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The Young Children's Community is a place that supports both individual development and learning how to live harmoniously in our community. Our days will be filled with opportunities for baking, exploring, developing independence, acquiring new language and challenging motor abilities, just to name a few. I am happy to welcome your child to our sweet community and I look forward to the year ahead. "Joy, feeling one's own value, being appreciated and loved by others, feeling useful and capable of production are all factors of enormous value for the human soul." |
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Classroom Highlights
11/30/23
Hello Trillium families!
It has been lovely being back with your kiddos after the short Holiday break. The children were thrilled to be reunited on Monday and have been extra affectionate and concerned for each other's well-being the past few days. Toddlers so often remind me of the good in humanity. They do not hesitate to get a tissue for a friend, rub the back of a sad peer, or join hand-in-hand when walking down the hall. It’s the sweetest thing and I feel so lucky that I get to witness these beautiful interactions every day.
Not only were we psyched to see one another upon our return, we were psyched to see the SNOW! Team Trillium has been taking full advantage of the white, fluffy stuff: sledding, making snow angels, shoveling, the list goes on. Thank you for continuing to send warm (labeled ;)) outdoor gear – appropriate clothing makes outside time much more enjoyable. I encourage you all to bundle-up and get outside on the weekends! Young children handle the cold better than you might expect. ™
In other fun news, Levi Cook is officially joining our class on Monday! Levi has been visiting our classroom this week and already feels like a Trillium member. As we welcome Levi, we say goodbye to our buddy, Leo, who has moved up to Alison’s Primary class. We are so excited for Leo, but will miss him greatly.
Lastly, I want to remind you all that Friday, December 15th is an abbreviated day, followed by campus closure for winter break. Dismissal time for YCC will take place between 10:40am and 10:55am. Please park and come pick up your child from the classroom. Once you have your child, head down to the gym for the Seasonal Sing which starts at 11:00am. Lunch and nap will not take place on this shortened day. After a few, rejuvenating weeks spent at home, we will return to school on Tuesday, January 2nd. Looking forward to another beautiful year with all of you!
Warmly,
Annie Botsford
11/17/23
Happy Thursday, y’all!
To start, I want to thank you for participating in conferences. It was wonderful to share a moment with each of you. I feel more grateful than ever that I get to spend my days with your little humans. What a loving, passionate, and hard-working group they are.
A reminder that next Tuesday, November 21st, is our classroom Harvest Feast. Please write your name on all containers/dishes you send, and I will make sure they make it home with you at the end of the day. Thank you again for your contribution!
We have recently been talking about traditional Thanksgiving foods in the classroom. Just like with Halloween, I want to prepare the children for what they might see this upcoming Holiday Break. There is currently a language set with images of different Thanksgiving foods on our shelf, as well as a few books about gratitude. Regardless of how your family chooses to spend the days off, I hope they are filled with love and joy.
Another big thank you to those that bought a book for our classroom at Horizon Books Day last weekend! The new books have already received a lot of love from the children.
Lastly, I want to leave you with this video of a child putting on her jacket. Perhaps this is something you can work on at home over the Holiday. ™
Sending so much gratitude your way!
11/3/23
Happy November Trillium families!
As the temperature drops and snow starts falling, we will continue to go outside every day at school. Please make sure you are sending warm outdoor clothing that is well labeled (especially gloves!!). I have found that silver sharpie works great on dark colored winter gear. Historically, it has been easiest to keep a set of winter clothing at school. That being said, let me know what works best for your family and we will accommodate. Once there is snow on the ground, I will start sending your children home in their boots. We will keep a pair of indoor shoes in their cubby.
Thank you to those who came to our Montessori Toddler book discussion last week! I love these opportunities to talk philosophy with you all. If there is enough interest, we may hold another book club in the spring. Stay tuned! Even if you are unable to attend, I highly suggest taking a look at the book. It is a great resource and might spark thoughts or questions that you would like to bring up at conferences.
Speaking of conferences… Please sign up if you have not already! I look forward to meeting with each and every one of you.
I also want to remind you that Horizon Books Day is right around the corner! Please stop by and pick a book from the Trillium basket on Saturday, November 11th. ™
Lastly, if you chose to celebrate the holiday, I would love for you to send me a photo of your child dressed up in their Halloween costume. I plan to send out a virtual Halloween parade with all of the adorable pictures.
10/19/23
Happy Thursday Trillium families!
I hope you all are having a wonderful week! As I said in my last Classroom Highlights, we have been embracing Fall in our little community. An easy way to explore this bountiful season is through food. This week we have made pumpkin chia seed smoothies (so delicious and so messy!) and applesauce waffles. Preparing food is a wonderful way to spend time with your child and provides a reason for collaboration as well as the opportunity for your child to contribute to the health and happiness of your family. In our classroom, I pre-measure all of the ingredients needed in our baking/cooking projects to support the success of the children. We use bowls with grippy bottoms to make stirring easier, and provide kitchen instruments/utensils that are functional and child-sized. Not only does baking/cooking provide a rich, sensorial experience for your child, it can lead to many other things. Washing dishes, sweeping, mopping, setting the table, or starting a load of laundry are great follow-up activities! Feel free to reach out if you would like more food related ideas.
In other fun news, Trillium recently welcomed another flower into the classroom! Marcus Daisy joined our community and the children have been eager to show him the ropes. We also had the privilege of seeing Everett off to Primary where he is currently thriving (although he still checks in with his old buddies on the playground ™).
Lastly, I want to remind you all of a few upcoming events:
- Join us on Thursday, October 26 from 4:00 - 5:15 to discuss The Montessori Toddler, by Simone Davies. We will be focusing on Chapter 5: Raising A Curious Child Who Feels Seen And Heard. I encourage you to read this chapter before our chat. Childcare is available and you can sign up for it here. You must register before Monday, October 23. I’m looking forward to seeing you all there!
- Horizon Books Day is Saturday, November 11! This is our annual book fair and Horizon gives 10% of all sales that day directly to The Children’s House - even when you purchase gift certificates. This is one of my absolute favorite school events. The children love on our books so intensely that they often need replacing. Please stop by Horizon and stick a book in the “Trillium” basket! We (adults and children alike) so appreciate it!
- Please check Waypoints tomorrow for conference sign-up!
A friendly reminder to read Waypoints each week. I suggest syncing our Family Calendar with your personal calendar so that you stay up to date on everything happening here at school, especially our learning opportunities that are designed just for you. ™
10/3/23
Hello Trillium families!
I hope you all have been enjoying the unprecedented October beach weather! It does look like we are in for some cooler weather in the coming days, so I will be sending home your child’s extra clothing in exchange for warmer outfits. Please send two or three weather appropriate outfits back to school on Monday.
Despite the warm weather, we have recently been embracing the change of seasons in our classroom. There are currently several fall-inspired books on our shelves, as well as some seasonal puzzles and manipulatives. We have also baked pumpkin bread, made pumpkin waffles, and raked leaves into a big, jumpable pile on our playground. I have included a few pictures of these seasonal activities below.
I find that seasonal materials lead to fun, relevant conversations with the children. Many have expressed that they have picked apples or pumpkins, and a few have brought up the costumes they plan to wear for Halloween. The “spooky” decorations seen in yards and grocery stores this time of year can be really alarming for YCC aged children and repeated conversations about these things helps demystify them. One and two-year-olds live in a reality-based world and Halloween is a very abstract concept. I make a point to explain that the decor and costumes they see are just pretend.
On an exciting note, the Trillium Transparent Classroom is now up and running! Earlier this week I tagged your children in photos from the past several months. If you did not receive these photos, please let me know. I have found that Transparent Classroom notifications sometimes take a while to show up. From this point forward, expect to get tagged photos of your child every Friday. Yay!
Lastly, I want to remind you all of a few upcoming events:
- Our annual Fall Festival is this Saturday, 10/8, from 11:00am - 1:00pm. Please join us for a meal and fun, fall activities! In an effort to make this event zero-waste, we ask that you bring your own plates, bowls, cups, utensils and napkins.
- Next Thursday, 10/12 is a half-day. Carline will take place at 11:30.
9/21/23
Happy Thursday Trillium families!
What a wonderful start to the school year we have had. Your children have adjusted nicely to the new faces and routines. Every day artwork has been made, bread has been baked, water has been poured, and floors have been mopped. It has been an absolute delight. Throughout the school year, I will use classroom highlights to delve into the recent interests of our classroom and relay any pertinent information.
Thanks to all of you who attended the back-to-school parent night a few weeks ago. As I said then, I believe community is the most important part of your child’s experience here at TCH. With that said, do not hesitate to reach out to me at any point this year. I am committed to each of your families and here to support you and your child in every way I can.
Another thing brought up at the back-to-school night was the Young Children’s Community Songbook. A big thanks to Caitlin Early for sharing it with me so that I can share it with all of you! I will send it in a follow-up email as it is too large to be included in this one.
Next Tuesday, September 26th, is our classroom picnic! Please join us for a fun time on the YCC playground between 5 and 7pm. Any questions regarding the picnic can be sent to Trillium room parent (AKA Emmett’s mom), Lindsay Smith. I look forward to seeing you all there!
Finally, I want to thank you all for contributing to the well-being of our little community on a daily basis. I so appreciate your continued involvement and commitment. Together, we can create a rich, cohesive experience for your child.