This Month in Fox Tail Cottage...

Greetings Fox Tail families,


My goodness, have we been busy in Fox Tail Cottage this spring! 


We said good-bye to Toni and wish her all the best. The children had a chance to personally wish her well and let her know how much they appreciate her, as they presented her with a care package to utilize while she’s busy finishing school and adjusting to her new career as a veterinary technician. Gitana also brought all of the 3rd-years out to collect flowers from our gardens to make a gorgeous bouquet for her! Toni was very touched and let the children know how much she loves them and will miss them.


We are so excited to have Helen here with us! She adores children and nature, so it has been an immediate and natural fit for her in Fox Tail Cottage! Helen begins her Montessori training this summer, and we’ll be here to support her along the way, as well as benefit from the fresh and lively Montessori enthusiasm she’ll bring as she learns the magic of this wonderful method and philosophy. 


In observance of Earth Day this year, as a class we’ve been reading books about the sun, the moon, and the planets, with a focus on Earth. Several children have been learning about our solar system, spreading out a matching work in order from the sun to pluto, then ‘pasting’ images of the sun and the planets in order up on our giant chalkboard outside. We had a conversation about Pluto and how it was once considered a planet, then lost that designation. We’ve settled on the information that Pluto is a dwarf planet, and agreed it should continue to be included in our solar system, along with the planets and the asteroid belt! We’ve also been discussing the importance of decomposers and pollinators, and how they are vital to the earth and to our survival. Decomposers create rich soil for plants to grow and thrive, and pollinators make it possible for plants to procreate. We need these cherished creatures to make it possible for humans and all other animals to have food!


In honor of decomposers, we read the book Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin. Now everyone wants to be careful of worms when we see them in puddles after a good rain. :) To celebrate pollinators, we received some painted lady butterfly caterpillars which have now entered their pupa stage. We’re observing them daily to watch their changes. One thing we observed is that the caterpillars would be bigger at the end of each school day than they were when we’d arrive in the morning! Can you imagine what it would feel like to go through such rapid physical and developmental changes or to grow that much in one day?!


Congratulations to the Yioutis family for winning our art auction item at the spring festival! The children just love making those gorgeous art projects, especially for a good cause to support their school. :) Congrats also to Emma and Lillian, whose families won the teacher time auction item; I’m looking forward to our splash pad playdate in June! Yay! Thank you to all who bid and to all who donated, in any facet, in support of Cedars and Fox Tail Cottage!


Some Grace & Courtesy concepts we’ve been focusing on and practicing are:


- Having dignity and determination, which involves feeling good about the choices we make and following through with them.
- Being thoughtful in our actions, as opposed to careless, then knowing how and when to make amends if necessary.


A great book we read about this very topic is The Busy Beaver by Nicholas Oldland. This story of a careless beaver who learns how to be thoughtful really got us thinking! The children noticed that being careless can be considered akin to being “not very nice” and can cause us to find ourselves hurting friends or their work. Everyone agreed that we want to be nice, and that in Fox Tail we take care of each other! We always have a chance to make amends, so we’ve been practicing doing so by using thoughtful language, voicing our needs respectfully, and listening to others when they speak to us. Our Peace Area is a perfect place to have these important conversations. We practice being thoughtful by using slow and careful bodies in the classroom, paying attention to our work, and making sure things are neat and tidy, ready for the next person. Fox Tail friends are all so wonderful to each other when it comes to helping a friend who needs it. We share multiple hugs throughout our week, as well as lots of helpful information and helping hands, and the occasional ice pack! ;)


Thank you for reading…


Yours kindly,
Martha