at Elm Street Playground in Woodstock to assemble all of the children’s weavings.

Also, a big thank you to all of the Turtle Families who came out for the workday!  We had a great turnout and great work was done for our school!

Reminders:

3/31 Half Day - GrandFriend’s Tea (11:00-12:00)

4/3-4/7 Spring Break (No School)

4/28 School Auction Fundraiser - Half Day

4/29 Community Work Day

* Please RSVP to your child’s teacher the number of guests, and their names, that will be attending the Grandfriends Tea on March 31st. Click here to email  Ki Kim.

Thank you for sharing your children with us!

Grace and Peace,

Ki Kim