Kindergarten Chickadees: May 11-15, 2026

May 14

Osiyo, Chickadee Families,

It is hard to believe we are in the final days of the school year! The students are excitedly looking forward to the Chickadee class pizza party tomorrow, Wednesday, at 2:00 pm. Please join us if you are able!

Thank you to this year's Chickadee class representative, Gayathri Sridharan! Special thanks also to Carlen Arnold for assisting with that role, and to Grechen Reiter for your work as the school’s class representative coordinator. All of your hard work and dedication have helped make this school year a success!

Last week, some of the students used a hand saw, with teacher assistance, to help cut down a small dead tree in the forest classroom. Afterward, the tree was cut into smaller pieces, which the students have been using as walking sticks and to build larger forts. As they work on fort building, the children add blankets, ropes, and other materials to cover, secure, and decorate. They have even added pillows inside for comfort! Along with rediscovering the joy of fort building, the students returned to creating “tree fashion shows”, tying blankets onto trees to look like dresses. Outdoor fun continued with both sand play at the beach area of the creek and water play in the more shallow, rocky creek area. While exploring the creek, students saw mammal tracks, minnows, water striders, a salamander, a spider with babies on its back, and a shed crawfish skin. In the forest classroom, they spotted a possum walking through the tree line. It was a wonderful week for nature observation!

This week is all about fun and enjoying our last days together as a class. The children will enjoy special stories and snacks, fun games, time at the creek, and, of course, a pizza party! It is natural for children to have various feelings about the end of the school year, and for some students to have big feelings that can show in different ways. Assuring them that these feelings are natural and that changing seasons can be challenging for everyone is helpful. Reading stories (or creating your own) where characters go through an uncomfortable change with positive results and a happy ending is a wonderful way to gently guide children through the end of the school year, or any change in life. Stories with animals serving as the main character are especially beneficial for young children, as they feel less direct and personal, allowing the listener to work through their feelings in a non-threatening way. Summer play dates are wonderful, too!

Announcements & Reminders:

Students’ extra shoes, rest mats, and changes of clothing will go home on Wednesday.