October 2023

"Even if something is left undone, everyone must take

time to sit still and watch the leaves turn."

— Elizabeth Lawrence

Letter from the Head of School

From the heart of Amanda Martin...

Welcome to fall Wauhatchie Families!

We have been enjoying the chill in the air as we wake up and make our way to school. This beautiful season reminds us of the importance of slowing down and tending to ourselves. This core practice of tending to our nervous system and overall well being can easily be put off in the busyness of summer as well as the beginning of the school year. We are being called to pause, ponder, and let go.

As I reflect on my own needs during this season, I wanted to share something I read this week from a blog I follow called Forest Schooled. It really touches on our approach to learning and the “tending to” we are committed to here at Wauhatchie School.

“This morning I witnessed something both simple and profound. A young boy turned over a log and found a worm. Now that doesn't sound all that profound, you might say. But there is much more to this story of course...

Moments before the worm was unearthed from its muddy home, the boy (just shy of 3 years old) had been lying on the ground with his face buried in his hands in utter despair. Usually happy most of the time, he was finding this particular morning of goodbyes with his parents difficult. He'd told me this before face planting, and was even able to express that he was uncomfortable feeling this sadness. "I want to be happy. But I'm not happy," he sulked.

In that moment, I became very aware of my own discomfort with his sadness. Oh how I just wanted to see him happy too! Briefly, the following thoughts raced through my head... What could I do or say to make him feel better? Should I offer a distraction, show him something fun he could play with? Should I try to make him laugh?

I was able to quiet those thoughts much more quickly than I used to.

I know now that to support this child, my response should not be determined by a desire to avoid my own discomfort. Nor is it my role to interrupt his emotional process and release. So all I did was say with heartfelt empathy, "I know, it's so hard to be away from the ones we love." I sat down next to him and said, "I'm here with you."

We stayed there together on the ground for quite a while. Several times I felt an urge to do something more, but I resisted, waited, and merely offered a comforting presence. Soon he sat up and moved gently onto my lap. I continued to stay quiet. Then he began picking at the bark on a log next to us. Then he rolled the log over. And found a worm. 

The rest of the day was filled with active, engaged play and learning.”

After teaching at Wauhatchie for two years and now entering into this beautiful new role as the Head of School, I can say I have experienced and witnessed this act of slowing down, connecting and tending to multiple times each week at each of our campuses. It is a gift to be a part of something so tender and consistent every day. We are all a part of something that is disrupting our current education system so beautifully. I’m grateful for that. The natural world helps us self-regulate. And when we choose to immerse ourselves into it, we really have no choice but to learn that it is only when we are connected to our own calm, that we can then provide a true safe space for others feelings, no matter how big or small.

So as we begin this fall season, I encourage you to give yourself permission to slow down, feel, reflect, and let go when you’re ready. Give yourself the same tender care we give your wonderful children here in the forest each day.

Happy October everyone! 

A Full First Six Weeks at Wauhatchie

from Kara Cadwell

Wauhatchie School Director of K-5 Teaching and Learning

Our first six weeks have reached their close. These weeks have been gentle, slow and intentional. During our first six weeks, our students were guided through the foundational tenets of forest school: Kindness to self, kindness to others, and kindness to nature. They spent time together around community circles, they took hikes while learning about our native flora and fauna, they practiced shelter building and forest survival, and engaged in playful learning. It is a treasured time at Wauhatchie, and sets a tone of abundance for the year to come. 

Now, we embark on the next journey of learning: the meaningful incorporation of structured learning into our daily routines. In the forest we believe that learning is a life-long endeavor, and that playful learning is as essential as structured learning; and that these complementary ways of learning, knowing and being enrich the experience of children. Our students are eager and intrepid learners. We are learning about Egyptian mythology, the Oregon Trail, the life cycle of apples, all while practicing foundational reading, writing, math skills. Learning abounds in our forest home! 

In addition to our lovely classroom learning, we are so excited to share with you about our thrilling October STEAM Beetle unit. This school year is dedicated to the study of soil, and all the processes and critters that help to create and maintain this complex ecosystem. Soon our students will begin the study of beetles - those hard-working and essential decomposers. During this project, students will learn about different types of beetles and their role in decomposition, ecosystem balance, soil creation, and so much more. We are particularly excited that our third, fourth and fifth grade students will be partnering with Playfully Evolving Monsters to create large-scale puppets and the Pop-Up Project will join us to animate them. Please look out for more information about this exciting project and partnership coming your way soon!

As always, thank you for inviting us into the growth and learning of your children! We are grateful everyday for these beautiful and curious forest dwellers.

Wauhatchie Staff gathered on Friday, September 22 for a professional development day full of reflection, discussion, plans, and dreams as we continue our school year. The end of the first six weeks of school marks the end of our introductory period, attuning students to the rhythms of the forest and

daily routines, explorations, learning, and discovery that

will take place in each of our classes this year.

Creativity & Art at Audubon Acres

from Jaime Peterson

Preschool Teacher and Admin On-Site

We hear so many adults say that they “are not artistic or creative.” This sentiment is so heartbreaking, because humans are naturally curious and creative beings. Very often, adults who do not believe in their creative abilities started out as children who got discouraged while creating. This happens all too often when art is ascribed a value or compared to peers, and sometimes even if the art you're making is based on a very specific example piece.

When starting this year’s art classes at Audubon Acres, it was in the forefront of our minds to help students explore different creative mediums until they found a space or process where they could thrive. We hope to encourage them to be brave and exploratory creators and to fall in love with the processes of making art, creating something fun or beautiful or meaningful, and having fun expressing themselves. When the children here showed excitement about the craftsman and maker arts, we decided to really dig into the traditional arts of the Americas. We have been exploring the beautiful history of art by learning about ancient cave paintings, and then painting on our own “caves” using our hands, feathers, sticks, rocks, and brushes made from twigs and leaves. 

We reflected on the systems and cycles in nature and then created ephemeral art in the form of mandalas. Building a repetitive, cyclical pattern using found organic objects was such a great creative, collaborative experience. We learned about how clay has been used to make functional and ordained art, and how it continues to tell the story of humanity long after those civilizations disappear. We read an impactful, stunning story about indigenous women, and how weaving and fabric work is passed down through families and ties generations together. We then used that story as inspiration to start on a large scale weaving project. There have already been so many beautiful moments at the Audubon Acres campus, and watching these students become more engaged in these rich art forms is just one small, sweet example of how they inspire us every day!

Friends of the Forest

Wauhatchie's version of a PTA is open for any parents or family members interested in volunteering or being more connected to our school community this year! If you're interested, find the Friends of the Forest group on Minga and Request to Join to get plugged in.

Our STEAM program is woven in to the learning of each student here at Wauhatchie School. Rebecca Westbrook-Toker (STEAM Integrationist) and Bob Cook (STEAM Support and Tech Integration) are working tirelessly to bring science, technology, engineering, art, and math to life each day in interactive, engaging ways. These wonderful enrichment teachers travel from site to site and work with each student to varying degrees depending on the grade level and curriculum for that specific class. Our STEAM theme of SOIL has sparked so much thought, curiosity, discovery, hand-on learning, exploration, and problem-solving already this year and we can't wait to see what else this program and our students can do!

If you have a particular interest in the work of our STEAM programming, please consider supporting it by providing any requested supplies on our STEAM wishlist. We're extending a HUGE thank you to those of you who have already sent us some great items!

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