This concludes the 2025-2026 School Year!

There are only a few weeks left together in our outdoor classroom! Our last day of the 2025-2026 school year will be Friday, May 22nd for both Playschool and Adventure Club. It is always a bittersweet moment on the last day of school. We love seeing how much the kids have grown during the year and are excited for their next steps! A big reason for their growth and for ours is because of our parents.  We want to thank our parents for the care, communication, and willingness to grow with our Teachers and Directors throughout this school year. Grateful Gatherings has seen many changes over the years, and through the many ups, and few downs that running an outdoor school may inevitably bring, you all have made this Forest School community so incredible, and we couldn’t be more grateful. 

What we are learning:

With the ever-changing weather this spring from hot to cold to snowy to rainy, it is incredible to see the resilience and growth the kids have built throughout this year. Every day seems to bring new wonders and curiosities with the promise of warmer (or at least consistent) days. Kids are enamored with the bugs and plants that they discover utilizing tools such as binoculars and magnifying glasses. There even were sightings of quails, butterflies, and a coyote from a far distance which kids later identified with their animal and bug guides!

They continue to build confidence and self-assess risks through climbing trees and rocks, sliding down grassy hills, exploring with teachers, and of course, balancing! Most days flow as the kids express their personal feelings and boundaries, find new games to play, make potions and food with mud kitchen, and continue to step outside their comfort zones. We recently made some planting pots together for the kids to take home to celebrate Earth Day and will also be making seed bombs and playing pollinator games for our end-of-the-year project in the weeks to come. We are looking forward to enjoying our last few weeks together as a class for the ‘25-’26 year and can’t wait for our Graduation Celebration, Summer Camp and all of the exciting changes next school year is sure to bring! 

At this point in the year, we are putting into practice a lot of the skills we have fostered over the year. A big part of that is continuing to empower our students to be independent. This includes challenging students to clean up their own lunches and backpacks at the end of the day, utilizing their voices to express how they feel to friends when conflicts arise, and regulating their bodies when it switches from a hot to cold day. The kids continue to practice listening, stating their boundaries, and working through challenges together such as taking turns with tools. Teachers are finding less and less need to step in for help, and we are so thrilled to see such huge improvement in these areas. As always, our teachers' days are filled with mud kitchen, imagination games, exploring with the kids and making sure everyone is safe and fair with their play. We continue to practice teamwork and encourage personal empowerment with the kids in all that we do. We support them in figuring out how to do things for themselves, and are there if and when we are needed. When a child does choose to practice doing things without help, we give lots of positive feedback. We continue to guide all of our play back to our Three Agreements (Play Safe, Play Fair, Have Fun) and what they mean. 

* Remember to check Brightwheel for updates and personal pictures of your kiddo in class throughout the school year!

UPCOMING CLOSURES: 

*Last Day for Playschool and Adventure Club: May 22nd (The Friday before Memorial day weekend)

PLAYSCHOOL GRADUATION: Dear Forest School Families,

You are invited to our first official Nature Playschool Graduation! Join us as we honor the growth, courage, curiosity and friendships that blossomed and bonded among the trees this year. From mud kitchen moments to climbing our mulch hills to watching the seasons change, our graduates have grown as wild and wonderful as the natural spaces we are so lucky to learn in.

We’ll gather for snacks, smiles, and a joyful send-off celebration for our amazing students as they take on their next big adventure or break for the summer season.

Come celebrate the magic of a childhood outdoors and the completion of the 2025-2026 school year.

With muddy hands and full hearts, Your GGFS Teaching Team.

*This event is closed to our 2025-2026 graduates and their families. Details can be found on your physical invitation or feel free to reach out!

SUMMER CAMP: If you haven’t already, be sure to enroll or email us and secure your child’s spot for camp! We have a couple spaces left in both our Adventure and Play Camps (ages 3-9).

2026-2027 ENROLLMENTS NOW OPEN: NOW ENROLLING for the 2026-2027 school year! Beginning August 17, join us for another amazing year of outdoor exploration, learning and play that nurtures your child’s love for nature and empowers their development and growth. Limited space available in our Playschool and Kindling Club Programs.

Playschool: Monday-Friday from 8:30-12:15 for ages 3-6.

Kindling Club is our new Subject Style Kinder-learning Program for our older Playschool kids (ages 5-6)! This offering will be in addition (as an add-on option) to our Playschool Program for our older students who are getting prepared for their next steps after Playschool graduation. Currently enrolling for Tuesday and Wednesday mornings (2 hours play/ 2 hours subject learning). Additional classes TBD.

Nestlings: Thursdays from 9:30-11:30am for ages  1-3 + their caregiver. Currently Enrolling for a second group/ day!

PARENT BOOK CLUB:

Kids Book: Oh, the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss

Adults Book: Hunt, Gather, Parent by Michaeleen Doucleff

(If you are interested in joining the Parent Book Club and reading and discussing together, contact Director Mackenzy!)

If you have a book you’d like to recommend next, please send us a message through Brightwheel!