This Month in Fox Tail Cottage...

​Hi everyone!


April was a super fun- and learning-packed month! Lately the children have been choosing their roles for our class play. They've also been deciding how they will decorate their masks and thinking about what they will wear on stage. All the Fox Tail friends have been very enthusiastic and flexible in working together as a whole class to practice, rehearse and prepare to entertain you - their families! We can't wait!!

Our third-years are beginning to gear up for graduation, with great anticipation, and some apprehension, about moving on from this home-away-from-home they've had for the past 3 years. It's bittersweet, but we are all so happy for them and all the things they've accomplished, and will continue to achieve after they leave Fox tail Cottage. Our graduates-to-be may be leaving our class in presence, but they will remain here, always, in spirit!

Painting pots and repotting plants with Pat, Jean, and the help of some generous parents from various classrooms from Cedars Primary, has been a great deal of fun for the children! The flowers in their colorful pots all look so beautiful along the walkways leading to the classrooms! We've had plenty of rain to nourish them, and the children will continue to water and care for their individual plants as needed.

Some Grace and Courtesy lessons we've done are:
protecting our work
making a respectful request, and honoring a request
food preparation and sharing by passing it around to classmates
politely interrupting
caring for nature by resisting the temptation to touch (specifically snails), observing with our eyes 
responding when someone speaks to us

We've also practiced making statements and asking questions. A statement is when we want to share information - telling something that we already know; and a question is when we are seeking information - asking about something we want to know.

Walking the line is a current popular work in Fox Tail Cottage. The children have been doing so both indoors and out. We've been learning how to take focused, graceful and purposeful steps while carrying a precious object or a musical triangle to gently strike between steps. It's meditative... and grounding - wonderful for preparing oneself for deep learning and concentration - as well as a practice in concentration in and of itself. :)

A few books we've recently read are:

What Will Hatch, by Jennifer Ward, illustrated by Susie Gharemani - This book was a gift from the Pac Family for Georgia's birthday. Thank you, Georgia!!
Mix It Up! by Hervé Tullet. This book was a gift from the Yioutis family for Kate's birthday. Thank you, Kate!!
Fancy Nancy, Fanciest Doll in the Universe, by Jane O'Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser
Blueberries for Sal, by Robert MCCloskey (a personal favorite of mine! :D)
The Gold Coin, by Alma Flor Alda, illustrated by Neil Waldman

You may have heard about our addition of a picnic blanket for lunchtime. It's working out splendidly for the children to rotate turns sitting on the picnic blanket together with about 5 friends. We're now doing the same at the picnic table on our back porch. Miss Toni had this great idea and it's great fun for all of the Fox Tail friends to enjoy the outdoors while chatting with friends during lunchtime!

A few of our letter-sounds-of the week have been:
t, r, and h.

Look for some beautiful photos of your diligent and happy children to come very soon!

Yours truly,
Martha