Weekly Update: Weeks 13-14-15

Hello!

Wow, a lot has happened since I last wrote! First off I really noticed that parents tried to pack less snacks that were wrapped in plastic and trash since I mentioned it. I would certainly say the majority of lunches contain zero to very little trash each day and I truly commend and thank you for that! We often think about trash and waste when we plan or do things at Robin's Nest. Our art projects are earth friendly and natural. We don't use things like glitter and have tried to created beautiful projects and gifts that you would want to keep and cherish forever! I felt so proud and happy at the fair watching people use the reusable bags we handed out. We are setting an example for our children of ways they can help take care of their earth and environment and I know they listen! 

Speaking of the environment, I am asking for people to make another commitment to helping the earth and our health by no longer idling while you are in the driveway.  Josh has asked me to request this since Robin's Nest opened as he is very aware of the effect of CO2 emissions and the effect of air quality for our children. So from this day on we ask that you do not keep your car running during drop off and pick up. Thank you for helping keep our children healthy and doing what we can to help with climate change. 

We have been so thankful for the snow during these last cold days. We are staying warm by sledding, snowboarding, running, rolling, and building with the snow. We purchased some new snowboards and sleds that have been a lot of fun. Just in the last week some children have used focus and determination to work on balance and coordination on the snowboards. It is almost as if you can see the brain working, telling the body what to do and how to do it as they are going down the small hill. We have about 6 sleds now thanks to Josh and Ian who picked up three new one this weekend. Sharing, taking turns, communication, caring and helping all happen when we use the sleds. There is not enough for everyone so children need to work that out. We have not had to intervene at all and children have been able to ask for turns, help each other and they even spend time giving each other rides around the play yard. I can already tell what a fun winter this is going to be. 

The Living Local Art Fair and our fundraiser was a HUGE success. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who cooked, worked the table, handed out bags, donated money or just offered to help. It was a lot of work and I needed all of you! I loved seeing so many little nesters at the fair supporting our community and enjoying the day. We raised $600 for Audubon! I would like to donate $250 in soup money as well making a total of $850! I have been in touch with Mark Jannot who is the vice president for content and the person who spearheads the mural project that has interested me since I read about it! http://www.audubon.org/amp I am considering sponsoring a mural, we get to choose a bird that would get painted to build awareness to the 314 species that are threatened by climate change. The mural would be painted in Harlem, NY and Robin's Nest would get written credit on the mural and on the website as being a sponsor. I wanted to choose the purple finch, NH's state bird but it has already been painted. I will choose some from the list or I welcome suggestions! They will not be painting again until spring but I will give the final location of where the mural will be! The remaining money about $350 will go to NH Audubon. We feel fortunate and very lucky that Phil Brown who works for Audubon can be our representative to receive the donation this week. 

I am very excited to announce that the book we made with the 7th grade at JRMS is complete! Most of the 4 and 5 year olds who wanted to do an illustration and was here the days we did it, drew beautiful illustrations for the story. We spent time reading the story a couple days in a row and making connections to it. We connected the story to personal experience, other books that we had read, and to our community. The book is about a 7 year old boy named Henry who has been scared of water and learns to swim over the course of a summer. The class based the story on the habits of mind and even wrote their own rubric. Henry goes through the stages of fear, inability, to gaining confidence, practicing, mastering then teaching. It is cute to hear even the two year olds share things that they felt they were really good at and that they could teach a friend to do, and talk about things that they were scared to do but were willing to try.  I hope this experience sticks with the older children who were really involved! 

We have been receiving letters, emails and cards from some of the people and organizations we wrote to back in November. One of my favorites was from the park rangers at MacDowell Dam. They even mailed us a tracking card and really appreciated the care we give to animals and the environment. It was very sweet. I have been trying to create a list of all the money, time, items, and acts of kindness that the Robin's Nest Community has donated over the last year. It is a giant one!  I truly thank you for the support you  give to us as a school, family and group of educators. We seriously all love our jobs. We love your children, the outdoors, animals, the process of growing up, the meltdowns, the manners, the accidents, the conversations, the hugs, and the relationships we have built with the community and with you. We feel relaxed, confident, happy and that is how we want your children to feel each day as well. We are all finding the joy in each moment of our lives. 

We hope you have a magical holiday season and are able to reflect on all the positive things that happened this year. We hope you enjoy time with your family and friends and that you get to spend time outside playing!  

Upcoming Schedule:

• Monday 12/18: Music and Dance (Soup Day- Veggie Chili)
• Tuesday 12/19: Delivering gifts to neighbors
• Wednesday 12/20: Art
• Thursday 12/21: Cooking Project (Holiday movie during aftercare!) 
• Friday 12/22: NO SCHOOL!
• Tuesday 1/2: Back to school (Tuition Due)