We are underway!

Written By Rosy Weiser

Hello Families,

This is a mini-blog just to get you acquainted with checking here for classroom news. We’ve only had three days of school so not all that much to report. I will be blogging at least once a month and I usually try to include photos featuring each kinder child, sometimes even videos! Feel free to scroll through here to past blogs if you want an in-depth look at how the kindergarten year typically goes.

We’ve had an action-packed few days. The new routines, so many new faces, and the heat made for a tiring week for all. I hope your child brought back happy stories and is ready for our first full week ahead.

A FEW ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Please make sure to send your children to school in shoes they can easily take on and off by themselves, so lace ups only if they know how to tie and untie. They have to remove shoes and put them back on so many times a day that it becomes exhausting for them and for the teachers if this isn’t a streamlined process.

Feel free to send in harvest items from your gardens to share with the class.

I’m still looking for a cleaner for Fridays. Thank you to those who have taken the other shifts and to all the parents for being so helpful with classroom needs. Perhaps a group of you could arrange a rotating schedule for Fridays? Or if everyone picking up does a job or two, it should only take about 10 minutes total on Fridays.

Lunches and aftercare don’t officially start for kinders until the week after this. However, if you are in a bind, or feel confident your child will be ok with the extra long day in aftercare and/or will indeed eat the lunch hut food, then you can choose to start earlier. Just be sure to sign up on the chalkboard outside the classroom and prepay for both with Manila in the office or online in our “shop”. Also, always pack your child plenty of snacks even if they are buying lunch.

Please note: The Back To School meeting for kinder families has been changed to October 14th (3:30-4:30). Aftercare will be provided free of charge to kinder students. I will be going away to Europe and Morocco for two weeks with my dad on 10/16. Kathleen will sub for me on all days excepts the two Fridays when she teaches the older kids. I’ll keep you posted on who will fill in on the Fridays. It’ll be another Orchard teacher. Just not sure who yet.

Check your kids extra clothes boxes each week. We have already gone through a few of the items and some boxes will need replenishing.

Here is our weekly schedule in class:

Monday with Kathleen.

1st period — Handwork

2nd period —Language arts

3rd period — Rest/play

4th period —Art with Valerie

Tuesday with Kathleen

1st period — Puppetry/storytelling

2nd period — Cooking

3rd period — Rest/play

4th period —Circus arts with Rock

Wednesday with Rosy

1st period — Math

2nd period — Science

3rd period — Rest/play

4th period —Drama with Rock

Thursday with Rosy

1st period — Handwork

2nd period — Language Arts

3rd period — Rest/play

4th period — Music with Marla

Friday with Rosy

1st period — Animal care, painting

2nd period — Pottery with Linda

3rd period — Rest/play

4th period — Stewardship

*Note: Spanish for kinders will start in January and will be after lunch on Fridays for 1/2 hour.

Our first three days were mostly about establishing routines, getting the kids familiar with our space, and getting to know each other. We spent quite a bit of time talking about practicing kindness and about making friends. I told a story about some children who saved a beehive from some other destructive children and were rewarded with beeswax crayons. Then I presented the Orchard kinders with their beeswax crayons with a message to spread kindness and beauty on paper with their rainbow colors. I also told the story of a little house with no windows and no doors and a star inside (an apple). Perhaps the children brought this riddle home to you.

And now a few photos for your enjoyment. We were so busy that we documented very little this week. There will be more next time. I’ll let you know when the next blog is up.

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The ice cream social started the year on a sweet note.

Kathleen felted the children napkin rings so they can identify their own napkins at snack time.

Kathleen felted the children napkin rings so they can identify their own napkins at snack time.

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Jacob set up a tea party at rest/play time and served many of us goodies. This group of kids is big into imagination already — lovely to see and be a part of.

Jacob set up a tea party at rest/play time and served many of us goodies. This group of kids is big into imagination already — lovely to see and be a part of.

Thanks for reading!

Rosy Weiser
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