Dear Cedar Families,

We have had a wonderful month of exploration and discovery in the Cedar classroom. We celebrated Silas’ 4th and Harry’s 3rd birthdays, and welcomed our first round of Mystery Readers featuring Max’s grandpa, Elizabeth, and Meghan, much to the children’s delight.  We look forward to our Cedar parents coming in over the coming months ahead!  Please sign up if you are interested.

Our studies of apples, trees, and plants continued, with highlights including baking apple turnovers (thank you to Livvia’s mother, Lauren, for helping out!) as well as looking at roots and transplanting some starts which grew healthy roots in our classroom window.  These hands-on activities spurred further work around the classroom, including a deeper understanding of the importance of watering our many plants and cleaning the leaves to support the plants’ need to “make their own food.”

As the lead up to the salmon study, we talked about plants vs. animals, vertebrates and invertebrates, and opened up our Continent Animal box to look at different animals around the world.  Last week we shared the salmon story with the children, and talked about the importance of the fall rains’ arrival, in filling the rivers for the salmon to make their way home to spawn.  I told the students about all of the leaping salmon I have been watching at the head of Fletcher Bay, near my home, awaiting the rain’s arrival.

Our youngest students are growing more confident every day, and enjoy observing the older students’ at work when they need a break from their own studies around the classroom.

The reading corner continues to draw in our students of all levels, especially when Teacher Katie is available to settle in to share her love of stories with them.

Our Kinders had a busy month, celebrating their first Writer’s Workshop unit and inviting their parents to the Salal class to share their “Small Moments” stories.   Outdoor education in October included a grand hike on the Fairydell Trail, where we looked at tiny bugs beneath the evergreen and conifer trees, dappled in sunlight.  The Bainbridge Fire Department also treated the Kindergarten students and elementary students to a visit with a lively presentation of their fire truck and fire safety.

Thank you to all of you for your support, and a shout out to Christina (Harry’s mother) and Loren (Isa’s mother) for helping the children make the lovely lanterns for the Autumn Gathering.   Katie and I continue to marvel at the creative and loving children we get to work with each day and, as the days grow shorter, know that the light of the children will continue to brighten even our darkest days.

Warmly,
Mary and Katie