The Arrival of Autumn

A bit of a spartan newsletter this week, below you'll find classroom updates, and a few of our favorite photos from the summer months, as we say so long to one season and usher in another.

From "September Midnight," by Sara Teasdale, 1914

Lyric night of the lingering Indian Summer,
Shadowy fields that are scentless but full of singing,
Never a bird, but the passionless chant of insects,
Ceaseless, insistent.

The grasshopper’s horn, and far-off, high in the maples,
The wheel of a locust leisurely grinding the silence
Under a moon waning and worn, broken,
Tired with summer.

Let me remember you, voices of little insects,
Weeds in the moonlight, fields that are tangled with asters,
Let me remember, soon will the winter be on us,
Snow-hushed and heavy.

Classroom Happenings

Infant I: We've seen an uptick in a variety of social interactions. The children are imitating each other and their teachers. Examples of this include mimicking laughter, babbling similar sounds and clapping. We have also noticed the children paying close attention to facial expressions for social cues. The younger infants are also carefully watching the older infants and are encouraged by their exploration of the classroom. We have been engaged in a lot of block play recently, which is new for us! The children are investigating shapes, stacking objects and then knocking them over. There has also been quite a bit of improvement on the solid foods front. There has been less time with bottles and more meal time with solid foods. Most children are now eating solids two times a day. 

Infant II: We have started going on some short walks this week: We have traveled around the building and the perimeter of the parking lot, and on Tuesday a few of the older children went up Thomas Lane to check out the construction site and see some of the big trucks in action. This was a real thrill! We will continue to venture out into the community in the coming weeks. There has also been an increase in identifying and naming things that we see out in nature. A chipmunk has recently been raiding our bird feeder, and the children are working to say, "munk" and "chipmunk."

Toddler I: The class enjoyed a new wooden ferry boat which was donated by a family. There are several cars that can load for crossing the rivers and lakes created in the classroom. Our Friday book continues to be Where the Wild Things Are. The children are really into this book and pay careful attention to the story and how the pictures unfold. If you're familiar with the story, Max's room changed into the world of the wild things, and this seems to really fascinate the children. We have also been doing some fall curriculum over the past week. We are reading books about changing leaves, apple picking and pumpkins as well as noticing these changes out in nature during our trips off campus. 

Toddler II: While Sarah spent a few days away for a class, the students had some visiting teachers in the room. On Wednesday the class took a big trip through the woods. They stopped to watch an excavator, ran on the shaded path and played very hard on the SES playground. On Friday, they enjoyed a delicious fruit salad, and stuck close to home, where they had the whole playground to themselves for the morning. Routines and independence continue to be a key focus. 

Pre-K: Out and about...in new places! Last week we visited Sunset Rock, and the kids really enjoyed it. We had a challenging uphill climb, and a downhill trip that made us seriously consider our sensible footwear choices...but we will certainly return back soon to explore this new area. We also checked out the "revamped" deer playground (as we call it). This spot across the street has changed as a result of some clearing, so we've been observing the changes. We had a very successful first full week of sharing; three kids have reported out per day. We continued our library trips; next week is the letter "D." And, we have been doing a lot of reading about food and nutrition to go along with our new snack times. We have an upcoming project in the works that ties in the classic book Stone Soup, so stay tuned in the coming weeks. 

As Seen this Summer