Today was an exciting day for our older preschoolers…We visited a really BIG kid 
school! We went to GSMS for a music presentation from Mrs. Oyer’s Orff students. GSMS is only about 2 miles away from Wee Friends, located on the corner of Jefferson and Eddy streets in downtown South Bend. I was excited to bring our Wee Frienders to GSMS because:
1. Our kids were able to see the next stage of learning: elementary school!
2. The Orff presentations are very, very cool. Our kids were active participants in the Orff show with singing along and creative movement. They all stayed very engaged in the process from start to finish!
3. We saw several of our WF alum in classrooms or while walking through the school.
4. I love GSMS as it was my daughter’s school for 1st-8th grade and my son currently is a 6th grader. Ya’ll know if I catch your ear for a few minutes, I will give a strong testimonial that GSMS would be a great place to consider for 1st grade! I always fully disclose that I am biased because GSMS fits my education philosophy so well.
In a recent email with a GSMS administrator, she shared, “We are always eager to have children from Wee Friends come to GSMS after completing their time with you because they are well-prepared, cooperative, curious, eager to learn, and peaceful. Thank you!”
Good Shepherd continues your child on the path that we start in their Early Childhood/Kindergarten years with us:
- to sustain a LOVE of learning
- to continue to have ownership of their education
- to be known for the gifts they offer to the world
- to have continuity through 3 year classroom cycles that allow them to experience being the younger child (who learn from the oldest) and work their way to the top to be the older child (who teach the youngest)
- to learn social emotional skills that encourage problem solving for the community
- to be allowed to develop at their own pace in leaps and bounds rather than adhere to a “one size fits all” linear curriculum
5. This is also a great opportunity to share that GSMS is having an open house this Sunday from 2:00-4:00. My daughter Kaitlyn (currently in the Adams High School IB Program) will be giving tours! If you would like me to give you a personal tour of GSMS, just let me know when you will be there and I’ll be happy to meet you there.
On another note…I heard from one of our families that there is a grassroots movement for WF to offer a kindergarten option for a larger set of our current kids for fall 2015. I would like to schedule a Parent’s Meeting at a local coffeehouse on a Wednesday morning (say 8:15ish?) in early November for any families that would like to participate in a conversation about what it could/should look like to extend your time here at WF. PLEASE CONTACT ME IF THIS A MEETING YOU WOULD WANT TO ATTEND, BUT A WEDNESDAY MORNING COULD NOT WORK FOR YOU.
After the music presentation, Mrs. Driscoll toured our group through the school where we visited the 1st-3rd grade (Lower El) classroom. We saw some familiar WF faces! We also talked about some of the big kid math works, we saw beautiful art, we saw the new chicken coop, we watched GSMS children gardening in the rain, and then we visited Ms. Woody in the lunchroom where she shared her home-made granola with us!
When we returned to WF we found Mel working with our younger friends with our big wooden blocks and rhythm sticks. The funny part is that she did NOT know what Orff was and it was truly a coincidence that they were doing the same music work that we were visiting. Ha! It was a perfect transition back to WF though.
Stay dry!
Tami
Breakfast was whole grain oatmeal and bananas. Wee Sprouts were organic baby carrots (still loving our organic Purple Porch fruits and veggies!) Lunch was whole wheat bread with PB, fresh green beans/cauliflower, and fresh Asian pear slices.
