January 2018 Newsletter

Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Klahanie School

January 2018 Newsletter

December 2017 Reflection

Happy New Year!  We hope you and your family experienced a joyful holiday season.  We are excited to venture into the New Year with intention and care to reacquaint your child back to the classroom community and experiences and welcome a new friend Arthur Perley-Williams and family to our school community!

January 2018 Curriculum Topics

Only in the darkness can you see the stars.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Along with revisiting our daily routine we will begin to focus our attention and circle-time lessons on Martin Luther King Jr.  MLK is the first of many Peacemakers we will study from around the world.  We begin the discussion of civil rights using age appropriate and relatable-fictionalized stories along with open-ended questions the children can identify with.  I also like to continue incorporating examples and role-playing of classroom community issues to assist the children in finding greater practice and understanding of human rights, empathy and compassion development through listening and sharing.

If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do keep moving forward.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

To celebrate MLK day we will make personalized “I have a dream” clouds for all children who want to participate.  The clouds state what the child’s dreams are for the future of selves, family, community, world and imagination.  These clouds will be hung in the classroom.  We will also make MLK posters and have a Peace March on Thursday Jan 16^th we chant:

“Martin Luther King was a mighty, mighty man and a mighty, mighty man was he.  He worked for peace, he worked for love, and he worked for harmony!”

While celebrating diversity we will begin making self-portraits.  Each child will have the opportunity to observe his/her features in a mirror then with the assistance of an adult, create a self-portrait that will be displayed in the class until the end of the school year.  When you come to visit our classroom have fun finding your child!  Thank you Katrina Lindgren for offering to help in class on this wonderful project. 

January and February we will be introducing different musicians, authors/poets and artists that have had important roles in using his/her art as a tool for looking for answers to world injustices.

“A simple and exhilarating truth: music and open, honest, human-to-human communication can shift ideologies and create meaningful change” (Lee Hirsch).

Two artists we will celebrate during January will be Pete Seeger and the Staples.  These musicians actively took the messages of MLK to the next level for bringing awareness of civil peace and equality in their own communities and beyond.

This unit study is close to my heart for it stimulates the children to look deeply and proudly at ways they themselves are peacemakers.  I look forward to hearing your home observations of family conversations and questions asked by your child while we study Martin Luther King Jr. and extended Peacemakers.  Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns, I am happy to listen and make time.

We will also begin study of

·      Atlantic and Pacific archipelagos

·      Pacific Northwest beavers and their vital importance in our ecosystem

·      Winter birds

·      Snowflakes, clouds, differing forms of water

·      Human bodies: our senses

February you will receive your re-enrollment packet for 2018-19 school year and March 1, 2018 deadline.  February you will also receive your last week of March spring conference signup options.  Our school does offer a Kindergarten year and some added options will become available for the 2018-19 school year, all listed in your re-enrollment packet.  Please feel free to contact Emmy to answer any questions you may have, happy to take time.

Reminders/Thank You

·      No School Monday January 15, MLK remembrance

·      Thursday January 16, classroom Peace March (wear rainbow colors!)

·      Thank you for the sweet Holiday Gifts from families to Teachers, such kindness!

·      Cold & Wet Days!  Please & thank you for remembering to layer your child in warm clothes as well sweatshirts and pants (sweatpant-ish pants work great!).  Our outside schedule remains the same.  Please also pack extra socks (can be mismatched): socks are great mitten substitutes when needed as well as extra cozy pants and rain pants if have them. 

·      Thank you Jordan and Jen Keller for the Play-dough!

December 2017 Newsletter

Klahanie School

December 2017 Newsletter

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

BY ROBERT FROST

Whose woods these are I think I know.   

His house is in the village though;   

He will not see me stopping here   

To watch his woods fill up with snow.   

My little horse must think it queer   

To stop without a farmhouse near   

Between the woods and frozen lake   

The darkest evening of the year.   

He gives his harness bells a shake   

To ask if there is some mistake.   

The only other sound’s the sweep   

Of easy wind and downy flake.   

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,   

But I have promises to keep,   

And miles to go before I sleep,   

And miles to go before I sleep.

November 2017 Reflection

Your children thoroughly enjoyed the meal making and enjoying as a class.  Our great joy offering them the food that they made with such pride!  We have had a warm and loving month and missed many as illnesses and travels made our classes a bit more intimate.  The very wet periods of time have allowed us to practice more for the winter months and putting on layers, making this part of our class routine.  We have a lot of fun making up songs for possible added transitions.  Songs and oral stories have remained a great joy as well as Jordan’s masterful Spanish language practice and introductions.  Thank you all for a loving month!

December 2017 Curriculum Topics

“In the wilderness is the preservation of the world.”

Henry David Thoreau

Our short month together we spend smelling, story sharing and exploring the celebration of approaching winter and time with those we love and those we know deeply care about us.  We celebrate as a class the gratitude we have for sharing a space together in such a meaningful way, learning and loving.  Thank you parents and extended Klahanie School families for the support of our daily moments of witnessing your child expand her/his observation and exploration of this earth we feel and express individually and where we share space and living.  We educators feel so fortunate to share this pure joy of youth support with such a powerfully peaceful and welcoming group of humanity, thank you and a peaceful New Year to all.  Inspiring!  Muchas gracias!  Mahalo!  

This month we will have fun learning more about and practicing: 

·      Grace and courtesy practice and fun role playing of lining up for airplanes, sitting long periods in vehicles and acting out packing for the trips.  December through the remaining school year we as a class will do ample story acting (even beginning script/play writing), movement and singing/dancing.  

·      Winter Solstice and Festivals of Light

·      Horses, sheep and winter months.  We are felting daily in class and Jordan is diving us in the very fun world of sewing and weaving!  Muchas gracias Jordan!  

·      Eagles: we have a family across the street and they talk and sing in the neighborhood most mornings. 

·      Baking: class-made (possibly a pie) to share together, week before holiday break.

Reminders/Thank You

·      Cold Days!  Please & thank you for remembering to layer your child in warm clothes, our schedule remains the same of 1.5-2hrs outside daily.  Please pack lots of extra socks (can be mismatched): socks are great mitten substitutes when needed!  You are welcome to bring children in PJs if they like and a full backpack of layering, warm/cozy clothes.

·      Thank you Jen Keller for the Play-dough! 

·      Teacher Emmy’s father-in-law is from Glasgow and the family is venturing back to Islay (where Alex’s grandmother was from) this summer and seeking to have some time visiting some pre-primary schools there and begin setting up possible pen-pal opportunities with other island schools around the world.  If you are interested in helping research spaces and contacts, please contact Emmy.  

·      Please help this Holiday Season & Donate a New Toy(s) & Books and warm coats, footwear to a local Holiday Toy Drive for children in need

·      Happy Holiday Break   No School: December 18-January 1

Peace and Joy to you and all you love,

Emmy and Jordan

November Newsletter 2017

Klahanie School

November 2017 Newsletter

THANKS A LOT

Thanks a lot,
  Thanks for Sun in the sky.

Thanks a lot,
 Thanks for clouds so high.

Thanks a lot,
 Thanks for whispering wind.

Thanks a lot,
 Thanks for the birds in the spring.

Thanks a lot,
 Thanks for the moonlit night.

Thanks a lot,
 Thanks for the stars so bright.

Thanks a lot,
 Thanks for the wondering me.

Thanks a lot,
 Thanks for the way I feel.

Thanks for the animals,
 Thanks for the land,
 Thanks for the people everywhere.

Thanks a lot,
 Thanks for all I've got.
 Thanks for all I've got.


-RAFFI CAVOUKIAN

October 2017 Reflection

Thank you parents and children for such wonderful conferences, what fun sharing about your children!   As shared during conferences, your children makeup a warm and inviting group.  The leaves are changing and the rain has re-emerged, autumn is fully here.  Thank you parents for dressing your kids so weather ready with warm layers and easy to slip on boots!  Thank you also for practicing with your child at home ways to put clothing and coats on independently.  We use the following technique at school:

“You put your tag by your toes, hands in the holes and your flip it” flipping the coat on by laying coat upside down by child’s toes.

Drop off has been a benefit witnessed by teachers when children are greeted by their school day with independence and feelings of pride entering the classroom.  The experience has manifested from our teachers hopes, the day begins and ends focused on the children and they sincerely show the joy from that.  They enter class with smiles and ease, ready to help sing or talk about animals we are interested in or even making a tent with our class parachute.   Now that the routine is well established please feel when you feel your child is ready, to walk your child to the door (maintaining all parent conversations in the cozy tentJ) to take a peek on our powerful circle of love and connection. 

We have been talking about how our rain gear acts as our own personal tent when in the weather elements.  Inside and outside the children are exploring new friendships and with that we are able to support the natural and normal relationship dynamics playing out and figuring out how to open our listening ears and learning to speak from the heart, and what defines a kind leader.  I am taking a lot of time to help the children figure out joyful ways to connect with friends and introducing mediation “holding our concentration” complimented with movement stories.   There is a great amount of kindness offered and received during class daily.  The main focus I leave them with is how kind they are.  We explore together that kindness and gratitude will lead to a joyful life on earth and possibility greater connection with others and earth.  We continue to build our empathy development with inquiry and listening along with important grace and courtesy response to friends’ questions and actions. 

“Dad believes that the things of nature are a gift.  And that in return, we must give something back.  We must give thanks…..

To me, it’s a little embarrassing to say thanks to trees and things.  But Dad says it becomes a habit; it makes you feel good.  ‘Thank you, stars,’ I say as we near home.  And the stars come out, one by one, as if from hiding.”

Giving Thanks by Jonathan London

November Curriculum Topics

Day of the Dead, Dia de Muretos (Oct 31-November 2) art and inspirations from the honoring and remembrance of family

·      Salmon: amazing life cycle journey, Pacific Northwest salmon and habitats.  This is a very dear unit to me and we read some amazing books and poetry about the salmon’s inspiring life. 

·      Giving Thanks: exploring ways to express our thanks to those we love and the earth.  Before our Thanksgiving break we will make a meal as a class over a couple of days, set our table, sing a Thank You song and eat our class made meal together.  The meal will be applesauce (pealed cooked by the children, a bit of honey added), smoked salmon and corn bread (made by the class).

o   Thank you song: “Thank you for the food we eat.  Thank you for the friends we greet.  Thank you for the birds that sing.  Thank you, thank you for everything.”

·      Orcas: Like Salmon, we are very honored as an island community to be able to observe first hand the Orca migration led by Grandma, the matriarch of the Puget Sound J pod.  We will learn about Orcas and compare our native whale activity to those surrounding Scotland’s archipelago Inner Hebrides. 

·      Turkeys: parts of the turkey and behaviors, get ready for some funny words coming home! 
Ara Lee, Juniper's mom and musician/teacher, will come in the first Wednesday of the months to introduce our class to music!

Reminders/Thank You

Thank you Jordan Beck-Vroom for your amazing teaching talents in class, your time offered for Spanish lessons and daily practice and loving patience with children and co-teacher colleague!  Thank you Klahanie School parents for your participation creating a beautiful school vibe of friendliness and kindness.  And thank you for helping create a fun and memorable Pie Auction fundraising event, the school made $3406.00 for scholarships next year and we could not have accomplished this without MC and evening Chef, Jeff Miller and organizers Colleen Miller, Jen Keller and Jordan Vroom.  Such a fun evening! 

·      No School: Thanksgiving, Thursday 23^th

October 2017 Newsletter

Klahanie School

October 2017 Newsletter

September 2017 Reflection

Congratulations, you successfully made it through the first busy first month of school!   And we certainly began this school year with a fantastic amount of joy.  Welcome new and returning families to Klahanie School!  The children are beginning to remember names of classmates and we continue to play finger-plays, rhyming games, songs and movement during circle time as well as wonderful library books centered on self-care and emotions.  We have been laughing a lot at group and throughout class, what a gift! 

Thank you parents who were able to attend our school Curriculum night, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of sharing our Compassionate Listening, empathy development and emotional intelligence class foundations as well as weaving Montessori practice information.  During our evening, we discussed the intentions of Montessori education, our intimate class space where we nurture connection building while maintaining the integration of age and readiness for one-on-one and group lessons in Practical Life, Sensorial, Math, Language, Zoology, Botany and Cultural areas of the curriculum.  During these first months of school our teacher role is to assist in the children’s safety of self, environment and friendship development.  Many children have begun forming very sweet friendships and you may begin talking more about play-dates with friends from school or pass with hellos out in the world.  You all have very friendly and warm children.  And thank you teachers and parents for helping model a very kind and gentle space for our school community. 

A topic of curriculum night conversation was also focused on our daily class practice of Inclusion during play and use of the following response if asked by a friend to play:

“Can I play?”

“No thank you, maybe later.  I am working/playing alone right now.” 

Or if approaching an existing group working on project or imaginative play:

“Sure, we’ll figure it out.” 

To assist the children being creative in the group activity including more if ask to join, is requested in class to assist the individual forming good foundation experiences when seeking connection.  This is a confidence builder for all involved because everyone is able to answer authentically while also being kind.  Teachers assist if a younger two-half year old classmate who might want to play with the same material yet play/concentrate alone.  This is the gift of observation in class where we can help decode what is being sought after and seeking to communicate.  I also ask the children to practice listening as much as “use your words” and sometimes help brainstorm.  The majority of the times the children are showing great care and imagination attached to this empathy developing response in-group work.

Some songs we are exploring in class:

Jordan is singing and reading songs and books at ending circle in Spanish, a great favorite is (Thank you Jordan for this classroom gift!):

Los pollitos dicen
Pío pío pío
Cuando tienen hambre
Cuando tienen frio

La gallina busca
El maíz y trigo
Por les da comida
Y les presta abrigo

More songs we are enjoying surrounding our changing weather and friend connection building:

The rain flows down the river
And washes out to sea,
Evaporates into the clouds then
It rains back down on me.

The rain is watering the flowers

The rain is watering the trees

I put my arms up

and the rain waters me

Meet New Friends and Keep the Old, Five Little Pumpkins, In the Autumn Time, Deciduous Trees loose their leave/ Evergreen Trees keep their green, Listen to the Water, name game finger plays and fun with the parachute. 

October Topics

·      Spiders (arachnids) and Bats (mammals): looking at their life cycle, parts of the bodies, habitats and how they help the earth.

·      Pumpkins, Gourd family & Apples: life cycle, parts of the plant and sensory games, songs and food preparation and tastings. 

·      Garden preparation for winter and plant cycles: Winter crops and soil care for winter preparation.

·      Bird Migration: Pacific Northwest bird migration.

·      Loads of Halloween/Autumn Songs and Felt Story Board

·      Friends & Neighbors: What makes a friend.  Peace practices (invitation to play, concentrate together) on how to be neighborly and available for help when asked.  Inclusion practice and name games.

“Knowing that we can be loved exactly as we are gives us all the best opportunity for growing into the healthiest of people.”

Mr. Fred Rogers

Reminders/Thank Yous

·      Important!  Please Read Carefully:  Now that we are moving into the cold season, it is best if you are aware of a health issue with a student in our class. This child has mild asthma that is induced by common respiratory viruses (common colds essentially). He/she has a history of common colds turning into bronchiolitis rather quickly (not the same as bronchitis). Here's a link to more about bronchiolitis on mayoclinic.  Please keep your child home when sick.  And thank you for alerting the school if your child has been diagnosed with an extreme virus to share with this family so he/she can stay home and safe.  What happens to this child is that a common cold virus moves into his/her lungs and small airways, making it difficult to breath as mucus blocks his small airways. He/she has had about six occasions of developing bronchiolitis.  Of course it is impossible to keep children away from all cold viruses but, we'd like to try to keep this child away from any particularly nasty viruses if we know of it ahead of time.

·      Lice  Please get your hair combing lice kits and start preventatives: Please check our school blog under Parent Resources for the lice prevention and treatment.  Lavender, Tea Tree and Eucalyptus oils diluted with water and rubbed daily at the base of neck hairline as well as around ears are some great preventative bases combined with frequent nit checks.  Children will need to stay home until all nits are gone and treatment completed. 

·      Autumn Conferences: October 23, 25, 26 get questions and hopes for your child ready and sign up for your optional Autumn conference to hear about what your child is doing in class cognitively, socially, emotionally and physically.  Conference sign-up is emailed out and on the school board in our drop off tent. 

·      Thank you Play Dough Makers!  Jordan Beck-Vroom and Jen Keller

2017 Scholarship Pie Auction Dinner Fundraiser!  Saturday October 21

6-10pm Vashon Books 22100 Vashon Hwy SW

Tickets $35 Dinner included, adult event

Parent Contribution Donation:

1.     Attendance

2.     Non-Alcohol Beverage

3.     Selling Tickets, Spreading the Word:

Please use and keep track of sales in the attached envelope to collect funds and document in attached sheet if a Gift to school or Ticket Entry to event.

Thank you and very happy autumn to you!

Emmy and Jordan

September Newsletter 2017

Hi Everyone!

This has to be some of the sweetest kiddos looped together, what connections forming!  Some photos from the week are posted on Klahanie School Facebook of children who have parental permission to post images of.  We practiced circle time (beginning and ending circles where we sing songs, learn to take turns sharing ideas, learn Spanish and read stories) and lining up as well as walking in the class spaces.  We practice walking heel-to-toe with the following song:

Heel to toe and heel to toe.

We are walking heel to toe.

We are not too fast and not too slow.

Work rugs and mats have been introduced.  The work rugs are for the child to pick an activity off the shelf or form a project and has the choice to work independent or share space with a friend.  

In the garden we focused on group team play and the following statement when a friend asks to join an imaginary play:

"Sure, we'll figure it out."  This statement becomes a bridge for connection building, confidence creation and the foundation of inclusion and empathy building.  If a person is happily playing or concentrating on a project independent, he/she may say "Maybe in a little bit, I am concentrating on my own."  This also offers children time to evaluate self needs and polite response that nurtures continued connection while integrating self care.  I am beginning lessons in Sandpaper letters, geography maps, math bead counting and sensorial lessons and both teachers are introducing loads of Practical Life and art lessons.  This will continue and increase as the year progresses.  Areas such as this will be focused on during our Parent Curriculum night, please come join us 5:30-7pm Thursday, September 28th.

*We would like to expand our Monday class and fill three more spots so two teachers can be present all four school days.  Please let us know soon if you would  like to add Monday and/or have a recommendation of a child/family interested in Monday enrollment.  

Next week (18th-22nd) the Rains are coming!  Yeah for our gardens and state and here we go for our classes of little ones!  

Thank you for bringing your child with name labeled coat and layers, extra socks and name labeled boots.

Thank you for practicing our flipping on coats technique at home: 

Coat flat on floor, hood/tags by the toes, hands in the holes and flipped over the head.  We say the following:  "Tags by the toes, hands in the holes and we flip it over our head."

*Please bring a photo of your child for his/her cubby (can be printed on any paper and any size) and name labeled water bottles.  

Thank you for continuing to spread the word about our Scholarship Fundraiser October 21!  Pie yummies approaching!  

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend and excited to continue this amazing school year with you all!  

Warmly,

Emmy and Jordan

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Klahanie School

PO Box 13376 

Burton, WA. 98013

(206) 491-9465

http://klahanienurseryschool.blogspot.com/

Klahanie School Contact

info@klahanieschool.org

206-491-9465

PO Box 13376, Burton WA. 98013

School Gifts made possible through PayPal/Klahanie School

2017 Second Annual Pie Auction Dinner Scholarship Fundraiser!