Joyful Beginnings Bluebirds: August 11-14, 2026
Dear Bluebird Families,
Welcome to The Garden School! It was wonderful to see everyone at our Meet & Greet on August 8th. We are so excited to begin this journey together and look forward to a wonderful year with all of our Bluebird friends!
This week marks our first week of school, and our focus is on helping each child feel comfortable and confident as they adjust to our learning environment and daily rhythm. During circle time, the children begin learning one another’s names and special symbols. Together, we sing our “Bluebird” and “Good Morning” songs and enjoy fun finger plays.
During transition times, the children will become familiar with our “Tick Tock Clock” song, which helps us clean up our toys, and our “Come Follow” song, which guides us as we transition to the forest for free play.
During the morning, the students explore our outdoor playground and forest classroom. In the forest, we will help the children become familiar with our boundaries and learn how to play safely while exploring nature. They will have opportunities to play with natural materials, shovels, trucks, and rakes as they discover and enjoy their surroundings.
Next week, we will begin our chopping activities and continue getting to know our friends and our wonderful environment. We are looking forward to a joyful start to the school year and to watching our Bluebirds grow, explore, and learn together!
Class Reminders and Announcements:
Create a goodbye ritual: Having a special goodbye routine can be very helpful during drop-off. You might share a special handshake, give your child a hug, or say a few encouraging words before saying goodbye. A consistent and positive goodbye can help make the transition easier and more comfortable for your child.
Label belongings: Please label all of your child’s belongings with their names.
We are NUT-FREE: Please make sure you pack a small nourishing NUT-FREE snack (allergies to peanuts and tree-nuts listed for our Joyful Beginning Program).
Bring an apple: Starting the week of August 24th, please bring an apple on Mondays and Thursdays.
Half-Day dismissal: On days when the school has a Half-Day dismissal, Joyful Beginnings’ pick-up time will be 12:00–12:15 p.m.
August 29: Community Workday (All families welcome!)
September 7: Labor Day (No School)
September 8: Early Childhood Curriculum Meeting, 6:00 pm (Adults only)
September 9: Grade Curriculum Meeting, 6:00 pm (Adults only)
Warmly,
Ki Siyu
