Kindergarten Turtle: September 14-18, 2026
Dear Turtle Families,
Hopefully, you all had a relaxing break! It was wonderful to come together as a class again. The children missed each other, and we missed them! Fall is here! The Turtles have begun our new autumn circle this week. It is full of new songs, verses, and movements for the students to learn. The Turtles will be galloping, jumping, and moving across the classroom as we welcome the changing season.
During the week before break, we completed our capes as part of our Day of Courage celebrations. Naturally dyed fabric makes a wonderful addition to loose parts and imaginative play. It can be a cape, a blanket for a stuffed animal, a fort for some peg dolls, or anything they can imagine. The dyeing process is such a sensory experience! First, we collected goldenrod and marigolds. As the students pulled the goldenrod flowers from the stems and plucked the marigold flower petals, many commented on how good they smelled. They also noticed how soft the marigolds were and how it felt to strip the goldenrod from the stems. We added water, then boiled the flowers and let them simmer. When the dye was ready, each student dipped a cloth into the mixture and stirred. The children were thrilled to see the white cloths become a beautiful yellow.
Our story about a hungry and lonely dragon who collects cloud berries will continue this week. At the beginning of the story, the dragon was afraid of people, and the people were afraid of dragons. One day, the dragon found himself face-to-face with a small child. The child was frightened, and the dragon was frightened too. It had been very rainy, and the child’s family needed help lighting their fire so they could cook their food, and the dragon agreed to help. Once the fire was lit, the family invited the dragon to stay and share pancakes with them. The dragon shared his cloud berries to make a delicious syrup. When both the child and the dragon overcame their fear, a beautiful friendship was found. This week, we will bring our story to life with our own pancake feast, and don’t forget the cloudberry (blueberry) syrup.
On Thursday, we celebrated Tea’s 6th birthday. Her parents and little brother visited our class to help us celebrate. Happy Birthday, Tea!
Class Reminders and Announcements:
Roots & Rhythm: We are excited to welcome Mari Cooper, who will lead an eight-session parent education series throughout the year. Through music, movement, and discussion, parents will explore the philosophy behind our Waldorf-inspired approach. Our first session will be held on October 3 from 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Participation is expected for new parents, and all parents are encouraged to join.
Parent Conferences: Turtle Class conferences will be scheduled over the 2 weeks following my return from Waldorf Teacher training, October 15-27. Please sign up here to schedule a time to meet.
October 3: Roots & Rhythm with Ki Mari from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. (On campus, in-person)
October 8: Half day for all students
October 9: No school and Parent Conferences (Turtle Conferences will be scheduled October 15-27)
October 10: Community Workday
October 17: Fall Festival from 3:00-6:00 pm
Grace and Peace,
Ki Kim
