Dear Lower Elementary West Community,
I greet you all with my sincere gratitude for all that you do, on the scene or behind it. Jessy and I feel so fortunate to partner with you in this meaningful work we do together.
Festival of Fall
Last things first: After a week touched so happily by Halloween excitement, the third years graciously and enthusiastically treated the community to a "Fall Festival," which allowed some direct celebration of the season. The Fest included
- decorations (seasonally-colored paper chains, and a creepy spider web full of creepy spiders)
- engaging works and activities (including the highlight: a "pumpkin-yata," which ended up being hit with a sizable wooden log from the playground, after our broom was broken on it! What abandoned revelry!)
- cookies! (an extremely rare treat in our community)
- happiness and engagement for all, young and old
- sincere and gracious post-festival acknowledgements from the younger children, to the third years
Looking out the window this morning, I see a dull, chilly, grey day, but the rain has stopped and the wind is still. I'm hoping that all of you can enjoy whatever revelry is in store for you with your children, on this most exciting day. I know the children have been looking forward to it.
Work this Week
There seems to be a lot of construction going on at work time. The third years completed huge projects to demonstrate the fundamental needs of humans, with historical dioramas. One of them is on display near the dining hall; check it out! The first years are becoming master cardboard engineers, especially with their fish "habitats"-- diorama structures complete with clay models, pencil and marker color, tissue streamers, construction paper, and written descriptions. They are also continuing their study of plant life with constructed trees, showing the different types of leaf margins in the leaves. Second years have now mostly completed their tooth-pick and clay models of vertebrate skeletons--a surprise hit.
Other learning...
First Years: Much plant work--parts of the plant, types of leaf margins, and planting a seed to care for. I emphasize empathy and respect for plant life, including in one lesson the "befriending" of a plant outside and writing about it. They have also further studied addition facts with the concrete materials, and begun constructing a photo/writing timeline of their life so far.
Second Years: Other work and lessons include the ongoing exploration of animal knowledge and stamp game decimal exploration, as well as addition fact work and contractions (it is --> it's, etc.).
Third Years: They have finished up some big projects, earnestly planned the Fall Festival for the community, and attended a field trip to the Planetarium to culminate their study of space. The latter activity was a great success. The children expressed their excitement for it, bright-eyed with appreciation of the concrete perspective on the heavens and the celestial bodies. They also received a lesson on Rocks and Minerals, which promises to engage them once the other excitement dies down!
Again, I wish you a happy holiday weekend. Jessy and I truly enjoy our time with the children, and it's a pleasure to report their activity to you. I hope and trust you will not resent the excessive length of the newsletter. It's difficult to say less!
We wish you well,
Erik
