Kindergarten Turtles: August 31-September 4, 2026
Dear Turtle Families,
Thank you for joining us for our first Curriculum Night. It was wonderful to see so many parents and share with you about your child and our class. Your time and support are very much appreciated!
Our Handwork bags are complete and beautiful! Each bag is personalized with the child’s name and silhouettes of the nature treasures they chose. These bags will hold handwork projects throughout the year, helping students keep track of their own supplies and continue working on their creations over time. The Turtles began our first sewing project last week and will complete it this week. Each child places their project in their handwork bag for safekeeping between steps and will bring their creations home when they finish. Handwork activities are beneficial for fine motor development, but their value goes far beyond that. Through handwork, children learn to problem-solve, follow multi-step processes, build stamina, focus, and persistence. Sewing requires time and patience, and it gives children a meaningful experience of what it takes to create something from beginning to end. Students are learning that beautiful and useful things take time, care, and effort to make. It is satisfying to create something with your own hands. When the children work on a handwork project, they experience tangible accomplishment and the pride of seeing their efforts take shape. As your child brings home their projects, please take a moment to appreciate the time, love, and effort they have invested.
It is apple-picking season, and our story, How the Apple Got Its Star, is about a Great Apple Tree who loves to gaze at the stars each night, and a star fairy who uses her magic wand to place a star inside each apple on its branches. The children were amazed when an apple was cut open to find the star hidden inside. We made apple prints with red paint and cut apples. The class has also been playing a circle game where we pass wooden apples around the circle while singing My Nice Red Rosy Apple (lyrics and a link to the music are below). This is a collaborative game that involves cross-body coordination and proprioceptive development.
My nice red rosy apple,
Has a secret hid unseen.
You'd see, if you could look inside,
Five rooms so neat and clean.
In each room, there are living,
Two pips so black and bright.
Asleep, they are a-dreaming
Of lovely warm sunlight.
Asleep, they are a-dreaming
Of lovely warm sunlight.
The class will be naturally dyeing cloth later in September. To do this, we need flowers. If you have marigold flowers, you could share them with us, we would love to have them (just the flower head). Also, if you can harvest any goldenrod, a yellow wildflower often found growing wild along the road or trails, we would appreciate that too. Please send any marigolds or goldenrod in by 9/15.
On Friday, we celebrated Briar’s 5th Birthday. Briar’s Mom, Aunt, and baby sister visited our class to celebrate with us. Happy Birthday, Briar!
Class Reminders and Announcements:
Parent Conferences are on the school schedule for October 8 and 9. I will be in Washington for the Waldorf Teacher Certification Program I am completing, so the Turtle Class conferences will be scheduled over the 2 weeks following my return, October 15-27. Please sign up here to schedule a time to meet.
Conferences are for adults only and are an opportunity to come together to talk about your child’s experiences at school, celebrate their growth, and share any questions, observations, or concerns.
September 9: Grade Curriculum Meeting, 6:00 pm. (adults only)
September 12: Community Workday
September 18: Day of Courage (half-day)
September 21 - 25: Fall Break
September 28: Teacher In-Service (No School)
Grace and Peace,
Ki Kim
