Kindergarten Turtles January 27 - 31, 2025
Greetings, Turtle Families,
Thank you to those who we able to join us for our Curriculum night and/or our All School Meeting!
It was a beautiful week in the forest. Monday was rainy and a little dreary but provided plenty of water for mud-making. This was the focus of the day, as the students spent their time digging, mixing, hauling, and creating with mud. The children are rooted in the earth as they let their imaginations take flight with the possibilities. Students employ the tools we have in class, mud kitchen toys and lumber, along with found objects, such as sticks, rocks, and roots, to work cooperatively to create anything they can imagine. This type of play has cognitive and developmental benefits as they use all their senses and social skills. The sense of accomplishment in their endeavors is evident. The children enjoyed the mud play, and we appreciated your understanding as they came home with muddy boots and clothes. As the week went on, we had sunny skies and warm afternoons, and the students were happy to shed some layers as the days warmed up.
We enjoyed a puppet show and play of our story, The Mitten. The children giggled as they played the parts of grandmother and child, and the varied forest animals who squeezed into the cozy mitten. It was especially fun when the bear sneezed, the mitten flew into the air, and all the animals tumbled out. There was laughter from the whole class as Nikki showed his grandmother that he still had both of his mittens, “one was the size of Nikki’s hand, and the other was the size of Nikki.”
The Golden Knights enjoyed their first week away from the class with Ki Peden, Ki Virginia, and Ki Ieva. They came back each day excited and eager to tell the class about their work and the story they were hearing. When the Golden Knights are away, the children who stay behind in the Turtle class enjoy playing together and discovering the joys the new social dynamics bring. We have been learning some new finger rhymes and small-group games while the older students are away. It is lovely to see the younger students step into new roles and enjoy this time together.
I look forward to meeting with each of you on Thursday or Friday for your child’s conference.
Announcements and Reminders for the Turtle 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 may 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, in lieu of passing out cards from home on Valentine’s Day, classes may choose to recognize the day in their own special way in school that week. Please save all student card/ gift exchanges for play dates off campus. During the week of Valentine’s Day, the turtle class will have a Valentine’s story and we will make a gift for the animals of the forest.
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
Thank you for sharing your children with us and for being a part of our community.
Grace and Peace,
Ki Kim
