Joyful Beginnings Hummingbirds: March 3 - 7, 2025

Mar 7

Dear Joyful Beginnings Hummingbird Families,

Last week, rain gave us a delightful mix of splashy, slushy mud to play in, while on another day, the wind gave us an extra day at the farm. The rest of the week, the sun and clouds played peek-a-boo, and King Winter made his rounds through the woods—perhaps for the last time before heading back to the mountains. All of it made us keenly aware of the changing season and filled us with an even greater longing to welcome Lady Spring.

In our story, Gloria the gnome knows deep in her heart that winter is coming to an end, and spring is just around the corner. She celebrates her friendships with Philomena the fairy and her two cats, Midnight and Pinkie. As the story unfolds, we can see the children's imaginations sparkling as they listen attentively. They are becoming more skilled at following the flow of stories and understanding the meaning of words.

We continue to allow the children to be fully engrossed in play, maintaining our daily rhythms and loving boundaries. We offer fewer choices, use fewer words, and minimize stimulation to give their growing imaginative abilities more space, fostering continued opportunities for the strengthening of their will.

A few examples of key words and phrases we use to help hold the boundaries in a positive, kind, and firm way:

"Inside shoes off, outside shoes on.” “Coats and hats and mittens today”
"Gentle hands." "Hands are for work and play." "Hands are for helping."
"You may touch gently." “Calm bodies, calm hands” “Inside voices in the classroom”
“Strong and steady feet/legs”
“We play together, stay together”
"Ask first if they'd like a hug."
"You may stop!" "Red light."
"A few minutes to sit still and take a deep breath."
"We use kind/nice words at school." “Ask nicely”

Announcements and Reminders for Hummingbirds: