Bulletin Board
Events, opportunities and resources for our Garden community.
Isn’t the theme for this year’s Auction, “Prom~Forever Young” so fun!
The Garden has a long tradition of coming together as a community around the auction. We all have a role to play in making this the biggest, most successful fundraiser of the year! It is the most impactful way to ensure that students at the Garden continue to have the amazing experiences in this program, next year and beyond.
We Can’t Do It Without You!
Visit our Auction Donation page for ways to participate!
Parenting Support With Julie Spangler
- taking pressure off
- the need to be ‘right’
- knowing our triggers
Celebrating Black History Month
The Children’s Garden is proud to celebrate Black History month in thoughtful, age appropriate ways. Our Curriculum page has examples of how we fold Black History Month into our curriculum and links for further information on talking to children about Black History month, race, or simply how to find more great books.
Families are invited up to our office to check our wonderful collection of books that explore black history, skin color, and stories revolving around black lives.
Please stop in, snuggle up and read some of these wonderful stories!
Valentines Day
Valentines is special here at The Garden!
Children decorate envelopes during school and “mail homemade valentines to their classmates.
Ladybugs: Tuesday, February 13
Crickets: Wednesday, February 14
Honeybees: Wednesday, February 14
Visit our Valentines page for more information and class lists.
Honeybee World Culture Reports
In the next few weeks we will be embarking on World Culture Studies in class. Each student will have the opportunity to choose a country, research information and give an oral presentation to the class.
Late February/Early March
Children will choose their country and prepare for travel (Passports, Visa, and Packing Bags), and sign up for a date to present on the sheet inside the door
March 11 – Oral Presentations begin
April 1 – World Culture Fair. Families arrive for pick up 15 minutes early to view World Culture Report boards and ask students questions.
See World Culture Report Details and Samples on our Curriculum page.
The Mousehole
Gung Hay Fat Choi!
Happy Lunar New Year and Year of the Dragon everyone! How much fun we had celebrating this colorful and exciting event this week! Children wore their lucky colors and put on a parade at the end of their classes – we practiced using chopsticks while eating noodles and mandarins, we had fun opening fortune cookies and we made dragons and lanterns and fans. How fun! Ladybug mom, Shelly Dararak helped us out in all three classes with a fun story, craft and treat. Thank you so much Shelly! If you have a chance and are looking for something colorful and fun to do, please check out the celebrations in the International District of Seattle this weekend! Lion Dances, Firecrackers and Food and Fun!
We want to thank you all for attending our auction kick off on Saturday! What a fun time the staff had with all of you parents, partying and revealing the theme of this year’s auction. Thank you to Leah Julius for taking on the leadership of this event – we loved your pep talk to get us all going on Saturday! and to Taylor Pohs for doing all of the data entry and technology side of things and Claudia LeBarge – You are killing it with your role as Procurement chair! Wow! We are off to a great start to our main fundraiser of the year!
Next week, we are on to Valentines Day celebrations and our last week of school before Winter Break! The teachers are assessing the students to prepare for our Parent Teacher Conferences (make sure that you are signed up!) and the Honeybees are finishing up their special person and ‘favorite animal’ reports, preparing for their World Culture Reports, the culminating report for their Honeybee year.
We celebrated Honeybee, Harper, taking five trips around the sun!
We had our February Fundraising meeting on Tuesday evening and met up with some of our amazing Cricket mom’s for a fun evening of catching up.
We continue to be amazed by all of you, your ‘jump in’ attitude for community building and helping us continue this Children’s Garden program. Thank you so much.
Have a great weekend!
Ladybugs
Crickets
Honeybees
Gratitude Corner
Our Lunar New Year celebration was so much fun! Much gratitude to Ladybug Peyton’s mom, Shelly Dararak and her helper and former Gardener Luke, for decorating our Gazebo with beautiful festivity and joining each class to share stories, activities and hand out goodie bags she made for each child! WOW! We couldn’t ask for a better way to celebrate!
We are so appreciative of our Auction 2024 team leaders! We had an wonderful Kick-Off and our auction donation/procurement is in amazing hands! Much thanks to Ladybug Madison’s and Honeybee, James’ mom Leah Julius, Ladybug Cambrie’s and Cricket, Ainsley’s mom Claudia LaBarge and Cricket Mason’s mom Taylor for leading the way to our 2024 Auction!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! To the ever-impressive Erin Carpinito! Vice President of our Board of Trustees, and organizer beyond all organizers. We see you, Erin! Erin steps in anytime that she hears the words – “we need” or “we would like” – and makes it happen. Erin gives so much time and energy to our school and she sets up all of the fundraising meetings, organizes and books the venues for our annual events and all at the same time, being “Super Mom” to Penelope, Claire and Isla. You are a true vision of calm while everyone is stressed, and you always show up with a smile. We sure do love and appreciate you Erin, and all that you do for our program.
~ Office Notes~
Name Tag Label Recommendation
The staff love when the children’s clothes and items are labeled. Thank you to the LaBarge family for recommending cute custom waterproof name stickers for clothing, water bottles and lunch boxes.
Year End Tax Statements
Donations made to The Children’s Garden
We are so appreciative of everyone for giving and helping support The Children’s Garden. Year end tax statements for donations were sent out this week. Please call or email the office if you did not receive yours.
Tuition paid to The Children’s Garden
This year, Brightwheel will be providing a direct link to your year-end tax statement.
If you need your year-end payment summary now, visit our tax reports page for video tutorial and printable instructions.
Garden Directory
Stop by the office to get your 2023-2024 Garden Directory!
Calendar
Please mark your calendar with these important dates.
February
February 3: Auction Kick-Off
February 8: Lunar New Year celebration for Ladybugs and Honeybees
February 9: Lunar New Year celebration for Crickets
February 13: Valentine’s Day for Ladybugs
February 14: Valentine’s Day for Crickets and Honeybees
February 19-23: 2nd Winter Break
February 28: Conference Planning, no school for students.
Save the Date
March 23: Spring Egg Hunt
April 26: Art Show
May 4: Auction
Daily Class Schedule
Ladybugs
Tuesday and Thursday 8:15 – 10:45 am
Crickets
Monday, Wednesday and Friday 8:15 – 11:15 am
Honeybees
Monday-Thursday 12:15 – 3:15 pm
~ Poems~
School Poems
Part of our daily routine at The Garden is singing or saying a few of our traditional poems.
Find a printable version to our Closing Circle Song, and the poem “We Light This Candle” at the following links.
