Kindergarten Turtles: April 27 - May 1, 2026

May 1

Greetings, Turtle Families,

Last week, our story was about a wise Grandfather Rabbit. He is very old and knows the ways of the winds and the rain, the sun and the moon, and he also knows how to outsmart coyotes. A coyote has been frightening all of the rabbits in Cottontail Village, so Grandfather Rabbit comes up with a clever plan. He sends his friend, Jaybird, to tell Coyote about the biggest rabbit of them all, who lives in the hole by the Great Oak Tree and comes out each morning at sunrise. Coyote hides and waits, ready to catch the “biggest rabbit.” Just as the sun begins to rise, Grandfather Rabbit emerges from the hole, beating his drum. His HUGE shadow and the sound of his “thundering” footsteps scare Coyote away. From that day forward, all of the rabbits in Cottontail Village call him Thunder Longshadow. The children enjoyed the story and the drum beats that brought it to life. This week, we will have a puppet show of the story, and the children will perform a play. Everyone will have a chance to beat the drum. To connect with the story, we have been watching our shadows as we walk in line. This week, we will use sidewalk chalk to trace each child’s shadow and we will visit our tracings throughout the day to see how our shadows change.

We had some special celebrations this week. Ki Emily’s Birthday was on Wednesday. She was showered with cards and lots of love by the children. They sang a Turtle-composed birthday song to her (many times!) and we enjoyed watermelon for snack in her honor. The Turtles were especially excited that she received a Birthday Turtle, just like they do on their birthdays. Also, on Wednesday, Sonia completed Golden Knights. We have loved watching her grow over the last two years and are so excited to see her enter this new and exciting chapter – First Grade here she comes!

Announcements and Reminders:

As we enter the final 3 weeks of school, there are a few things to remember.

It has warmed up, so students need 2 full water bottles each day. We have drinking water to refill if they drink both of their water bottles from home. They need to stay hydrated!
The mosquitoes are out in full force. Please make sure that you pack insect repellent in your child’s backpack.
We will visit the creek as much as we are able in these last few weeks of school. Please check your child’s backpack every night for wet clothes and replace them with a fresh change of clothes. Don’t forget underwear.

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

We hope you will join us!