Preparing for the School Year

Dear Families,

Welcome to the Butterfly Nursery for 2008-2009 at the Whidbey Island Waldorf School.

     As I mention in the August 15 Welcome Letter, here is an article from 1, 2, 3 . . . The Toddler Years by Irene Van der Zande:  "Saying Goodbye is Sad."  Nursery parents and I have found it helpful in past years during the first days of school.  The wisdom of Van der Zande, Magda Gerber, and others helps me realize that learning that love and comfort can come from teachers and peers as well as from parents and relatives is one of the most important lessons of an early childhood classroom.  Just as the work of the teachers nourishes the children at play, it helps all children in the class to see a child comforted by a teacher.