Reflection as We Re-Entered The Grange

Mistress Grange

The Grange, five years ago shy held timber wall stories and muffled cries.  We held our time of Nora mourning in these timber logs and although it had a kitchen and bath, it felt like a sacred burning box.

And now I walked strong head high beside my partner and live sons thrive to the very same space to celebrate the new stage of giving in communities we be living.

I walk back to this grange, five years ago shy, new dew eyed reminiscent of my young path and the smell of old pioneer was anything but pallet make for fast.

Slower, she Grange said in gentle fold to understand the unfold.  She held us as we wept for the Nora daughter so lost and yet so felt.  So lent and yet so intimate and life altering are the days, months, years.  And later as I sit in front of a school community we helped manifest, I know old Mistress Grange still makes plans to sing the flame to what must be fame as some helpful quest.

Not sure what this translates but the wood standing still can vibrate stories truer than what we can do to only stand still.

Listen, breath and be of a worker bee building communities that grow the love of what was lost and what can be found.

........................................

Nora is our daughter.  She was born and passed away five years ago this coming February 28 from Trisomy 18.  Her memorial was held at Lisabuela beach park and Vashon/Maury Island Grange Hall a week later.  A loving community of family and friends circled us as we grieved.  We have never forgotten such loving kindness.  

Klahanie Nursery School was born out of the residuals of such kindness and birthed a new community of joy and celebration, all encompassing the meaning of life shifts.  

Klahanie 2011 Winter Party was placed at the Vashon Grange in order to solidify the tansformative experience of what it means to be in a community: new, old and growth for more.

Thank you to all who have been active and witness to this transformation and embraced it as such.  What an honor to experience such power of cohesive life intention and be surrounded by people who live inspiring lives.

There is much more to come, no matter the age!

Sincerely,

Klahanie Nursery School Staff and Families

December Newsletter 2011

Our AM Class In Action

Our PM Class In Action

November Reflection

We have had a wonderfully busy and connected month!  Each of our classes have bonded and established safety in expressing new phases of development together.  

Thank you parents for such great November conferences!  Many of you brought up questions and requested suggestions about establishing healthy family boundaries as your child shows signs for deeper levels of independence which can lead to tantrums (or other forms of frustrations), fears and tears.  

Below is a picture of our class (and home) calm-down area.  This area is where the children in both AM & PM classes are offered space to process emotions safely for self and class community.  Many times children seek this area out on his/her own accord when needing quiet.  Favorite books and soft calming toys as well as puppets are available in this area.  Beside this space we have a play-dough station set up where children can choose between the two meditative spaces to process.

 Klahanie Calming/Quiet Area

Our AM & PM class art projects have been very exciting and enjoyable to witness.  Below is an example of "parts of turkey" posters and the many variations of the project!

Turkey Interpretations

As requested by some parents: some helpful books from our school library that offer some great additional support and ideas.

December Topics/Themes

• Winter Solstice: moon, stars, earth and sun
• Evergreen Trees/Bushes & Forest Community (we will continue this theme into January and February): mammal hibernation, winter birds (chickadee, oregon junco, woodpecker), winter seeds and berries the birds eat
• Holidays (Festivals of Light & Community): Hannukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and Diwali

We will continue singing many songs to introduce these themes and using our felt board as storytelling/song guide.  

Reminders

• Please check the school calendar for dates on holiday/school breaks
• Saturday December 17th is our all school Holiday Party!!  Look to your emails for an invitation with details :)

November Newsletter 2011

Illustrated by Joe Servello from Aline D. Wolf's work Nurturing the Spirit in Non-Sectarian Classrooms

The Child is endowed with an inner power that can guide us to a more luminous future...Education should no longer be mostly imparting of knowledge, but must take a new path, seeking the release of human potentialities." (Dr. Maria Montessori, Education For a New World p.2).

October Reflection

As a parent it can be very difficult and exhausting embracing the constant changes our children undergo on such a rapid pace.  Like them, we have to acclimate quickly to the new needs, the new methods and the new frustrations they experience.  This can be taxing on self and our relationship with our partners.  In the most subtle and dramatic of expression from our wee ones, we hold house and heart space with children who enter constant new phases of needs and screams for self initiative (sleep patterns, eating choices, clothes, diaper changing/toilet use, etc.).

The core of our child's person remains the same but the yearning for more experiences and deeper challenges to find his/her potential is the guide we parents follow.  This can be the most grueling but also the most fulfilling work when we release the pressure of what we think ought to happen and offer permission to ourselves of accepting what is happening and responding from there.

Please feel free to discuss any and all of the things you are working through at home during your school phone conferences (please remember to sign up for a November slot if you would like to hear how your child is doing in class as well a share family experiences/challenges).  

For class time, both Lauren and I have been thrilled to witness the new spice and zest presented in our AM and PM classes!  Collectively, our classes are offering the same lessons for us teachers as what is explored at home; our daily lesson of being present with the changes presented from each child in our class communities as well as getting creative on how we can hold loving and encouraging space for each child to feel safety to graduate to that next level of consciousness and independent choice while maintaining consistent follow through with our requests for class community and environment kindness, calm and concentration.  

Following the children's interest as our guide, we find projects (this month fun themes of decidious trees, gourds/pumpkins, bats the flying mammals) and creative works that stimulate the child to go deeper in concentration and environment exploration.  Some examples we have used are introduction of water work in class for both classes.  This is has included pumpkin washing and water transfer from containers with sponges.  This is a very meditative activity for many of the children.

AM Class

PM Preschool Class

Another area of interest that has created much joy and calming concentration in our outdoor class is the flower arranging patio and harvesting the remaining goodies from the garden.

November Themes

I had a wonderful suggestion from a parent last weekend who works off island and cannot view the weekly school board for class themes (specifically the words used) but wanted to receive the same information so he understands what his daughter makes reference to at home.  So from here on out we will include the same information in our Newsletters (thank you Kenan!).    

For November we will be focusing on:

• Salmon Cycle, Parts of & Habitat: words used will be Egg, Gravel, River/Stream, Hatch, Larva, Yolk, Migrate, Ocean, Adult (male/female), Backbone, Fins (dorsal, pectoral, pelvic, tail), Scales, Gills, Eyes, Mouth/Teeth
• Turkeys, Parts of: Feathers, Beak, Caruncle, Gizzard, Hen, Tom, Poult (baby turkey), Snood
• North American Continent
• Yams
• Cranberries
• Days of the Week (to talk about who is in our class)
• Giving Thanks: words used will be Family, Friends, Animals, Plants, Autumn/Fall

This is a very sweet month for our classes where we will blend the salmon cycle with Giving Thanks to all the salmon offer our North American continent as well as exploring how much love and thanks we feel for our families.

Save The Date:

Saturday December 17 Klahanie Nursery School will host a Family Holiday Sing-a-Long/ Dance at Vashon Maury Island Grange Hall.  This will be a Pot Luck Gathering and Extended Family is Welcome!!  If you are parent that plays an instrument and want to share your talent, please bring your instrument!!  More specific details about the evening will follow via email and school board!

Reminders:

• Please sign up for your November phone conference (dates on weekly board outside of class).
• As we approach winter weather, please keep updated on school snow closures (remember last years Thanksgiving time?!).

Thank Yous:

Thank you Maria Metler for constructing our school felt board and beautiful cut-outs.  Thank you Jamie Clapperton for supplying our class with much needed painting smocks.  Thank you Ginger Hamilton for offering your class support when a teacher is sick.  

October 2011 Newsletter

October Zoology/Language/Math

October Sensorial

October Science/Library

October Circle/Library Area

September Reflection

Happy Autumn to all!  The rain has come and thank you parents for supplying your children with wonderful rain gear and cozy change of clothes--they are having a blast singing and dancing in the rain and have been spending 45 minutes in their outdoor class.

A quote I feel sums up many of our teacher/parent observations of these amazing children:

"Everything in the environment is of interest to him--even the smallest and most insignificant objects--things one would imagine too small to catch his attention.  A piece of wood that floats on the water, a pebble, a shell, an empty tin, or a tin with a stone in it; a piece of coal...Whatever he can grasp in his tiny hands he tries to grasp with his mind!  It all comes as grist to the mill." 

Dr. Maria Montessori, "Her Life and Work" 1957.

    
October Topics

Leaves/Trees (deciduous and evergreen)
pumpkins/squash
apples
spiders (arachnids) and bats (mammals)

Songs/Finger plays:
"Five Little Pumpkins"
"H-A-LL-O-W-EE-N"
Parts of a Bat/Spider (using "Head/Shoulders/Knees/Toes" tune)
"Autumn Time"
"I Like to Eat Apples and Bananas" (using the phonetic vowel sounds)
"Itsy Bitsy Spider"
"Deciduous Trees Loose Their Leaves"

Please let teachers know if you would like copies of any of our songs!

Reminders/ Thank Yous

• Please check school bulletin boards for school information plus community outreach and support information!
• Thank you:
• Alex Graham for the rain protection and for our school! 
• Peace Maker: wangari maathai of Kenya (1940- September 25, 2011).  You offered us so much for earth respect, people and earth understanding and how we peace makers continue working for awareness and growth.  You will always be alive in our daily work here at Klahanie.

September 2011 Newsletter

August Reflection


The end of August has brought us a new classroom environment!  The children have entered our new space with wonderment and excitement.  We have also welcomed two new little ones to our AM Infant class and the care towards these new classmates has been beautiful for Lauren and I to witness.

It continues to delight us teachers being participatory observers of the compassion each child shows one another.  Even in fits of frustration, always the other children will offer space and quiet for the child to experience his/her emotion.  The same goes for if someone gets hurt.  The other children will immediately move toward the hurt child or begin to cry with him/her in empathy.   

Reflecting on my Montessori training during this precious month I ran across a quote from Dr. Maria Montessori from her 1947 work, The Absorbent Mind, which I feel sums up our class sessions here at Klahanie, 

“Development is a series of rebirths.  The child must form self through impressions from the environment to form his mind.  Impressions do not enter his mind, they form it…Child forms his personality by absorbing his environment and does this with his senses.”  

While we accept one another during intellectual, physical and emotional needs I see each child being positively shaped by the experience.  I see in the way all the children carry his/herself that this environment has become his/hers and with that ownership, a confidence has been born that is now bursting from their active and happy movements. 

During our month together we have continued to practice grace and courtesy phrases.  Key phrases we use are “gentle touch please”, “please sit on your sit-bone” (while we read stories, eat snack and during some finger play/songs), “please share…” and “please take a deep breath to calm your body” (during moments of frustration).  With consistent practice we are seeing a definite shift in each child towards a more accepting, calm and loving experience with one another.  I also see deep pride in all the children as they practice these skills.  We congratulate them on their successes with words of observation, “congratulations, it looks like you worked hard to breath deep and calm your body….thank you for using gentle hands when touching your friend…thank you for offering and sharing, now both of you are enjoying a ball.” 

September Topics

As we enter autumn we will continue to sing songs, read books and act out specific animals in celebration of the new season.  Some topics of interest will be on spiders & webs (great math source!), deciduous/evergreen trees, bees (talking about being aware of them as they find warm spots to rest), squirrels, pumpkins, apples and squash.  For snacks, please feel free to connect foods with the changing season to add to the sensorial experience. In the upcoming weeks we will be introducing smelling bottles that will have differing season topic scents for the children to explore as well as during sunny days some autumn inspired outside painting for both classes.  


Reminders & Thank You


Reminders:

• Change of Clothes: On arrival to school, please escort your child to hang up coat on deck hooks and place shoes under his/her coat.  Please bring a name labeled bag with change of clothes (diapers and wipes) daily.  Please hand this bag to Lauren or Emmy during greeting.  Change of clothes bag will be stored in class cabinet and handed back to parents during pick up.
• Please remember to pack clothes for all weather!
• Shoes: Please bring shoes that your child can pull on and off independently (rubber boots are great as we enter autumn or crocks for sunny days).
• If your child craws, please bring him/her in pants.  
• During sunny days, please bring your child to school with sun screen on!  And a labeled sun hat is always helpful. 
• Parking: You are welcome to park in any of our three driveways.
• Snack: 
• AM Infant Class: Please remember to keep checking the school calendar on this blog as well as a copy on our school bulletin board for the snack list updates.
• PM Preschool Class: Please bring a sack lunch + a little extra for your child.
• Class lists and Contact Sheet: Posted on the school bulletin board. 
• Slippers for Both Classes: Please provide slippers for your child.  Slippers will be kept at school.  During drop-off your child will enter class and find his/her slippers in the library circle time area each day, put them on and head off to work in classroom.  The slippers will become an important piece in your child's cues about transition times.
• Pictures of Your Children During School: Please continue to check out our Klahanie Nursery School Facebook page for updated school pics and video of everyone in action.  This is a wonderful way to offer family/friends who live far away to see how your little love one is doing.  
• Spots available in the PM Preschool Class, please continue to spread the word!

Thank You:

Many thank yous to darling hubby, Alex and steadfast giver dad, Glenn for all the help and hours put towards creating our new class space!  Thank yous to my kindred spirit mom, Peggy for helping feed us, care for the boys and keeping the house running while we worked to complete the classroom.  Thank you Kim and Kaye for offering time with the boys to put the class back together for Monday! 

Thank you Lauren, you are a gift.  Thank you for your knowledge, kindness and stability.  I would not be able to do this work to the level I yearn to create if it were not for you.  Thank you sister teacher.

Thank you to you Klahanie parents for your flexibilities and support surrounding changes in the school as well as offering us teachers the ability to hold sacred space for your children.  This is a very meaningful journey!

Thank you to Lori Means at Vashon Youth and Family Services for continuing to offer baby group!  We have a rich school community here at Klahanie because of the VYFS program! 

Thank you to my support and education from Montessori Country School on Bainbridge Island.  To my mentors; you offered me so much in creating the most incredible foundation to build off of.  Thank you, thank you.

Emmy

August 2011 Newsletter

July Reflection

Our graduation to the heart of summer and transitioning for our elder graduate to other horizons has been a meaningful experience for not only us teachers but also the children.

When we walked hand-in-hand around that circle on Saturday the 23rd there were unseen shifts in all our dear children.  Many have shown signs of seeking more advanced lengths of time in concentration, interest in imaginative play (for self and with others) and yearning for more responsibility in our class environment (washing windows, dusting shelves, offering help to the younger children).

August Topics

This being our last month together as an age blended class, we will be doing a lot of work together on nurturing connectedness.  I will be initiated more "lessons" (a time of teacher introduction to new shelf works that are theme based and stimulate the child's development of concentration, creativity and exploration in the learning) with the elder children as well as blending a lesson between elder and younger students to instill that sense of connectedness and learning from one another.

For the elders, we will continue to use the names of their upcoming preschool teachers and preparing them for the change.

For the infant class, we will begin introducing the names of our new students who will be joining us in September.

The heart of summer means an abundance of local produce from our Island farms!  With this as our community interest and observation, we as a class will begin to look more at farm life and what it means to be a local farmer (what we grow and how we harvest it).  Farm fauna and flora will be the main point of exploration.

A fun suggestion this month would be to organize a time to take your child to one of our many farms on Vashon.

Reminders

Please return (by mail or handing in) your Autumn class contracts by the last week of August.

Donations for: Any board and paper books you do not want any longer!

Please check school calendar for school breaks (i.e. approaching break in August)

July 2011 Newsletter

June Reflection

What a burst of growth each and every one of the Klahanie children have experienced the past month!

We have two new families joining our school this month and as our school grows, so does each child's method and capacity to adapt to new experiences and energy of our school.  Our class blending has been of great observational joy for Lauren and I.  What we are seeing with the increase of class size and age range is a clear presence of "other."

The older children have learned quickly from the cues of the babies to remember to adapt more readily and healthy to our class changes.  That interaction has been of big energy movement but great depiction of what humanity is; connection and bonding.

Today was one of our new student's (and youngest) first day.  He was tenderly eased into the space with grandma's help.  The children of our Wednesday class were so aware of his youth and shifted their movements to calm for him.  They were so independent and centered.  They moved as a large pack of joy and connection.  It was active but so engaged.  The whole experience was so moving it whipped us all out--I know I napped with my sons today!

So in short, June has been of growth (p.s. I will start getting little garden samples ready for take home for all you families.  They will be left on Westside of the building on the path to the driveway!).

July Topics

Singing/Painting/Reading/Work on Shelves About:

bumblebees/pollen, parts of plants (garden and nettles, ferns, doc--both nature's aloe for the burns), deciduous trees, snakes, eye-spy games with earth objects to introduce geometric solids.

 Reminders/News

Saturday July 23 Klahanie Nursery School Graduation/ School Community Social (please refer to email invitation for more detailed information)


*Please contact Emmy if interested in taking photos of the gathering and making a disc for the school to share with all.  

Seeking a Parent Helper for July Art Project!  Please contact Emmy for more information


September 2011 Preparation:


*Parents of 2/3 Afternoon Class: I will send out information and contract review in the next week.  Class size will be very small.  Current Klahanie families have first choice enrollment.  Contracts will be due 1st of August 2011.   


*Parents of Infant Morning Class: For parents of 1-Day-Week children, I will send out information and contract review in the next week for option of day-week attendance increase.  Class size will be VERY small.  Current Klahanie families have first choice day-week enrollment reserving.  Contracts will be due 1st of August 2011. 

June 2011 Newsletter

 May Reflection

The garden is blooming and the children are too!  Now that all the children have been introduced to the new classmates and environment, sincere and loving relationships are growing.  Both Lauren and I are warmed to the core witnessing the tender interactions between the Babies and the Elders beginning to teach the Toddlers new ways of using tools and inviting them to snack.  There is a lot of laughter going on these days and it truly is beautiful to be a part of. 

Just like a three-to-six year old class, our young group has the same dynamics of: the Babies (the observers), the Toddlers (the creative problem solvers and engagers) and Elders (the inviters/ the teachers).   Every one of the children has a vital role in the environment and I am thankful to offer the space for him/her to practice what it means to be a learner and teacher of this earth.

Birth-to-3 ages are when sensory exploration means everything to the developing individual!

Our inside classroom is a where we have focused on the process of learning how to practice inside movement, inside voice (slow and purposeful) so those close to us have space to concentrate and find continued comfort in one another and the environment.  Our outside class is where we have larger-than-life movement and play!  The outside class during our spring and summer months are where we absorb the senses of the earth.  This means, we let them get messy! 

Circle time songs and poems have continued to be a great way to end the day.  ALL the children are very fatigued by the end of the school day and find great joy in listening (or participating in the case of some!).  Here is a poem about squirrels and introduction to female/male (we do both versions for our girls & our boys) that brings the most joy from all the children (might be because we ham-it-up with body gestures):

Whiskey frisky hippity-hop

Up she climbs to the treetop.

Furly-curly, what a tail

Tall as a feather

Broad as a sail.

Where’s her (his) supper?

In a shell.

Snap-ity crack-ity, out it fell.

For fun, when you are feeling like being silly and free with your beloved wee one, turn the music up and sing/dance!  Some of our most wonderful family moments have been introducing the boys to our favorite music and dancing and singing with them.

June Topics

The beginning of summer will mean lots of water pouring, plant care, and sea animal/sea life introduction and summer music.  Please make sure to dress your child (footwear included) for the elements because we will continue to spend an hour or more outside each class day.

We will also continue our work with Left/Right, scavenger hunts for class materials, eye spy games for animals in our garden and parts of flowers and insects.

Reminders

Thursday June 16 5:30pm-7pm Montessori In Your Home: Practical Tips On Peaceful Living In Your Home.  

Please get childcare for this time and come on your own or with partner to learn about how you can create a more functioning environment for greater family harmony as well as space to check-in and ask questions/ feel support from our school community. Light refreshments will be offered.

May 2011 Newsletter

April Reflection


"April showers bring May flowers,"that is an understatement!  Now that our child and family colds/other illnesses have surfaced and hopefully died out, we are residing in the delicious month of May.

Enduring all the elements, the wee ones found deep gratitude in their daily routine that has created great harmony among the group.  No matter what the weather is doing or how someone is feeling that day (fatigue, teething, ect.), the daily routine has created a wonderful and healthy sense of dependability and safety in our environment and each other.  Please read the "Daily Routine" for a greater  understanding of how your sweet child's school day feels.

May Topics

Now that our class sizes have grown and everyone has officially begun, we are in the throws of introducing the environment to our new classmates (Alden, Ella, Mabel, Shane and Zelda!) while balancing the needs of every one's interests and social/emotional/cognitive needs.

Yet again, the snack table and music roots everyone to a unified class community.  Many times during the first round (because there are many eating rounds throughout the class session) of snack I will sing some welcome morning songs as well as name games.

Fun suggestion: Please begin (if you have not already done so) naming the children of the school to your own child.  Great times are during meals that you share or bath time.  This is a tender and intimate exchange of asking how your child's special world is.  The class has it's own world feel where we have all personalities and styles represented and asking about the other children by simply naming them offers your own child the space of respect that he/she has special space outside of the family home.

We are continuing our fun experience of baby/toddler circle time.  Circle time last for 15 minutes before pick-up and is a very special time for us all.  This is when I can introduce new themes (insects, plants, ect.) while dancing and exercising memorization of poems and finger-plays.  The soon-to-be-3 year-olds are creating a space for the babies to be introduced to circle time and teaching them (as they learn and are guided) on how to sing, dance and listen in a group.  I wish dearly you all could be flies on the wall during that precious time!

Reminders

• Because we have more children/families pick up is trickier.  PLEASE PICK UP ON TIME & SWIFT!  Your child is super fatigued from a very long (for all children this age) concentration session at school and all he/she wants at pick up is to get in the cozy car and head to bed.  You will still receive a swift notice of if your child ate, quick "how day went," diaper/toilet situation.  If you have additional questions please call or email me between 12:30-2pm Monday-Thursday.

Please park in the lower driveway until the upper driveway is complete (should be the beginning of next week).  

Or...

Feel free to park in the South driveway as well.

• Thursday June 16 5:30pm-7pm: Montessori In Your Home: Practical Tips On Peaceful Living In Your Home.  Please get childcare for this time and come on your own or with partner to learn about how you can create a more functioning environment for greater family harmony as well as space to check-in and ask questions/ feel support from our school community.  Light refreshments will be offered.

April 2011 Newsletter

March Reflection

How do you know when your child is ready for something more?  This has been the topic of observational interest for Lauren and I.  Our children are all embarking on something new everyday and as they change, we parents/educators must adapt to their shift of needs, awareness and direction of interest.

Independence during these informative years is a key component in a child's exploration and understanding of the world.

• A fun recommended experience is to sit and quietly observe your child for 15-20 minutes. This can be seated or moving about to allow your child space to explore his/her activity without adult interruption.  During this observation look for how your child processes and problem-solves situations as well as the method from which he/she uses materials/toys and environment.  As a parent, my greatest moments of connectedness to my boys are when I sit and watch them play or work.  I feel there is great loved shared when I am present with their work/play process yet not engaging or interrupting unless asked by them (Kai shows this through crawling to me or clapping this hands).  

However we parents and educators can continue to respectfully offer as many daily routine experiences for our children that nurture independence, the more grounded/self assured people they will become.  Cheers to you all!

April Topics

As the garden grows and the sun begins to show more and more, so do your children!  In honor of Earth Day (celebrated on Friday April 22) we will sing our earth songs, act out our animal/plant finger plays and yoga stories and continue to explore the garden world.  

This month and all spring/summer long we will talk more about insects (bees, butterflies) and birds.  Work on the shelves will reflect this topic as well as loads of outside play and "I spy" games to seek out our important animal/insect life that help our earth so much.

Important Klahanie Nursery School News:

• We have new students and families to welcome in our school community!  I will email everyone an updated contact sheet with all the student's ages so parents can contact one another for carpools, playdates or just fun family time.  Welcome all and we feel deeply honored to have such amazing children and parents in our school community!  
• Please review the updated snack calendar the end of this week to review changes.
• Please email or call me if your family is interested in a Parent Education Night which would be on a Thursday entitled "Montessori In Your Home."  This would be a parent only hour/hour-half offering practical home ideas to nurture your child's independent spirit.  Refreshments would be included here in the classroom.

This Saturday April 2 Come Join Us!!

Please Join Us On Saturday April 2

10:30-3:30 

Klahanie Nursery School Open House

Help Celebrate Vashon Island Early Child Education!

Please view Vashon Youth & Family Service website for the

Tour Map, information and participating programs

Saturday, April 2 Vashon Preschool Tour & We're On It!!

Dear Klahanie Alumni and Current Parents and Children: 

I am proud to announce that Klahanie Nursery School will be included in a Vashon wide Preschool Tour!  Please look on the VYFS.com website for the map of other amazing early child education programs.  This is an important time for you parents of 2 year olds and older to check Preschool environments and talk to teachers for your child's future enrollment.

In addition to this fun day we will be holding our Spring Open House!

Klahanie Nursery School Open House: 
Saturday April 2

Time: 11-2

      Please plan to attend for Snacks, Activities and Fun Social time with current, alum and Klahanie Nursery School hopefuls!

....

o   

Kl  

Island Weather: Snow Specifically!

If we have power, we will have school!

No power = I will call/text you immediately if we are out.  If you cannot make school due to driving conditions, that is OK.  No worries : )  Just means more snuggle time with your sweet one.

Thank you and keep warm!

March 2011 Newsletter

February Reflection:

Do you ever have those Anne Lamott moments when you feel oh so divine, sickling parent human?  Those moments hurt and are rejoiced with humor knowing, we are not alone!  For me hosting as a teacher/parent I feel those "ah yes, that is why I am prematuring grey."  But we love it.  We love it and feel so amazingly lucky to be in the presence of such incredible humans--our children.

I went on a walk with Lily our dog, as my much needed debrief the day and find my mind again routines, and found myself watching her poop in a very sweet family friend's garden.  Immediately I knocked on the door to alert them of her misdeeds and what I was greeted with were the words I needed to finish the day from a very wise hearted mother and grandmother.  I remembered I am a parent human.  I can be blinded by my own expectations with my dear birth children. I must remember that they feel pain (emotional, physical and intellectually) more acutely than we--we simply forgot.  I must remember my youth and always be available to hear my elders wise words of wisdom, always!

So, for February reflection I must offer my learning of love; yet again from the most wise of creature, our children.  Our delightfully charming, charismatic young group is dynamic to say the least.  I hope for my entire life to know such kind-hearted humans.  Inspiring does not encapsulate the positive energy they create.

We sang, danced, worked, laughed like tomorrow would never come.  It was inspiring and what I needed for this month of pure love!

March Intentions:

To enjoy these lovey children more and more as we enter the garden!  Now begins our time of outdoor living--babies included.  Digging, exploring, tasting, bird watching and feeding are all in the hot topics.  As the weather does it's un-certain certainties of "anything goes" we will continue to enjoy as much outdoor time as possible (the children sweetly check-in with each other to see if all are ready to go back inside).  Please dress your child very warmly.

The warmer the better--over layer so we can peel if necessary.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
We are embarking on a very wonderful shift with Klahanie and starting to enroll new families for the next month!

As I am continueing to respect and facilitating the Washington State childcare guidelines for adult/young children ratio requirements I need everyone to please concrete  how many days a week (& which days specifically) you want for your child.  I am filling spots accordingly.

If you have a change to make, as current families hold priority, please contact me immediately.  Thank you!

February 2010 Klahanie Nursery School Newsletter

January Reflection

The New Year has welcomed some wonderful changes!  Welcome darling Lucy and family!!  

Now that our group is primarily 2-year-olds, there is a recognition of possession and request from the children for independent work.  Thus, I have introduced work bandannas for the toddlers. This stage is important for the initial step of moving the child toward independent concentration, which generates greater imaginative play and problem-solving.  

When your child chooses a new work off the shelf I assist them in placing his/her choice on their bandanna.  Once exploration begins I use the following language with the younger children, “__ wants to concentrate alone on this work.  Lets find something fun for you to do too.”  Many times all four children become enthusiastically interested in someone else’s work so they will repeatedly approach and attempt touch which can create discomfort to the concentrating child.  During these times, I whisper the reminder and gently move the inquisitive child to another work or to sit beside me as we watch the older child discover and problem-solve the work.  Already I am seeing amazing growth in each child as they piece-together the initial practice of focus and awareness of other’s needs. 

These concentrated work sessions last between 15-20 minutes and they are pure magic!  The children set the rotation and pace and many times pick-up on one-another’s need for transition to a group activity (songs, books, dancing, bubbles or moving to play outside).  Many times they end a work cycle by heading to snack together where they eat and connect.    

It is lovely to see the organic, effortless methods the children use for blending concentration with group joy and connectedness.  

Notes regarding language: 

My use of the word “work” is to describe the children’s activities in class because what they are doing is their important work—figuring out the world.  Offering children a calm environment allows him/her to seriously work at something until they master the task (removing container lids, rolling balls, sweeping, ect.).  Once the activity is mastered, they child finds new and creative ways of using the material. A child’s understanding and love of the world is shaped from the exploration and practice of how we humans use our bodies and minds with the materials offered. I find using the word “work” shows respect for his/her process.

February Topics

We will connect February to January by making the month about love and celebration of family.  I have picked a couple of sweet books, poems and Raffi songs that celebrate what we as families share together.  

When you have time at home, please talk to your child about what you love doing with them.  We also will create more space and time in class for care of our friends (tea parties, massages, silly faces in the mirror, scarf dancing).  We will continue to enjoy our peacemaker music—Michael Franti, Woody Guthrie, Raffi and Bob Marley.  The children hug and dance as freely and majestically as could be!

Reminders:

Please check your emails for monthly invoices and quarterly tuition receipts.  Also, please periodically check the Klahanie Calendar for revisions--hopeful we will have one or two more families in our Klahanie community in the next month or so and snack week assignments might be altered!!   

January 2011 Klahanie Nursery Newsletter

December Reflection

Welcome New Year 2011!  We at Klahanie finished the year of 2010 with beautiful grace, kindness and extreme growth—physically, emotionally and absolutely mentally! 

The children LOVED dancing and listening to the different holiday songs/music presented throughout class.   The most beloved piece was the second act of the Nutcracker.  Either dancing with scarves or hand-in-hand, all the children amazed me with his/her pull to the emotion of the music.  

This month we made great leaps and bounds in the areas of acknowledgment and response to the requests I had regarding safety, patience and care of the environment.  I began using the word “safety” and/or “safe-space” as a redirection phase instead of the easy but sometimes back-firing “no.”  This has become a very effective for the children in understanding areas of the classroom as well as response to Kai's crawling and attempts to pull himself up.  Each child has been increadibly aware of Kai's body safety and needs which has been a delight to witness.  

Connected to safety is the patience each child shows as they find new (and repeated) ways of exploring connection with friends.   The children attentively work to care for the environment as well as show signs of patience when listening and responding.

A delightful tribute to Divali and Winter Solstice has been the children’s appreciation of the lights in the house and classroom.  We talked/sang a lot about the dark winter weather and the importance of shimmering light—stars, sun, moon, candles and home lights. 

We continue to enjoy the wonders of outdoors--listening to the calls of winter birds and watching them find seeds in the garden.  Each day we enjoy 20-30 minutes of outside play.  Thank you for dressing your darling children so warm for this important exploration time!

January Topics

This is my favorite month for study!!  As a preschool teacher I used this month to honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day by also celebrating all the important past and present peacemakers and keepers of our world.  Some figures we will have photos of and talk about (age appropriately) will be Mahatma Gandhi, Wangari Maathai of Nigeria, Dalai Lama, Present Obama, Michael Franti/Bob Marley and most importantly children.  This month is a celebration of our practice of peace, calm and loving toward self, others and environment. 

The poem we will use as a guide for each peacemaker will be:

Martin Luther King was (is) a mighty, mighty man (woman) and a mighty, mighty man was he.

He stood (stands) for peace, he stood for love, he stood for harmony.

I encourage families to find one picture of Dr. King to place in your home this month as well as using the words “peacemaker” and “peace-keeper,” even in reference to our own modest actions to illustrate the true meaning of peace.  Our Klahanie children are the seeds for peaceful change—each kiss, hug and offer of food to a friend is his/her glorious method of showing us all that children are the most peaceful of the world.  Cheers to them!!

Reminders

     Please check the Klahanie 2011 calendar for snack schedules!  Thank you!