Kindergarten Chickadees January 27 - 31, 2025
Osiyo, Chickadee Families,
Thank you for attending our spring Curriculum Night and All-School Meeting last week! During the Chickadee Curriculum Night, we discussed regulation in Early Childhood, noticing when children are becoming dysregulated, and strategies for co-regulation and building the ability to self-regulate. We work on this in Early Childhood so that when students enter First Grade, they are well-equipped to remain in and return to a regulated state for academic learning. The Waldorf philosophy of development, which is the three-fold being: thinking, feeling, and willingness, coordinates beautifully with brain development through childhood and the stages of regulation. Daily and weekly activities, along with the program's peaceful environment and rhythm, naturally guide children through their bodies and senses, providing a sense of calm and regulation. You can ask your children about “hand breathing” and their class pets; these are their favorite regulation tools at school. At the Curriculum Night, families also discussed the class auction project. More information on the project and how to get involved will be sent in the coming weeks.
The Chickadee students were happy to be outside every day last week. The warmer temperatures encouraged different types of play in the forest. Many students built roads, forts, teeter-totters, and other structures with stumps, logs, and pieces of wood. The children began a paper doll project, coloring dolls and articles of clothing. The clothing for the dolls is similar to the outerwear the students put on each day in cold weather. This week, the children will play with their dolls, practicing the order for putting on and removing their gear (for example, boots go on after snow or rain pants and come off before the pants). At the end of this week, students will bring their paper dolls home.
At this point in the school year, the students are ideally independent with their rain and winter wear. To reinforce these skills, it will be helpful for our students to continue practicing with their dolls at home and practice putting on and removing their own gear. Please remember to have your child dressed in their outerwear for the day when you drop them off. Before entering the carpool lane, please utilize the parking spots in the front of the building as a safe place for your child to put on their gear. Thank you for your help.
Announcements and Reminders for Chickadee Kindergarten:
Thank you all for signing up for conferences on February 6th and 7th. You can view the sign-up here. Conferences will be in person at the school. If you do not see a time that works for you, please let me know, and we will schedule a different time. Conferences are planned for 20 minutes. If you need longer for your child's conference, please let me know before scheduling so we can work out a time that respects your time and that of other families. We ask that children do not attend conferences, allowing us to communicate in confidence.
Valentine’s Day: As has been our tradition at The Garden School, please save all student card/gift exchanges for play dates off campus. In place of celebrating this holiday in our class, we will focus on the Lunar New Year with a special craft and snack to recognize this holiday and the year of the snake.
2/6: Lunar New Year Performance: 11:30 a.m.
2/6: Parent Conferences: Half-Day Dismissal
2/7: Parent Conferences: No School
2/17-2/21: Mid-Winter Break: No School
2/24: Teacher In-Service: No School
Gyvalieliga,
Ki Holly
