Joyful Beginnings Hummingbrids: September 15 - 19, 2025

Sep 18

Dear Joyful Beginnings Hummingbirds Families,

Whether restful and restorative or adventurous and lively, we hope you enjoyed the version of Fall Break your family needed. It was sweet to welcome the children back to campus after a bit of time away. For children this age, time is a bit elusive and intangible, and breaks from school can affect them in meaningful ways. Extra morning cuddles may be in order as they ease back into the rhythm of school.

Before the break, we enjoyed some truly golden days together. While moving around some of the larger stumps in our classroom as part of a little “forest housekeeping,” the Hummingbirds oo-ed and ahh-ed over salamanders, snails, and “wormies.” The stubborn warmth of the September sun, their hard-earned petal and spice-dyed capes, and the glowing apple from our gentle dragon story - all of it shimmered with a special last-bit-of-summer light.

We ended our time before the break with a meaningful moment where each child received their courage stone, just like the one in our story. In the tale, a courageous raccoon named Rosy ventures up the Misty Hill from her quiet meadow to fetch the one golden apple that grows at the top of the tallest tree each year. For many seasons, the apple had not been gathered, for along the path lived a creature who was a bit large and difficult to understand. But Rosy was brave. Before heading through Mariposa Meadow and Toad Pond to venture up the hill, she packed a sprig of mint, some dandelion tea, and a courage stone her mother had given her to remind her that her heart was brave and true.

Along the way, she encountered Ember the dragon. Though he was indeed large and different from her, his eyes were not frightening; they were watchful and kind. The dragon encouraged her on her journey, and she fetched the golden apple from the highest branch. She then returned to her meadow, where all the creatures gathered around the apple to enjoy the waning warmth of the summer sun it held within.

Alongside their courage stones, the children also received the capes they had dyed over the course of the week. As each cape was given, we spoke these words together:

“Here’s your cape of golden light,
To give you courage, strength, and might.”

This week, we will introduce new seasonal circle songs and gestures that speak of the autumn wind and the gentle changes the children notice in their surroundings. The songs and stories paint vivid inner pictures that they then bring to life as they experience them firsthand in their little woodland world.

Announcements & Reminders:

School Pictures will be on Wednesday, October 8th for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday students. Thursday, October 9th, will be for Thursday and Friday students. These will be individual photos only. In the Spring, we will take the class picture and any makeup photos.

Parent/Teacher Conferences are October 9th and 10th. Please sign up here: Hummingbirds