It’s that time of year when change is visible all around us. We notice the trees as they begin to show us their color before losing their leaves. The mornings are crisper and a jacket is now needed for the day. When we look at the children who entered our classrooms just a few months ago, they are changing and growing, too. There are visible changes such as needing bigger clothing, making new friendships outside of family, or learning to tie their shoes. Along with visible changes we’ve noticed, there are also internal transformations happening. The children are settling into their routines, learning the names of new friends, engaging with new materials, and accomplishing tasks independently. Each of these adds to a profound sense of self and self-worth, an invisible transformation that begins in childhood. Change is always happening. Sometimes we can see it and sometimes it’s less visible, but its direction and growth are up to us.
In each classroom, we are using fall to teach our children about the wonders of our beautiful world. We have been gluing fall leaves on paper, painting with fall colors, creating nature collages, and experimenting with fall-themed sensory bins containing small pumpkins, gourds, pinecones, acorns, and leaves. The Trailblazers baked apple crisps, are counting seeds from pumpkins, and are learning about nighttime creatures such as owls and bats. Welcome, fall!