January 2025
“Wintering brings about some of the most profound and insightful moments of our human experience, and wisdom resides in those who have wintered.”
― Katherine May, Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat
Three weeks of “wintering” is part of our forest school seasonal rhythm. To pause, to get bored, to sleep and reflect. What a gift we give our children, periods when we let go of the hustle and embrace the slowness. I hope you all wintered well.
Clan Updates
The weather has not stopped our Water Clan from having fun and letting their light shine. I am sure it will be an adjustment getting back into the swing of school after such a long break. Perhaps taking them to the park as a reminder of what’s to come might help get them in the head space. Here is an article to encourage outdoor time even in winter. Also, reminding them school is coming up by saying something like “which jacket are you going to wear on your first day back?”, or “which friend are you most excited to see?”
Hello Forest families, Happy New Year! I am eager to see you all. I hope everyone rested and spent time filling their cup. This month the Earth Clan will continue to conquer academics with inquisitive minds. The children have all been working and growing in their skill sets. It is lovely to see their devotion. As we enter the next school chapter, we will focus on a large geology unit! This unit will cover many topics from landforms to natural disasters. We will be doing hands-on learning along with a variety of projects! Lastly, the sun looks like it is coming out for our first week back, but as always prepare for the unexpected and bring all necessary gear. See you soon!
Hi Air Clan families! Welcome back after winter break! I hope you all had wonderful times with your family and friends! We missed you and are excited to begin learning again out in the beautiful forest! With the new year comes some new learning opportunities (not only in academic areas with our geology unit woohoo!) but also in how to be a good friend. Look for new morning work practice sheets, and word work centers in the A.M. and please remember that the temperatures are still cold so the name of the game is layers! Gloves, hand warmers, foot warmers and warm boots or shoes are also going to mean cozier days for your kids. As always if you have any questions please reach out and I look forward to hearing all about your breaks and seeing you back on the 13th! Happy New Year!
Fire Clan kids wowed last month with their projects on native plants. Their depth of knowledge and hard work really showed and it’s always wonderful to see the younger kids interact with, watch and look up to our class. It’s a rich experience for all our students! Upcoming things to look forward to is our Geology Unit that will be running January-May. The K-5 clans will be participating and our clan will be doing some trips to the library, field trips to local geology hot spots and lots of learning! We also are up for volunteering in a few weeks at MSY with SOLV, please plan on joining Sat Feb. 1 from 9-12!
Maker’s Market
What a fun experience for our kiddos. I was so impressed with the level of craftsmanship and entrepreneurial skills these kids have! I almost can’t wait until next year to see what these kids will dream up! Thank you to everyone who was able to come and support the kids and buy their wares. This was our second year and I think we’re getting the hang of it.
Ms. Heidi’s Corner
I stumbled on some interesting reading over the winter break that I always enjoy sharing.
Rather then grabbing my phone for the news these days I have been going to my email and clicking on my latest latest Substack. John Haidt is my favorite person to follow and his articles about screen use and kids are profound and disturbing.
We are a RARE school in that we have no technology available to our students. Here is an article that helps explains why - Where the Magic Doesn’t Happen
As a reminder, in the parent handbook, we have a small section in which we emphasize kids not being on screens before school or before bed, and minimally throughout the school week. The things children watch and the language they hear weaves it’s way into the hearts and minds of all our students here at school. We appreciate your dedication to keeping our forest school community a place where authentic creativity is free flowing.
In the book No-Drama Discipline, Daniel Siegel and Tina Bryson explain something we often forget as parents and caregivers. “When children feel furious, dejected, ashamed, embarrassed, overwhelmed or out of control in any other way, that's when we need to be there for them. Through connection, we can soothe their internal storm, help them calm down and assist them in making better decisions. When they feel our love and acceptance, when they "feel felt" by us, even when they know we don't like their actions (or they don't like ours), they begin to regain control and allow their upstairs brain to engage again. When this happens effective discipline can actually take place. Connection, in other words, moves them out of a reactive state and into a state where they can be more receptive to the lesson we want to teach and the healthy interactions we want to share with them.” I have a copy of this book to loan if anyone is interested. I have book shelves full of books like these and I enjoy brushing up and reminding myself of the tools and steps we need to take to support our child’s development of their “still under construction” upstairs brain.
I watched a movie called Chasing Childhood and I loved it so much I wanted to share it with all of you. So, DTE is going to host a viewing on March 6th at Kennedy School and it’s free to anyone who wants to come watch the film and stay for a brief panel discussion following.
Thank you to all the parents who volunteered their time preparing the bus and the capes and all those who came to the parade, dressed up and with a smile! It was a wonderful time.