Back To School!

Back To School!
by Meghan deKozlowski

Summer has faded and The Nature Preschool is back in session! We are excited for another year of adventure and growth! The classrooms have been freshly touched up, arrival stones have been made and the teachers are ready to greet their classes after a relaxing Summer.

With the change, we expect some children to be a little nervous when stepping into the classroom. The Nature Preschool educators are here to welcome students with caring, open arms. We are ready to console any feelings of sadness or longing. We know that with time comes feelings of trust and comfort in the daily routine, fellow peers and teachers. Those little butterflies in parent’s stomachs fly away too 😉.

The first couple of weeks can be a magical time for teachers to observe their students. We see personalities come out, friendships form, and we learn which activities are favored and which aren’t. As fall sets in and the leaves begin to change color, so does the dynamic of each class. It is truly amazing! Not only do we notice this transformation inside the classrooms, but outdoors as well. As the weeks progress, hikes become a little longer and the children begin to acquire a keen sense of their surroundings. We hear things like, “fungus amongus!”, “hibernation station!”, “milkweed seeeeeeds!” On their own, the children begin to open their senses to the natural world and pick up on the terminology used by their teachers and peers. What a wonderful feeling it is when a child learns to identify something in the wild… and gets really, REALLY excited about it!

Fall gives us infinite possibilities for activities and discussions. Seeds, leaves, bird and butterfly migration, changing light, fall harvest! The super exciting thing is that this is just the beginning! 😊 Happy Fall, and welcome back Irvine family and friends!