Dear Morning Garden Families,

It was great to see many of you at Michaelmas!  I know I could not say hi to everyone, but I was bit busy during the festival and I am sorry if I missed you!  Our last two weeks has been filled with the Michaelmas story.  We have been singing songs and doing a puppet show.  I have seen dragons and knights many times in the class during play time.  In Morning Garden, I chose the story "The Little Boy Who Wished to be a Knight" for this year's Micahelmas puppet show instead of the traditional one, St.George and the Dragon.  It is about a little boy who tamed the dragon with his sword that was forged by St. Michael using star fire and in the end, he saves the princess.  I will continue the story this week since this is the real Michaelmas week.

The children are coming together well and it feels like we have known each other for a long time.  During the first couple of months in Morning Garden, we focus on building the rhythm and learning how to communicate so that we can be together pleasantly.  Around winter break, I usually start seeing the children playing together in a creative and harmonious way.  I am pleasantly surprised by your children!  They are eager to participate in the activities and can play very imaginatively.  There are times I step in and redirect their play or give them a new idea, but not as often as I expected.  The children have put on a Michaelmas puppet show, adventured through the woods, traveled across the ocean on a pirate ship to find treasures, played house with baby dolls and been mommy kitty, baby kitty and brother kitty etc...  The children are also very caring and when a child is crying, at least one child will come up and give a hug or use gentle words.  I have even heard a child saying, "I will protect you until your mom comes back." to another friend who was missing mom.  We also planted some vegetables that will be used for our soup and we are watching how the seedlings grow everyday.   Speaking of soup, many children eat it and some love it!  I always say we will try a fairy bite of every snack and I believe everyone tries at least a bite.

I will try to share a poem or song in every newsletter.  If you have any requests, please let me know.

Here is a poem we are enjoying with finger play:

Three little apples hanging on a tree

One fell down and bumped my nose

Another little apple as rosey as rose

It fell down and bumped my knee

Another little apple as ripe as can be

It fell down and bumped my toes

It rolled and rolled nearly to my house

Where it was spotted by a tiny little mouse

"This apple will make a fine meal!"

and he munched, munched and munched, even the peel!

This is the blessing (song) for our snack:

Earth who gives to us this food

Sun who makes it ripe and good

Sun above and earth below

To you our loving thanks we show

Lastly, it has been pretty chilly in the morning, so please dress your child in layers.  A hat would be great in the morning.

Blessing on your week!

Ms Michiyo