Is it just us, or has this been the most spectacular October? We delighted in the sunshine on our faces as we move deeper into autumn and the daylight shortens. Every day, the landscape is different and changing, and every day, the children too are different and changing. At this point in the semester, as educators, we have been able to get a sense of children—their qualities, curiosities, and affinities. But these aren’t static. Just as plants change form throughout the seasons—some changes obvious and others quite subtle—so too do children evolve. As your children’s teachers, one of the greatest gifts we have is to watch this growth unfold.
One area we have seen much growth is in new friendships! Though often students can’t remember their new friends’ names, they surely are creating bonds. We honor friendship through one of our end-of-the-day ritual called “Kindness Tokens.” Children give a token to a friend who showed kindness and share that act of kindness with the group. This is a truly beautiful practice of empathy and acknowledging the impact our friends have on us, and it is special both to give and receive a token! This is a practice that you can even try at home. It may surprise you how little things that you think go unnoticed are what really make someone feel special.
The Forest Kindergarteners had many accomplishments this week. Several students started a fire for the first time! We introduced different fire-starting methods, including tinder bundles, flint and steel, and the bow drill. This provided a big lesson in patience and practice. The Wednesday group created beautiful puppets with birch bark and natural materials. On Thursday, we put an addition onto our stage for puppet shows. We have some aspiring directors and actors in the group!