June 2024
“Children, as it turns out, need a childhood.”
― Ainsley Arment, The Call of the Wild and Free
Thank you to Bryna and Micheal for their support with the Fire Clan map making
Thank you to Ms. Habiba for teaching us the dances of her culture.
Water Clan:
Somehow our class shrunk down to just 10-12 kids a day, it’s made for an interesting circle with less voices for singing and a few less bodies to “stir the pot” in our free play. However, with less kids to keep track of I have enjoyed more one on one time with some of the kids and absolutely love the stories they tell me. I will miss this small sweet bunch next year immensely.
Earth Clan:
Hi Earth Clan families! It is June, 2 weeks left of school and you are about to be 1st graders! We just finished our amazing dance performance with Ms. Habiba and you did a wonderful job! As we close out the year we have some fun natural dye and block print projects to do as well as one more make up day, Predator/Prey with Forest Families and an end of the year celebration. Please continue to reach out with questions you might have and let’s get ready to rock the end of the year!
Air Clan:
The Air kids have really been rocking forest school lately! They are learning how to de-escalate conflicts by slowing down, taking a pause, and asking questions (instead of making accusations). They are demonstrating increased resiliency by quickly moving through disappointments and problem solving more easily and quickly. This group has always been a tight unit, and their cohesion has never been stronger; they work well as a team, stand up for each other, and encourage one another. Also exciting for us teachers is to witness each child’s increased ability to focus on a task compared to the start of the year. These kiddos are excited to learn!
Fire Clan:
It’s cliche, but - where has the time gone!? We’re gearing up for the end of the year with lots of exciting events and activities to look forward to. Most kids in the Fire Clan and a few from the Air Clan have been working on a biography of a famous person as part of their literacy studies. I’m calling it a Wax Museum because they’re going to dress up as that person and write a speech about that person’s life. I hope everyone can come to see all their hard work and to interact with all the ‘famous people’ at the shelter. We’re also wrapping up a month long partnership making maps of Mary S Young with Bryna and Mike from Art｜Nature｜Place. We will be using one of the maps to mark locations for kids to hide during our annual Predator/Prey Forest Family. Additionally, we’ve collaborated on a family friendly map which will be available at the park for the general public. As a reminder we are still looking for a few volunteers for Predator/Prey, please let Audra or Heidi know if you’re available. It has been such a pleasure being with this group throughout the year, I will miss their unique combination of personalities and energy.
Predator and Prey
Next week the whole school will join in a giant game of hide and seek, searching for the Fire Clan kids with maps and clues to keep us on the right track! We are in need of a lot more volunteers to pull this off so if you’re available we would very much appreciate a few more grown-ups.
School Update
Enrollment this year went off without a hitch, ninety percent of families are returning. We had to turn away families who applied to our program as we did not have space, which speaks volumes. First because we don’t advertise so it must be our current families who are saying good things about us - THANK YOU! Secondly, as a community I suspect we are growing stronger and not only is this a place where kids go to school but also a place where the parents and teachers come for community. I feel lucky to be surrounded by such a beautiful collective of humans who support and inspire me daily.
We will be meeting as a whole staff for an entire day once school is out to open a space for sharing what worked this year, what didn’t and how we can continue to do better. If ever you have feedback for us we welcome your lens, sharing constructive ways we can improve is greatly appreciated.
The fiscal budget for 24/45 is soon to be adopted by our board, enrollment is set and we have just one teaching position we will hire for over the summer. We have just completed one full fiscal year as a nonprofit.
End of the Year Contra Dance and Potluck
It’s that time again and the whole family is invited! Dig out your dancing shoes, bring a dish to share and let’s come together as a community to celebrate another precious year together!
With the promise of good food, dancing, and laughter we will end our year with hugs farewell and plans of a summer filled with school friend playdates.