Category Archives: early childhood

Picture of The Week: May Faire

By Amy Howard | Published Wednesday, May 20

(click image to view larger) Early Childhood Teacher Donna Brooks and Teacher’s Assistant Nicole Griffith perform the May Faire puppet show in the Sunflower Garden classroom. The beautiful story was featured twice during the event and was enjoyed by both children and parents alike.

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Sunflower Garden News * Saturday, May 16, 2009

By Donna Brooks | Published Sunday, May 17

Dear Families, We celebrated another student’s sixth birthday on Thursday. Such celebration. We now have six six year- olds in our classroom! These six year-olds are working on their puppets for our story we’ll share at the Kindergarten Ceremony of June 3. They are focused on this work and then love to fly away and play! In [...]

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On The Web: Kindergarten Cram (NY Times)

By Brian Howard | Published Tuesday, May 12

Thank you to Claudia for finding this week’s link to a NY Times article about homework cramming at Kindergarten. It mentions a study of New York and Los Angeles kindergartens spending 2-3 hours per day on math/reading instruction and testing. How different our Waldorf kindergarten is… Comments are open!  Please share your thoughts on the [...]

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Sunflower Garden News * May 8, 2009

By Donna Brooks | Published Sunday, May 10

 Dear Sunflower Garden Families,  I’ve concluded the telling of Three Billy Goats Gruff. We enjoyed telling it sitting in a circle on the floor and moving the goats around our circle until each reached the hillside. We also told it outside in the Memorial Garden, where children acted out the story. They put up a [...]

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Charter for Children's Play

By Donna Brooks | Published Monday, May 4

Charter for Children’s Play Children play best: When adults are watchful but not intrusive, when safe ground lends courage to their discoveries and adventures. When their trust in life is whole, when they welcome the unknown, and are fearless. When the world is shared with them.  When there are places and spaces they can make [...]

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Sunflower Garden News * May 1, 2009

By Donna Brooks | Published Sunday, May 3

Dear Sunflower Garden Families, Today Ms. Griffith brought in branches of snowy May for May Day! We danced with them around our circle singing songs we’ll sing while dancing around the May Pole on May 16. We visited classrooms and delivered a branch of snowy May to the teachers while we sang “Here’s a branch [...]

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Sunflower Garden News * April 24, 2009

By Donna Brooks | Published Saturday, April 25

Dear Sunflower Garden Families, We returned from spring break to a more colorful classroom. Lady Spring has appeared on our nature table along with spring colors, flowers, and animals. What about those three eggs in the nest? What surprises of spring await us? In circle we are singing songs of this season and reciting verses [...]

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