Dear Cedar Families,
I hope you all enjoyed some good time together with friends and family over the Thanksgiving break.
November was a happy and busy month in Cedar.
Thank you to our Mystery Readers, Lydia (Maddie), Chris (Sawyer) and Zoe (Max).
Our classroom was buzzing daily with activity and lively exploration, with our salmon study at the center. We tried our hands at block printing, rolling out red ink to make our own “redd”–salmon nest. We laid out pebbles and little trees, a felt river and miniature animals, and swam our salmon upstream to spawn, dropping red beads in the river. I shared my story of my visit to the Chico Creek Park where I watched real salmon spawn for the first time in my life, and we talked about the life cycle of the salmon. We had group lessons on predators and prey, used our hands to help us remember different types of salmon, and painted, rubbed and drew salmon to help us know the shape and parts of the salmon. We looked at the sky and talked about the importance of the rain, the trees, the other animals and creatures that support the salmon, and how salmon also provide food for large predators like bears, orcas and seals.
At the heart of Cedar is our focus on connection, curiosity and peace. Our practice includes moving mindfully about the room, speaking softly so others may focus on their own works and trusting ourselves to try works on our own. Along with fostering independence, we also continue our work building community through sharing time, Mystery Readers, and group conversations where we discover that we have so very much in common. The children are endlessly optimistic and caring of each other, and I marvel at how they look out for one another every day.
As the days grow shorter and we all turn inward, we remember the light within each of us. We brave the dark through shared meals, stories, songs and play. We make food together, share food with others and remember that the light days will come again.
Our works in practical life are expanding to include spice grinding, coffee grinding and sifting. December will include more food works, and special baking projects, as well as studies of quilts and fibers, as we look at how people stay warm in the winter months around the world. Our winter studies will also include hibernation, and a look at where animals go–and how they survive–in the wintertime.
Kindergarten update: Afternoons for the Kindergarten children is an enriching and engaging time. On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, the children have an hour in class to dive into big lessons or collaborate on Kindergarten projects. They take care of preparing the classroom for the next day by doing the laundry, emptying the garbage, and tidying the shelves. At 2:00, they gather as a writing community in a Writers’ Workshop. It is here that students learn what a story is, how to show and tell a story, and support each other’s thinking. We always start with a “mini-lesson” with lots of time to write. Currently, we are learning how to write legibly, the importance of re-reading our words, putting spaces between each word, and how to support each other with questions and compliments. Before going outside to play, we pause to reflect on our hard work. This is a hard-working group with lots of ideas and excitement to get their thoughts on paper. On Thursday our cohort is split into two groups. Half go to music with Katie in the Commons while the other half go to art with Isobel in the Art Studio. They regroup for a snack, then switch Specialists for the second session. This month, Isobel helped them create their lamps for our lantern walk, and Katie is teaching “the lantern song” as well as many other songs, movement games, and dances. On Friday, we pack ourselves up to enjoy the wonderful outdoors for Outdoor Education. We are identifying plants, trees, and fungi. Each child comes prepared with the correct outdoor gear and a snack from home. Sometimes we walk long distances, sometimes we stay close to the school. We follow the children’s lead. Last week, someone from the public gave us a soccer ball which was a hit, another day we stopped to watch the ducks and climbed some trees. It’s been a pleasure to watch this group evolve into a community as they support one another in their social, emotion, physical, and spiritual development.
As always, thank you for your support.
Warmly,
Mary & Katie
