Kindergarten Turtles: May 11-15, 2026

May 14

Greetings, Turtle Families,

It is the last week of school, unbelievable! It has been a wonderful year, and we are so grateful to have spent it with your children in our beautiful forest. This sweet class, both children and parents, has been such a blessing!

Last week, we were busy making the most of our time together in the forest.  The class played and created all week, beading, completing sewing projects, building forts and obstacle courses, and playing in the mud! The Turtles visited the creek FOUR times and enjoyed the beautiful water and sandy beaches. The children spotted lots of salamanders, clams, snails, tadpoles, and tiny fish, and we enjoyed spending time there with the other kindergarten classes.

Our story, for the last two weeks, is about growth and moving on. The oldest princess in the kingdom has grown and learned, and now it is time for her to journey out into the wide world to continue her learning and adventures in a new kingdom. In the story, the children are trying to climb a great oak tree. At last, the oldest princess is able to reach the lowest branch, and the story follows as she climbs higher and higher, discovering new sights and perspectives as she ascends through the branches. Eventually, she is able to see into a neighboring kingdom and begins to dream of going there. She finally finds her way and enters the new kingdom, ready to learn new things and experience new adventures. This story is meant to help both the older student and the younger students process the changes that will come with her moving on to First Grade while the others remain in Kindergarten. It is an exciting transition, but may also be accompanied by bittersweet feelings.

As we wrap up this school year, the students are bringing things home. Last week, each brought home drawing books and paintings. This week, they will bring home handwork bags, indoor shoes, water shoes, changes of clothes, and rest mats. Please make sure that at the end of the day on Wednesday, all belongings have been collected.

It was also a week of celebrations, as we honored two Turtles with summer birthdays! On Tuesday, we celebrated Cora’s 6th Birthday.  Her parents and sister visited our class to celebrate with us. On Thursday, we celebrated Sonia’s 7th Birthday.  Her parents and brother visited our class to celebrate with us. Happy Birthday, Cora and Sonia! 

A heartfelt thank you to our wonderful room representatives this year. We are so grateful to Julie Butisbauch for all of the care, organization, and support she gave to our class throughout the year. We also want to sincerely thank Sarah Brunk for graciously stepping in to help during the final part of the year. Your generosity, kindness, and willingness to support the Turtle class made such a difference, and we appreciate you both!

Announcements and Reminders: