First Grade: May 19-23, 2025
Dear First Grade Families,
Happy summer break! I hope my First (or should I say Second?!) Graders are already enjoying sleeping later (if parents are lucky) and basking in the beauty and joy of late May in Georgia. Transitions to breaks, as you know, can be challenging for young children, so hang in there. I will miss your sweet children this summer. I look forward to seeing those returning to The Garden School in August, and I will be thinking of those who have moved on to pastures new, always wishing them well.
During the last week of school, students plunged into the last few pages of their Main Lesson book of “The Three Bears” with energy and aplomb! It was so gratifying to dictate sentences and find them writing confidently; they were able to spell sight words and CVC words without any teacher input! One student declared that this was her favorite Main Lesson book of all. Speaking of favorites, the class shared their most treasured aspects of the school year, and interestingly, many shared that they had enjoyed Main Lesson and assemblies the most, both of which involved a lot of work on their part! Perhaps it did not feel like work to them. In addition, students shared that they were so happy that they had learned to read; now, they said, they want to read chapter books. Let it be a summer of reading! Finally, the class reported that their favorite overall activity of Field Day was the crochet water balloons and being sprayed with water. It was a school day like no other! The week also saw the class enjoying special moments with their older peers, including the hilarious Middle School play dress rehearsal, playing Hare and Hounds in the forest, and an all-Grades sing-along at the end of the day on Friday. So many warm fuzzies. I enjoyed seeing each and every one of you at the end of year celebration on Friday! Thank you so much for the generous gift. Zuri's beautiful painting will be hung with pride on my classroom wall.
I am moved beyond words by the way our lives touched each other this year. Your children are so unique and full of life. Their energy was a gift every single day, and your support has kept us all going! Thank you for your kindness and generosity. Undoubtedly, your children are going to grow up to be amazing adults who will be a force of good in this world. Thank you for everything, and have a wonderful summer!
Warmest wishes,
Ki Michelle
