Dear Cedar Families,
Happy Holidays to you all! We closed out 2024 in Cedar with discussions about hibernation, migration, and adaptation. We talked about winter celebrations around the world, played the Dreidel game, cut snowflakes, and painted Christmas trees. We made a list of food for Hannukah using the moveable alphabet, and read about Kwanza. We celebrated Audrey’s 5th birthday and enjoyed Mystery Read Alouds with Tiffany (Arden), Blake (Livvia) and Derek (Isa). **Please sign up for a spot in the new year if you haven’t had a chance to be a Mystery Reader yet. I have added dates for the remainder of the year.
We studied beavers, and talked about how they never stop working. I shared the phrase “busy as beavers” with the children, and explained that beavers work year round. Just like the children, beavers take care of each other and their young, they build lodges, and are very resourceful, using whatever resources they can find to survive.
One of my greatest joys is watching lessons in the classroom come alive outside the classroom. One week the sandbox was full of workers constructing a beaver lodge. Large branches were dragged across the playground by little hands, holes were dug, negotiations made on the best design. A parent shared a video with me of their child singing our “Once There Was A Snowman” song at the top of their lungs while strumming a mandolin. Beautiful.
With the arrival of the Winter Solstice, we look forward to the days growing longer again, as the Earth turns. High up in the Cedar trees a family of raccoons entertained us before break during outdoor time, scurrying into the branches, reminding all of us that this is their home. We are but passing through. We are so very lucky to get to be here together, among the raccoons and Cedars, dancing to our silly songs and learning together.
We wish to also share that Ripley will not be returning to our class in January. Her family has decided to homeschool her with her older brother, Leo. We will miss her in Cedar, her sparkle and kindness, and wish her family well as they learn together at home and await the birth of their third child in the spring.
In Writers’ Workshop, the Kinders continue to build a stronger community of writers. Over the past month or so we have been working on making our writing more readable. We have practiced using some new tools to help us tell our own stories–and practice reading with writing buddies. Our tools include:
- Rereading our words and phrases
- Using spacing between words
- Using our word wall of sight words or commonly used words
- Using the movable alphabet to build our words as we work on fine motor skills to write legibly
- “Taking a picture” in our mind, and trying to recall in our own minds
- Remembering the details that make our stories exciting and interesting to read
Thank you to all who attended our publishing party. Our students love to share their progress and their stories!
Our class will be welcoming a new student on January 7th, Harper Yates (parents Adam and Pam). Please join us in welcoming our incoming family to Cedar!
Happy Holidays to you all!
Warmly,
Mary and Katie
