Joyful Beginning Hummingbirds: April 27 - May 1, 2026

May 1

Dear Joyful Beginnings Hummingbirds Families,

The children welcomed last week’s rain with great gusto. The forest had become exceptionally dry and dusty, and the mud kitchen had been all but abandoned with little chef hands finding the ground too tough for digging and gathering ingredients. At long last, the rain returned, bringing with it the revival of beloved pinecone stews and red clay teas. Outdoors, the children also enjoyed collecting giant kudzu leaves as snack offerings for the donkeys and goats, and they made an exciting discovery of wild bull thistle growing along the farm fence.

Indoors, a group of older children noticed a puzzle box tucked away on the teacher’s shelf and eagerly asked to try it. With impressive collaboration and focus, they worked together to complete a 36-piece forest scene. The social awareness and communication skills they have gracefully acquired throughout the school year were on full display.

The class also explored painting with multiple colors. In Waldorf early childhood, it is typical to work with a single color at a time, especially before the age of four. This approach allows young children to fully experience the mood, depth, and qualities of each color without the cognitive demand of managing multiple hues. It keeps the experience open-ended and imaginative rather than outcome-focused. As the children grow and approach kindergarten, they are gradually ready to experiment with multiple colors, so the class gave it a go using red, blue, and yellow watercolors.

Our rising kindergarteners embraced this opportunity with great care and intention. They thoughtfully rinsed “Buddy the Brush” between colors and showed impressive restraint, avoiding over-mixing that can lead to muddy tones. Instead, as they layered colors, they discovered the varied emergence of greens and purples. These paintings will become the covers of their end-of-semester art journals, which will be sent home soon.

As we move into the final weeks of school, we look forward to a few simple and meaningful end-of-year moments. In keeping with Waldorf early childhood principles, we aim not to make “too much fuss” about the transition, honoring instead the children’s dreamy and developing sense of time. We will continue to hold our strong daily rhythms while celebrating the growth and sweet friendships formed throughout the year with some end of year “sprinkles”.

Upcoming End-of-Year Events:

Monday, May 11 – Paper Making
Rosemary’s family will guide the children in a lovely paper-making activity in the forest.
Thursday, May 14 – Picnic by the Pond
Sun tea, homemade bread, and honey butter. Children may bring a small stuffie to school (must fit in their basket).
Friday, May 15 – Last Day of School (Thursday/Friday Class)
Nature crowns and homemade strawberry sorbet.
Monday, May 18 – Picnic by the Pond
Sun tea, homemade bread, and honey butter. Children may bring a small stuffie to school (must fit in their basket).
Tuesday, May 19 – Field Day
While we will not participate in formal organized games, our class will join in spirit with bubbles, water play, special gradient mud cakes, and popsicles.
Wednesday, May 20 – Last Day of School (Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday Class)
Nature crowns and homemade strawberry sorbet.

Announcements & Reminders:

TGS Families are invited to attend Class Plays, Presentations, and School Assemblies!

We hope you will join us!