Copacetic

First week reflections for teachers: it's all pretty copacetic! We are enthralled by the spirit of the children in our learning community as they have had opportunities to embark on new friendships, create strong routines, engage with tools and toys, and begin to form our preschool program. Planning, preparation and environment may only achieve excellence for a learning community when the big ideas and unique personalities of each individual are treated with respect and time is honored for forming relationships.

Artensia, Cierra, Jose, Kathleen and Sky enthused over how amicable this specific group seems to be; although 60% new children, this mix of individuals seems to be particularly caring and nurturing of one another's feelings. There have been few tears for such a huge transition, certainly much less than we expect from children learning to understand separation from parents.

Our Big Friends had a day of orientation with Kathleen and a tour of the classrooms and playground. The Child Development class has met with Cierra and Sky spent Wednesday overnight with the entire high school on retreat. The youth will begin with us on Monday! There are several returning friends, but mostly new high school students. We are excited to welcome them into the learning community.

Teachers are very grateful to see parents honoring the morning transition piece. We appreciate that the routine can feel challenging as children may use techniques to prolong their parents presence in the classroom. Please holler if you need teacher support! The transition supports children's self-help skills, hygiene, early literacy, and provides a strong framework of home-to-school partnership. Sign-in books are in the classrooms until 8:30AM and then taken outside - please walk your child with her/his waterbottle out to the playground and check in visually and verbally with the teacher while signing-in. Children transition back to their individual classrooms at 9:30AM, Butterflies sing "Down by the Station" and Brown Bears sing "Yellow Submarine" to musically cue their line up and walk inside. Parents on the playground are invited to sing along to support this routine!

Teachers have appreciated the parents kind comments on the appearance of the classrooms. We will share our plans for continued enhancement as we seek parent leadership for the upcoming community builds. The Parent Advisory Committee has sign-up sheets posted in Classroom #2 for families that are ready to volunteer! Our first meeting for the new school year is September 14th at 5:00PM - a sign-up sheet for $5 childcare by Big Friends (serving cheese pizza) will be made available next week. Our meetings are normally at 6:00PM, but Kathleen has a 6:30 meeting in Oakland she cannot miss!

Much gratitude to our new and returning parents!



"Children have it all over adults, possessing magical powers of imagination. Then they grow up into cynical tall people. That's the whole problem with the human race: reverse metamorphosis. We turn from butterflies into caterpillars. The key to keeping your wings is regular exercise of your kindergarten muscles of make-believe." (Tim Dorsey)