(printed versions in parent folders, Wednesday, December 3)
A number of children still request the songs with which I started the year. Here is a list of movement and singing games I offer outside every day. It may keep growing throughout the year, or I may bring more winter songs in January and retire other songs. Each year's group of children finds nourishment in unique ways.
We feed the chickens every day, singing as we go.
We gather all the eggs they lay, singing as we go.
Then we go to market, to market, to market.
Then we go to market, singing as we go.
Fiddle me up to London town, fiddle me down to Dover. I'll dance while the music plays. I'll stop when it's over (substitute other instruments).
Hey, Jim along, Jim along Josie, Hey Jim along, Jim along joy (substitute different words for "hey" such as "clap" "dance" "run" "skip"
The Grand Old Duke of York . . .
We are poor wandering travelers, out in the wind and the rain.
We saw your light, shining so bright,
Tapped at your window pane.
Singing, Let us come in, let us come in,
Into your house, we pray.
Let us come in, let us come in,
Please do not turn us away.
St. Nicholaus (from Wilma Ellersiek, in her version his name rhymes with "house").
This one is new, and children enjoy pretending to carry a heavy sack as we march along and sing "stump, stump, stump, stump, the sack is full. Is heavy, too."
Puppet Shows
On Monday I began presenting "The Shoemaker and the Elves." Children now have the chance to use the puppets from our previous puppet show, in which the farmers and cat, dog, and mouse worked together to pull the giant pumpkin from the vine. In the winter, I'll present a snow puppet show, "Good Friends," in which little rabbit finds two carrots, shares one along, and the present makes its away from animal to animal and back to little rabbit. Then will come a pocket apron puppet show of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears."
Crafts and Work
The mittens give us a chance for more washing during class time. We will be washing windows, ironing, and doing as much lawful and purposeful work in the presence of and with the children in the months ahead.
We have begun embroidering yarn balls as holiday gifts. As with the lanterns, children will get a chance to bring a gift to someone in administration or another teacher in the school. In past years I have also sent one home as a gift for each nursery family. I have made a conscious effort this year to avoid sending so many things home--I am trying to have children love school for the fellowship, the play, the work, and the artistic experience. I feel I may have erred in some past years by becoming overly productive with the children--we became so efficient at dipping candles or baking, for example, that the main school experience became "Do I get to take a candle home today?" or "Do I get to take the biggest roll home?" rather than what experiences each child had during the morning. Our classroom Tomten has also been giving gifts to the children in less tangible ways. On our day before Thanksgiving, I asked the Tomten to deliver an invitation to have a guest join us for our snack, and at snack time an 8th grader Elijah Lindstrom entered to eat soup with us.
My sense from conferences to this point is that our Butterfly nursery children enjoy our school days for the experiences, the nature, the rhythm, the music. I want to keep them free from the stress of "which holiday ornament am I bringing home to my family [or myself]?" At the same time, I feel pulled to send something home during the end of the year break. I am meditating upon the issue, and may use the venerable USPS to mail something to you.
Rudolf Steiner celebrated embroidery as excellent craft for young children. As with drawing, they were free to create at whatever skill level they had achieved, and their imaginations received nourishment as they explained that this or that set of stitches represented a boat or cat or house. It does not require the instruction that knitting (which waits until first grade) or precision that weaving ask for. My hope is to offer embroidery from time to time in the winter that children would be free to participate in.
Back to School Field trip ideas
We return to school on Wednesday, January 7. We may have one or several new nursery students joining us. Rather than having one day after a long break and then a 4 day break until the following Monday which might make separation more challenging for new students (and sometimes for returning students), I would like to make that Wednesday a morning together for parents and children. If not every parent can attend, my hope is that other families can step in and chaperone more than one child. I am mindful of possible foul weather. If we had 10, 11, or 12 children and parents in the Butterfly Room, that would begin to feel crowded, so I am seeking a bigger venue--beach, forest, shelter, farm, some other area where children can move freely and possibly witness physical work. Please let me know if you have ideas.
My backup plan is to meet at the Whidbey Institute, have outdoor play and walks on new trails near the school, share a snack or snacks at a picnic shelter near Thomas Berry Hall, and, if possible, use the Sanctuary for a story or puppet show.
Dates to Remember
Advent Spiral, Friday, December 12, 4:30 or 6pm. Please see attached letter from the early childhood faculty with more information and times. For the lantern walk, we divided the kindergarten classes and kept the nursery class together. For the Spiral, we decided to keep the kindergartens together because they do sit as a class. Nursery children sit with their families.
Last day of nursery and kindergarten this calendar year, Wednesday, December 17. Parents, please join our classes at 11:30am on the playground. We will take a walk together with the kindergartens and may experience a surprise or two (shhhhhh). Please let me know if you cannot attend. We will seek another parent to be present for your child.
Christmas Festival, Friday, December 19, 10:45am, Thomas Berry Hall at the Whidbey Institute. The middle school will present The Christmas Carol, student orchestras will play, and a festival choir will sing. The play itself takes an hour, and the whole event may take 90 minutes. If you decide to attend, know that the elementary children will be walking down Old Pietila Road at about 10:30, and cars will not be allowed to the Institute at that time.
Wednesday, January 7, first day of school in the new year. Exact plans (potential field trip) to be announced. Provisional plan is to meet at the picnic shelter next to Thomas Berry Hall at 9am (parent and child can walk together or drive down after dropping off an elementary or kindergarten student).
Monday, January 19, no school, Dr. Martin Luther King Day.
Tuesday, January 20, 6 - 7:30pm, nursery families invited to come as guests to a kindergarten parent evening. Bonnie Freundlich will talk about (and probably demonstrate) Eurythmy curriculum in Waldorf Education.
Monday, January 26, no school, teacher in-service day.
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