Joyful Beginnings Hummingbirds: September 7-11, 2026
Dear Hummingbird Families,
A Week of Courage, Connection & Wonder. Last week, we continued growing our Day of Courage (Michaelmas) story as we explored what it means to find courage within ourselves. The children had a wonderful experience dyeing their capes with natural turmeric and beautiful marigold flowers. They were able to touch, smell, observe, and experience the natural materials with their whole bodies. There was something especially magical about watching the colors emerge and transform their capes. In Waldorf Early Childhood, simple, hands-on experiences with natural materials are an important part of learning. Rather than rushing to explain everything, we allow children to experience, imitate, wonder, and discover through their senses. Working together with something as simple as flowers, spices, water, and cloth gives children an opportunity to develop care, patience, fine-motor skills, and a deeper connection with the natural world. These experiences also hold an important place in our growing classroom community. As the children work side by side, share materials, help one another, and notice each other's ideas, they are slowly building the foundations of friendship.
On Friday, we opened our first “Little Windows to the World.” This is a new opportunity throughout the year to gently introduce the class to different cultural traditions and celebrations from around our world. Our first window was: “Rosh Hashanah: Discovering the Beauty of a New Beginning”. We shared a very simple introduction to the celebration and talked about the beautiful idea of welcoming a new beginning with kindness, hope, and sweetness. A very special thank you to Niobe, who shared a beautiful homemade apple honey bread with our Hummingbirds. The children enjoyed it together during our Ladybug Snack, making our first Little Window a particularly sweet one. Our intention with these experiences is simply to nurture curiosity, respect, and an appreciation for the many traditions that make our world beautiful, opening a little window and allowing the children to wonder about the world beyond their own experience.
This week, we will continue our journey of bravery and courage as our Day of Courage story unfolds. The children will have the opportunity to wear their special capes on their last school day of the week, carrying with them the courage they have been discovering and growing together. As we head into Fall Break, I hope our little Hummingbirds continue to find those little moments when they can be brave, such as to try something new, to offer a helping hand, to speak kindly, to make a new friend, or simply to take one more step when something feels a little challenging. May their capes remind them that courage is not about being without fear, it is about finding the strength to take the next step.
We wish all our Hummingbird families an amazing, restful, and joyful Fall Break! May you find time to slow down, enjoy one another, explore, play, and create beautiful family memories together.
Class Reminders and Announcements:
Roots & Rhythm: We are excited to welcome Mari Cooper to our community! Throughout this school year, she will be leading an eight-session parent education series. With extensive experience in Waldorf education, Mari will invite participants to explore the “why” behind what we do through music, movement, and meaningful discussion. These sessions are a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the roots of our curriculum while connecting with other parents in our community.
Participation is expected for all new parents, and all parents are encouraged to join! We look forward to supporting you on this beautiful journey of parenting as part of our commitment to building a shared understanding of the philosophy and practices that guide our school!
Conference: Our Fall Conferences will take place from October 7th to October 9th. Please sign up here to schedule a time to meet.
September 18: Day of Courage - Wear the color red - Joyful Beginnings’ pick up time is from 12:00 - 12:15 pm
September 21 - 25: Fall Break
September 28: Teacher In-Service (No School)
October 3: Roots & Rhythm with Ki Mari from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. (On campus, in-person)
October 7-9: Parent Conferences
October 9: No School
Warmly,
Ki Isabela
