September at Acorn School was a time of exploration, creativity, and connection. From ocean-themed projects to birthday celebrations, each class embraced hands-on learning and made lasting memories. As we reflect on the month, we also want to give special thanks to Climbmax for providing an amazing indoor space that allowed us to thrive during the desert heat.
Here’s a peek at what we’ve been up to this month:
The Blue Jays spent September diving deep into ocean-themed activities. They created oceanic scenes with felt and experimented with salt watercolors, producing stunning results. The month wrapped up with the delightful aroma of fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies filling the classroom.
"We tried out using beeswax crayons and watercolors together, the kids loved the effect it produced." - Ms. Emilirose.
The Finches had a similarly exciting month, starting with painting wooden ocean fish after hearing a coral reef story. They also experimented with beeswax crayons and watercolors, which created vibrant and textured artwork. The Dragon Family, a story written by Ms. Olivia, sparked their imaginations and led to decorating wooden dragons with flowers.
September was a month of creativity and joy for the Hummingbirds and Cardinals, led by Ms. Olivia. The children spent time sewing their own apple-shaped pillows and decorating wooden dragons with flowers. They also practiced their September song, The Dragon Family. Between creative projects, the kids played lively games like silk tag, freeze dance, and duck, duck, goose.
"There were lots of birthdays in Hummingbirds and Cardinals this month, so we had some amazing birthday celebrations. It was a wonderful September!" - Ms. Olivia.
The Owl class, guided by Ms. Emily, spent the month immersed in James and the Giant Peach, which quickly became a class favorite. Alongside their reading, the children engaged in music appreciation by listening to Johannes Brahms and explored art through the works of Jean Francois Millet during picture study. The students also filled their nature study notebooks with sketches of ocean life, and for poetry recitation, they learned September by Helen Hunt Jackson.
"We read many poems from various poets and used September by Helen Hunt Jackson as our recitation piece. It was a great month." - Ms. Emily.
This month, our festival was inspired by the Waldorf tradition of "Michaelmas." In Waldorf education, the Michaelmas festival celebrates the archangel Michael's victory over the dragon, symbolizing the triumph of good over evil and the courage to face challenges. It is marked by storytelling, artistic activities, and community gatherings, fostering a sense of inner strength and cooperation among students and families.
Our students decorated shields and masks, engaging in "battles" with dragons to retrieve treasure. It was our biggest festival yet, reflecting the growth of our community. Celebrating together was so much fun!
In addition, many of our families joined the monthly group outing to Willow Springs Lake in Payson, AZ. They spent a day enjoying the lake and the beautiful weather.
It has been an incredible summer indoors for Acorn School, thanks to our wonderful friends at Climbmax. Their rock climbing gym has been the perfect place for our community to gather and thrive amidst the desert heat. From our classes to our events and festivals, Climbmax has provided a fun and safe environment for everyone. We are beyond grateful for their support and partnership. Thank you, Climbmax—we couldn’t have done it without you!
As we bid farewell to the heat and look forward to cooler days, we reflect on the joy and growth that this month has brought. September was a vibrant month at Acorn School, filled with creativity, community, and fun. Our children embraced new projects, celebrated milestones, and shared in joyful learning experiences. We’re looking forward to all the exciting adventures the new season will bring!
