Young children are naturally curious, and are driven to explore the world around them. They are encountering so many things for the first time, and inevitably they want to find out what it is, what it does, and what they can do to it.

Here at school, we don’t insist that kids use pleasantries like please and thank you. Teachers definitely model the use of these polite words, and certainly don’t discourage kids from using them, but we think that focusing on them too much can complicate the already-challenging work of self-expression and reciprocal communication. 

Thank you for attending parent’s day last week! It was wonderful to see kids and parents playing together, and kids explaining how things go here at school. From our handwashing routine at arrival, to helping themselves to toys and activities, kids know all about school and they relish being the experts as they show you around their classroom. Kids have learned that school is their place, and that things are set up for their size and pace. They’ve become familiar with where to find the playdough and how to set up favorite board games, they’ve gotten to know the teachers and the rest of the kids in their class. They are also getting to know themselves more as they navigate group life, and discovering their own interests, strengths, and challenges. 

At this point in the year it’s fun to see the ways kids are connecting with one another in all our classrooms. Children are growing socially, from the youngest toddlers to the oldest JK kids. The process of connecting with another child, playing together and making friends is an exciting and delightful part of being in Nursery School. It can also be a messy, emotional, and thought provoking process for little kids.