Synopsis of the details that follow:
1) At 8:30, the class will go to the teepee. Don't rush. Plan to walk your child to the teepee if you arrive after 8:30 (you are not late).
2) Kindergartens are dismissing earlier. If the 12:20 nursery dismissal proves too late, I will move it a few minutes earlier.
3) On Wednesdays, we will go at 11:45am to the teepee with the 7th and 8th graders. We will return at 12:20pm. Plan on meeting your child outside on Wednesdays. I/we will give support to families also picking up kindergarten children at 12:25.
4) Please return to the habit of bringing crunchy fruits and vegetables such as apples and carrots. Please avoid mushy or juicy fruits. We can use more soup vegetables of all sorts, too.
5) Inside, I am moving the puppet show earlier and putting more form (assigned seats; predictable order of dismissal from the story circle). While this may upset some at first, it will relieve stress in the long term.
Drop-Off -- Going to the Teepee earlier
Our grounds are beautiful. Our nursery children can delight themselves picking berries, swinging, digging, exploring. We have hopes of seeing the 2nd story of the play house made safe and ready for our use.
The space would be even more ideal for young children beginning school if it had a clearer boundary. While the rustic fence is lovely, it is permeable; it is easy for children to see parents having a conversation by the bulletin board (as parents should be able to do). When I reflect upon other Waldorf nurseries, I see that many have great success with outdoor starts when there is a lovely, clear, sturdy gate. The parent hugs and/or kisses her or his child and says farewell at the gate. The gate and fence provide more clarity about when and where school starts.
While having a parent stay longer can sometimes help a child through tearful separations, it can also increase the tension for other children. Some mornings I observed this; the pressure seemed to mount as we got ready to walk to the teepee. With the change in assistants and growing class, I want to provide more clarity about when school begins--this may be hard for some children, but I feel this will be best for the group as a whole.
I like the way our kindergartens have a definite good-bye as part of their circle, and I felt and still feel that it doesn't work for us to join that circle (too big) or for us to try to do the exact same thing (because so many parents would have to be in 2 places at once). I mentioned to some parents that I considered starting our day at the teepee in the summer--it is more enclosed, can hold the children more, there is a fallen branch to climb over that makes an entrance--but I backed away from this idea because the logistics seemed too confusing for parents with multiple children.
After much consideration, I think it will be much easier for most families if we start at the teepee. Even though you may have to walk your child farther, the clarity of when school starts will--in not too long a time--make the morning farewell more graceful and joyful. What follows are the nuts and bolts:
Earlybirds (8:15 to 8:30): You may still drop off your child early at the berry patch playground. I offer this as a courtesy. School has not officially started yet.
8:30 -- bells for the whole school. Nursery children who are present and ready will here "All aboard who are coming aboard" and mount our ship (a rope with knots I will be holding). We will, without delay, head on our trail to the teepee.
We will be at the teepee until at least 9:10am. Do not feel you need to rush to school to be there by 8:30.
If your child resists boarding the ship at first, that is fine. Allow us to travel ahead of you. Then walk your child to the teepee and say farewell at the fallen branch (this location will become obvious after the first day).
For parents with kindergarten children, I can see 3 options, any of which are viable.
A) Your child will be so excited to board the ship, you will say a quick good-bye at 8:30.
B) You and your kindergarten child might walk your nursery child behind the ship, say good-bye at the fallen branch, and return in time for the 8:35am kindergarten circle.
C) You keep your nursery child with you for the 8:35am kindergarten circle and walk your nursery child to the teepee "gate" (the fallen branch) after saying farewell to your kindergarten child.
For parents with a child who looks forward to swinging first thing, I see the following as a good plan:
Don't try to rush to get to school to get to a swing "first" or before the ship leaves at 8:30. Come at a time that works for you. Have a plan such as, "I'll push you on a swing while we sing 2 songs, then I'll walk you to the teepee and say goodbye at the fallen branch." I notice that when many children want to swing at the morning separation, tension can mount as children wait for a swing. I am trying to free children and parents from this pattern.
At the teepee, we will start a long-term project of blazing a new trail and clearing a path bit by bit. The 7th and 8th graders will help us with this project, beginning on Wednesday.
When we return to the berry patch playground at 9:10 or 9:20 or so (as we build a new trail, we will lengthen our walk; Helle, who has observed many children, feels our nursery children would benefit from a much longer walk. I plan to build up slowly), we will have another ongoing project. Groups of children will go with teacher or assistant to fill a wheelbarrow or tarp with woodchips to help fill in under the kindergarten swings and tire swing. I want this to be a meaningful and lengthy project, so please resist helping us to make it easier. It will be great if it lasts us for months.
Dismissal
The kindergartens plan to dismiss at 12:25pm, a bit earlier than before the New Year. I will strive to dismiss at or right before 12:20pm as I have been (I think I've been pretty true to this timing). If this proves too late (that is, the hall is too crowded with kindergarten parents), I may move dismissal up to at or just before 12:15pm. I will let you know.
On Wednesdays, when the 7th & 8th graders visit at 11:45, they will help our nursery children get dressed in outdoor clothes, and we will go to the teepee together. The middle school students will help us clear a trail, build forts, find ways to challenge us with climbing, and more. I think it will be nice to end the nursery week at the teepee--some of our children may look forward to returning to the teepee first thing Monday morning to see the forts or work they did with the middle school students. We will return at 12:20pm from the outside. For some of you, it may be easier to check your child's mailbox, meet us outside, and stay outside with your child. I will be willing to stay outside a little past 12:25 with your children if this makes it easier for you to pick up your kindergarten child (I do have afternoon classes to teach, so I ask that you strive to be prompt). We may have to adjust Wednesday dismissal to make it work for parents with children in kindergarten and nursery.
Crunchy snacks like carrots, celery, and apples, please.
Our fruit/vegetable snack policy has been to ask for crunchier items easier to transport and eat while in the woods. The kindergarten teachers and I tend to slide into allowing juicier or mushier items like bananas or oranges, but my conversation with Helle and my reflection reminds me of the important balance some crunchier foods that require work provide. I am convinced of the merit of my warm snacks of rice, bread, and soup, but they are all somewhat mushy.
I also intend to start serving apples or carrots outside in the woods, especially as we go for longer walks. While I love oranges, they can feel very cold outside in winter time (maybe I'll beg for oranges in spring). Bananas can be hard for a teacher to transport (as cool as banana bunkers are, I'd prefer not to rely on them). If a a banana or orange is the only item that makes it easy for your child to come to school, please bring it--I may not necessarily serve it that day or week (or may trade it for soup vegetables, or mix it into our birthday ginger muffins).
Helle also encouraged me to bring more form to snack times (her expectations for table manners for 2 and 3 year olds were quite high; while I will not be unreasonable, it is good to have high expectations), and I want to add beauty and form to the apple or carrot snack. While in the woods, I plan to take a knife and responsibly carve an apple or carrot into even pieces (7 pieces if there are 7 children waiting, for example) and share them out only after they are all ready. This will also be an early, unspoken lesson in fractions (which students will get to in a more explicit way in 4th grade). In Waldorf early childhood settings, we try to set up these teachable moments, but we allow them to be experiences, and we strive to avoid disrupting them with explanations and talking (it is of course great if a 4th grade teacher knows what went on in the nursery and can tell a story about years ago when a teacher cut an apple into 7 or 9 or 12 parts).
Story earlier in the day
With the transitions, it will help our children, I believe, to have more clarity when we come inside at 9:30, 10, 10:30 (we will stay outside the right amount of time). When children come inside, we will all put away our coats. Children will go to assigned seats around a circle for a puppet show. This will avoid some of the competition for baby dolls or toys that might just get worse and worse unless I make a change. After the puppet show or story, we will say our blessing, bless children not present, and then I will dismiss children one by one in a logical, rotating order. This may be very frustrating for some children in the short term (especially if they have to wait and don't get the doll or toy they were hoping for) but should without too much delay greatly increase clarity and relieve stress (I may not get my favorite doll today, but in 3 days I know I get up from the circle first).
We will have some of our favorite snow fingerplays and songs at the snack/rest table at about 12:10 or so just before dismissal. Again, these seats are assigned, so this will relieve stress and competition (who gets to sit next to an assistant, and soforth).
Some children will also have new snack seats, and you may hear laments because she or he was moved (or not moved). This made sense with a new assistant and new children.
All these increases in form are meant to increase the freedom of the children in the play; the children no longer have to worry about certain things (who to sit next to), so they are more free to use those forces in imaginative play.
Thanks for reading,
William Dolde
Friday, January 8, 2010
Soccer Park on Langley Road, Saturday
Dear Families,
My boys and I will be at the smaller castle park near all the soccer fields on Langley Road tomorrow, Saturday, from about 10-11:30am. I invite any to all of you to come by, play, say hello, and ease back into our school community.
Expect a post later today or tomorrow with some details for Monday. While I have been pleased with the cooperative play of our nursery children, like my kindergarten colleagues, I have had time to reflect upon my own observations and those of Helle Heckmann and will be making some minor adjustments to the rhythm of our day and week. This will affect, for some but not all families, drop-off, pick-up, and what snacks to bring (again, the changes will be minor).
With warmth and light,
William Dolde
My boys and I will be at the smaller castle park near all the soccer fields on Langley Road tomorrow, Saturday, from about 10-11:30am. I invite any to all of you to come by, play, say hello, and ease back into our school community.
Expect a post later today or tomorrow with some details for Monday. While I have been pleased with the cooperative play of our nursery children, like my kindergarten colleagues, I have had time to reflect upon my own observations and those of Helle Heckmann and will be making some minor adjustments to the rhythm of our day and week. This will affect, for some but not all families, drop-off, pick-up, and what snacks to bring (again, the changes will be minor).
With warmth and light,
William Dolde
Friday, December 4, 2009
Nursery Advent Garden, December 11, 9am
Dear Nursery Families,
I look forward to seeing you at our Advent Garden next Friday, December 11, at 9am. The Festival takes place at the Sanctuary at the Whidbey Institute. Please ask me or a parent who has been around if the location is unclear.
Follow this link for a brief description of the festival and lyrics to many of the songs we will sing.
A number of you attended our parent & child festival last year, and our nursery festival will be similar--during the daytime, parents encouraged to sing, children sitting with parents in family groups. Unlike last year's parent & child festival, we will strive to have the nursery children leave the garden while the candles are still lit so that is the final image they take with them. I will seek help from any families in which 2 parents are present to help me gracefully extinguish candles so that we can send each child home with a candle in an apple.
Even with the less formal atmosphere (singing rather than quiet music, sitting with parents), some children may find it intimidating to walk the spiral. Even if a child just watches, she or he benefits from the group experience. Because it is a nice rite of passage for a child to walk with a teacher, I will first seek children willing to walk the spiral with me, then children who might be more comfortable walking with a parent.
Grandparents, siblings, and friends are welcome. The kindergarten teachers might prefer that 3 day kindergarten siblings wait until the evening for their own walk (so their evening experience remains magical and strong), but I'd rather have your family attend than you not come if it is too hard to find care for a 3 day kindergarten child. I do not think it will be a problem for nursery children to come back in the evening to watch their kindergarten siblings walk the spiral.
Please contact me with any questions or comments.
With warmth and light,
William Geoffrey Dolde
I look forward to seeing you at our Advent Garden next Friday, December 11, at 9am. The Festival takes place at the Sanctuary at the Whidbey Institute. Please ask me or a parent who has been around if the location is unclear.
Follow this link for a brief description of the festival and lyrics to many of the songs we will sing.
A number of you attended our parent & child festival last year, and our nursery festival will be similar--during the daytime, parents encouraged to sing, children sitting with parents in family groups. Unlike last year's parent & child festival, we will strive to have the nursery children leave the garden while the candles are still lit so that is the final image they take with them. I will seek help from any families in which 2 parents are present to help me gracefully extinguish candles so that we can send each child home with a candle in an apple.
Even with the less formal atmosphere (singing rather than quiet music, sitting with parents), some children may find it intimidating to walk the spiral. Even if a child just watches, she or he benefits from the group experience. Because it is a nice rite of passage for a child to walk with a teacher, I will first seek children willing to walk the spiral with me, then children who might be more comfortable walking with a parent.
Grandparents, siblings, and friends are welcome. The kindergarten teachers might prefer that 3 day kindergarten siblings wait until the evening for their own walk (so their evening experience remains magical and strong), but I'd rather have your family attend than you not come if it is too hard to find care for a 3 day kindergarten child. I do not think it will be a problem for nursery children to come back in the evening to watch their kindergarten siblings walk the spiral.
Please contact me with any questions or comments.
With warmth and light,
William Geoffrey Dolde
Monday, November 9, 2009
Preparing for Conferences
Dear Parents,
When we meet together at a parent & teacher conference in the coming weeks or in the spring time, we will create a picture of your child at school, and I will try to answer any questions you may have. It sometimes help if you let me know your questions or interests before the conference. To aid in this process, the early childhood teachers have created this conference preparation form to fill out and return to me (either by email or in writing).
Although I do a lot of work with children in class to help work toward an inclusive social environment (I don't expect children to be artificially kind to every child in the class or for peace to permeate every moment of every day; but I am still working to foster the generosity of spirit present in the children), and although sometimes parents and I do create goals to assist in this process (e.g., 2 children seem to be always battling, and parents and I might together agree that more or less or different time together outside of school may or may not be helpful), I have found myself over the years refraining from making the conference a time in which we create goals or lots of things to work on as a teacher might with an older child. When our children are ages 2 to 4, there is so much that will evolve and change as the children grow, that being quietly strong, clear, and patient is the most helpful course of action. There are, of course, times when we can help young children with healing activities (and often teachers share these activities with all children or all families because all children benefit), and we need to be awake to the possibility of other sorts of help needed in the early years. We also, however, want to allow our children time to develop their senses of autonomy, initiative, and industry.
Speech development, for example, happens at different rates for different children. When I was first becoming an early childhood teacher, I found this article about stuttering extremely helpful. It is old. It may well be that a current speech pathologist might refute some of the research. All the same, the general message of the article--that child development is not a smooth path of ostensible perfection but has its normal deviations along the way--obtains not just in speech development but in many areas of child development. In speech, for example, the researchers found no difference in the speech patterns (e.g., repetitions, pauses, and the like) of 3 to 4 year olds considered to be stutterers compared to 3 to 4 year olds not considered to be stutterers; it was found to be fairly normal for children, as their speech developed, to struggle to put ideas into words fluently. What caused a pattern of stuttering to persist, however, was when caregivers or parents became concerned and considered these normal hiccups in speech to be a problem. The diagnosis of stuttering was found to be the cause of stuttering. I recommend reading the article to see how the author presents his research and develops his argument.
Again, I use this idea also as a metaphor for other areas of development. While I do intervene quickly in social issues (because other children become involved and, I believe, long term habits of relating to each other become established), in many other ways, I prefer to create a stable and artistic environment, and to be mindful and observe, and share my picture with parents--without any sort of solution or prescription or recommendation or judgment. Thank you for your support of this approach.
With warmth and light,
William Geoffrey Dolde
p.s. I have experienced with one of my sons the question of stuttering--when his speech began to quickly develop, he paused and repeated sounds quite a lot. Some other adults noticed. Some even gave me and my wife various links to medical services that would be available--indeed, there are times for early intervention, and that was the drift of some of these sources. We chose to have faith in development and the article--his speech and mental pictures were developing so rapidly, it seemed to me, that it was hard for his speech organs to keep up. Touch wood, the patient model seems to have work; over a period of months, the normal repetitions of his speech evolved into normal speech for an almost 3 year old.
When we meet together at a parent & teacher conference in the coming weeks or in the spring time, we will create a picture of your child at school, and I will try to answer any questions you may have. It sometimes help if you let me know your questions or interests before the conference. To aid in this process, the early childhood teachers have created this conference preparation form to fill out and return to me (either by email or in writing).
Although I do a lot of work with children in class to help work toward an inclusive social environment (I don't expect children to be artificially kind to every child in the class or for peace to permeate every moment of every day; but I am still working to foster the generosity of spirit present in the children), and although sometimes parents and I do create goals to assist in this process (e.g., 2 children seem to be always battling, and parents and I might together agree that more or less or different time together outside of school may or may not be helpful), I have found myself over the years refraining from making the conference a time in which we create goals or lots of things to work on as a teacher might with an older child. When our children are ages 2 to 4, there is so much that will evolve and change as the children grow, that being quietly strong, clear, and patient is the most helpful course of action. There are, of course, times when we can help young children with healing activities (and often teachers share these activities with all children or all families because all children benefit), and we need to be awake to the possibility of other sorts of help needed in the early years. We also, however, want to allow our children time to develop their senses of autonomy, initiative, and industry.
Speech development, for example, happens at different rates for different children. When I was first becoming an early childhood teacher, I found this article about stuttering extremely helpful. It is old. It may well be that a current speech pathologist might refute some of the research. All the same, the general message of the article--that child development is not a smooth path of ostensible perfection but has its normal deviations along the way--obtains not just in speech development but in many areas of child development. In speech, for example, the researchers found no difference in the speech patterns (e.g., repetitions, pauses, and the like) of 3 to 4 year olds considered to be stutterers compared to 3 to 4 year olds not considered to be stutterers; it was found to be fairly normal for children, as their speech developed, to struggle to put ideas into words fluently. What caused a pattern of stuttering to persist, however, was when caregivers or parents became concerned and considered these normal hiccups in speech to be a problem. The diagnosis of stuttering was found to be the cause of stuttering. I recommend reading the article to see how the author presents his research and develops his argument.
Again, I use this idea also as a metaphor for other areas of development. While I do intervene quickly in social issues (because other children become involved and, I believe, long term habits of relating to each other become established), in many other ways, I prefer to create a stable and artistic environment, and to be mindful and observe, and share my picture with parents--without any sort of solution or prescription or recommendation or judgment. Thank you for your support of this approach.
With warmth and light,
William Geoffrey Dolde
p.s. I have experienced with one of my sons the question of stuttering--when his speech began to quickly develop, he paused and repeated sounds quite a lot. Some other adults noticed. Some even gave me and my wife various links to medical services that would be available--indeed, there are times for early intervention, and that was the drift of some of these sources. We chose to have faith in development and the article--his speech and mental pictures were developing so rapidly, it seemed to me, that it was hard for his speech organs to keep up. Touch wood, the patient model seems to have work; over a period of months, the normal repetitions of his speech evolved into normal speech for an almost 3 year old.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Lantern Walk, Friday, November 13
LANTERN WALK
Dear Children's Garden Families,
As winter approaches we will kindle the light within us all at our upcoming Lantern Walk this Friday November 13th. We will gather our courage for the dark days ahead as we walk into the night with our shining lanterns guiding us. The lanterns are a symbol of our inner light that must be kindled during the long winter months ahead.
There will be two lantern walks, one at 5:00pm and one at 6:15pm. Nursery families and siblings will attend the 5:00pm walk. Siblings are welcome if they are able to support a reverent mood and stay close to their parents at all times during the festival, including the walk where they should be by the side of their parents. They can bring their own lanterns if they have one.
Please arrive on time and walk quietly to the playground where we will have hot apple cider. Please do not arrive early. (This is very important). Park in the lower parking lot just off Campbell Rd (you turn immediately right as you come into the main driveway on Old Pietila Road).
After a few minutes we will go inside to the Butterfly classroom to watch a puppet play. The teachers will then lead us on the lantern walk. After the lantern walk we will lead you back to your cars and say goodbye.
Please look in your parent folders on Wednesday November 11th for a small gift to put under your child's pillow to find after the Lantern walk, right before bed or the following morning. (We will not have these for siblings who attend, apologies).
This is a quiet and reverent festival and we ask that you help support this mood by quietly guiding your children through the experience.
Blessings
Lantern Workshop Monday
The sunlight fast is dwindling, my little lamp needs kindling.
Its beam shines far in darkest night,
Oh, lantern guide me with your light.
Monday, November 9th
7 – 9pm
As the days grow shorter, we must keep our inner light burning. Come join us in talking about how to celebrate this season of darkness with children through lantern walks. Participants will learn about lantern walks, sing lantern songs, and make a lantern to share with their family. This symbolic tradition brings home the deeper truth in the words of Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism (563-483 B.C.) “There isn’t enough darkness in all the world to snuff out the light of one little candle.”
Whidbey Island Waldorf School
6335 Old Pietila Rd. in Clinton
Advanced registration required
Suggested donation: $5.00
Supplies to make your own lantern will be provided
For more information or to register:
Email: butterflygarden@gmail.com
Or call: 360-221-2270
Its beam shines far in darkest night,
Oh, lantern guide me with your light.
Celebrating Fall Festivals
A Parent Workshop on Lantern Walks
Presented by Cordula Hetland and Vanessa Kohlhaas
A Parent Workshop on Lantern Walks
Presented by Cordula Hetland and Vanessa Kohlhaas
Monday, November 9th
7 – 9pm
As the days grow shorter, we must keep our inner light burning. Come join us in talking about how to celebrate this season of darkness with children through lantern walks. Participants will learn about lantern walks, sing lantern songs, and make a lantern to share with their family. This symbolic tradition brings home the deeper truth in the words of Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism (563-483 B.C.) “There isn’t enough darkness in all the world to snuff out the light of one little candle.”
Whidbey Island Waldorf School
6335 Old Pietila Rd. in Clinton
Advanced registration required
Suggested donation: $5.00
Supplies to make your own lantern will be provided
For more information or to register:
Email: butterflygarden@gmail.com
Or call: 360-221-2270
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Conferences, Celeen Away, Puppet Show
Dear Nursery Families,
Please know that Celeen will be away from our Butterfly Classroom from this Wednesday and all of next week. In addition to her many other gifts and occupations, Celeen organizes and guides retreats for women on Whidbey Island and round the world, and from time to time she will be away from our classroom as she is involved in this other important work. Please ask Celeen if you want more information about this work; I do not want to misrepresent or oversimplify.
Anne Mauk (who worked as a kindergarten assistant at our school last year) will be the usual substitute for Celeen. On the upcoming Wednesdays, however, we will have a replacement for Anne (two possibilities are decided for whom the role is just at the moment).
We will have no school on November 23, 24, and 25. Teachers have an in-service day on that Monday, and we offer conferences for parents on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Because I have some availability earlier and childcare challenges on the mornings of the 24th and 25th, I am offering some additional, early conference times on the next two Thursday mornings--and on the Wednesday early evening, November 18 (when we were to have our parent meeting, which is rescheduled so that we can all see Helle Heckmann speak). I will also offer conference times during the afternoons on the 24th and 25th.
While grades families are expected to attend a fall and spring parent & teacher conference, early childhood families are asked to come to one conference in either the fall or the spring. The kindergarten teachers and I have a goal of providing more frequent--if briefer--communication about every child in the class rather than a long quasi-report at conference time. This is to say that even if you choose to refrain from signing up for a fall conference, I will strive to provide vignettes from your child's morning in the nursery class in a written form.
Our children seem to enjoy the new puppet show of granddaughter's efforts to bring a pumpkin home for Thanksgiving with the help of grandmother, grandfather, the dog, cat, and mouse. They also have asked for me to reprise Rub-a-Dub (and several children performed that earlier puppet show themselves today). Children are finding new playmates (with occasional tension and conflicts because another child feels left out) and new parts of the room to play in (that is, rather than the same two or three children heading for the loft right away, different children go to the loft, while others realize building and imaginative possibilities elsewhere in the room. While a number of children seemed less willing to allow peace to settle upon them during teacher-led or quiet activities today (perhaps because of Halloween or the time change or both), as a group the children are on a trend of working well together.
Please know that Celeen will be away from our Butterfly Classroom from this Wednesday and all of next week. In addition to her many other gifts and occupations, Celeen organizes and guides retreats for women on Whidbey Island and round the world, and from time to time she will be away from our classroom as she is involved in this other important work. Please ask Celeen if you want more information about this work; I do not want to misrepresent or oversimplify.
Anne Mauk (who worked as a kindergarten assistant at our school last year) will be the usual substitute for Celeen. On the upcoming Wednesdays, however, we will have a replacement for Anne (two possibilities are decided for whom the role is just at the moment).
We will have no school on November 23, 24, and 25. Teachers have an in-service day on that Monday, and we offer conferences for parents on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Because I have some availability earlier and childcare challenges on the mornings of the 24th and 25th, I am offering some additional, early conference times on the next two Thursday mornings--and on the Wednesday early evening, November 18 (when we were to have our parent meeting, which is rescheduled so that we can all see Helle Heckmann speak). I will also offer conference times during the afternoons on the 24th and 25th.
While grades families are expected to attend a fall and spring parent & teacher conference, early childhood families are asked to come to one conference in either the fall or the spring. The kindergarten teachers and I have a goal of providing more frequent--if briefer--communication about every child in the class rather than a long quasi-report at conference time. This is to say that even if you choose to refrain from signing up for a fall conference, I will strive to provide vignettes from your child's morning in the nursery class in a written form.
Our children seem to enjoy the new puppet show of granddaughter's efforts to bring a pumpkin home for Thanksgiving with the help of grandmother, grandfather, the dog, cat, and mouse. They also have asked for me to reprise Rub-a-Dub (and several children performed that earlier puppet show themselves today). Children are finding new playmates (with occasional tension and conflicts because another child feels left out) and new parts of the room to play in (that is, rather than the same two or three children heading for the loft right away, different children go to the loft, while others realize building and imaginative possibilities elsewhere in the room. While a number of children seemed less willing to allow peace to settle upon them during teacher-led or quiet activities today (perhaps because of Halloween or the time change or both), as a group the children are on a trend of working well together.
The healthy social life is found
When, in the mirror of each human soul,
The entire community finds its reflection,
And when, in the community,
The virtue of each one is living.
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