Spring 2025 Biscuit's Bulletin

SPRING 2025

BISCUIT'S BULLETIN SAINT ANNE'S DAY SCHOOL COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER

FROM THE DIRECTOR In This Issue WELCOMING SPRING

MARCH HOLIDAYS

SPRING SOIREE

APRIL HOLIDAYS

SUNRIVER “INSPIRED BY”

EARTH DAY BRIDGE BUDDIES

CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHTS

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHTS

Dear Day School Community, Welcome to the Spring edition of Biscuit’s Bulletin! The second half of the school year was just as full of inspired learning and deep community building as the first half. I know you will be delighted by the beautiful pictures and articles that showcase the rich experiences our children have had, experiences driven by wonder and excitement.

In this issue, you will see examples of Day School children developing critical thinking and problemsolving skills through the exploration of cultural traditions and holidays such as St. Patrick’s Day, when clever traps were designed to catch lucky leprechauns. Children strengthened their identities as mathematicians and scientists by making pita pizzas in recognition of Pi Day, the ratio that allows us to calculate the area and volume of everything circular and spherical, from tiny things like molecules to massive things like Earth. And we celebrated the new life and new beginnings that Easter represents with egg hunts for all!

At the classroom level, the SunRiver Room shares an enlightening story about the power of inspiration and how it led children to draw and write based on observations that sparked new ideas and ways of communicating those ideas. The Bridge Room exemplifies how leadership, confidence, and empathy are fostered through the Bridge Buddies tradition, where Pre-K children spend time crafting and playing with younger children. And, the Classroom Features highlight the role that our senses play in growth and development. You get a peek into the Garden Room to learn about the importance of sensory exploration.

You also meet the Day School’s resident art therapist and hear how she is using breathwork to develop social-emotional awareness and skills across the school.

For our Family Feature, we are pleased to bring you an interview with the Dick Family. The Dicks have had three children at the Day School and been members of the community for seven years. They are now graduating with their youngest child, Jameson. Katie shares truly beautiful memories of her family’s time here, including how she became involved in the parent association. A big thank you to Katie for offering encouraging words to new (and not-so-new) parents about getting involved.

Speaking of getting involved, we’ve included pictures from this year’s fabulous Spring Soiree. Thank you to everyone for supporting the school’s largest fundraiser of the year. Together, we raised nearly $60,000 to continue playground improvements and educator professional development. Don’t miss upcoming events and opportunities to enjoy our one-of-a-kind community. Dates for Summer Camp and back-to-school events are listed inside. Happy summer!

With sincere gratitude,

UPCOMING EVENTS

Rhonda Mitchell Director

Behind the Bulletin Emily Brown Teaching Practices Specialist Editor, Classroom & Community Correspondent Contributors Rhonda Mitchell, Erised Quintas, Tena Sarabia, Annie Bryan, Shantate Watkins, Jenn Nestor-Cardwell, Katie Dick

To subscribe to Biscuit's Bulletin, or if you have photos, stories, or memories of Saint Anne's to share, e-mail: alumni@saintannesdayschool.com.

WELCOMING SPRING Spring is a special time in the hearts of young children, especially in our Reggio Inspired environment. One of our core values at Saint Anne’s is that the environment is the third teacher, and our beautiful grounds are a part of that environment. More outdoor play brings opportunity for nature exploration, discovery, sensory experiences, social activities and chances to be creative in new ways. From riding trikes, to potting plants, to watching butterflies grow, the children embraced this change of season with open hearts and minds!

MARCH HOLIDAYS Mardi Gras Our 3's and Multi-Age classrooms designed masks and a wagon “float” for a Mardi Gras parade through the halls!

MARCH HOLIDAYS Pi Day The Grove and Nesting Rooms celebrated Pi Day on 3.14 by making pita pizzas to enjoy together!

St. Patrick’s Day From sensory play to leprechaun traps to sneaky classroom visits, children around the school were thrilled to partake!

SPRING SOIREE The Spring Soiree is a longstanding Saint Anne’s tradition and the school’s largest fundraiser. This year, the auction succeeded in raising nearly $60,000 for the Day School! Our community truly came together to make Parrothead Paradise a night to be remembered!

SPRING SOIREE SPONSORS This beautiful auction and event would not have been possible without the incredible efforts of our Soiree CoChairs Lydie Anderson, Anne Wetmore, and Elizabeth Zucchero, and our Community Engagement Liaison, Erised Quintas. We also extend a huge “Thank You,” to our sponsors and donors!

EASTER Easter is magical in the hearts of children. All ages can celebrate the joy of finding a hidden egg! Classrooms use curiosity, community and their own traditions to honor this special holiday. This year, special visits from the Easter Bunny truly made for lasting memories.

EARTH DAY In the Reggio Emilia approach, there is emphasis on a connection with the natural world and sustainability. This was reflected through the work of the children as they honored our planet on Earth Day. Window Room used loose and recycled parts to design Earth. Flower Spot planted and watered grass seeds. SunRiver invited the school to design stones to symbolize Earth’s wonders and to add beauty outdoors.

SUNRIVER: “INSPIRED BY” Throughout the year, the educators of the SunRiver class have noticed children showing pride in their drawings and creations, especially in work that they couldn’t do yet, but were then able to do so because a friend showed them how.

Yet, the children weren’t making copies of the other’s work, they were inspired to create their own version. One of our SunRiver educators, Tena Sarabia, describes what these experiences have brought to their environment and how it has impacted the children.

Describe some of the times you’ve seen the children inspired by others.

We’ve observed pairs of children sitting at a table with one teaching the other how to fold a piece of paper just so or we would see a child breaking down steps to the other child on how to draw a particular scene or image.

Then, once they felt confident, they would work on their own and create multiple pieces.

At times, the “inspiration” was related to a particular interest. For example, Charlie began to draw minions. Barron expressed that he likes minions and began to tell Charlie stories about minions. When Barron saw Charlie’s drawings, he got excited and inspired and asked Charlie if he could draw minions too. So Charlie explained how he drew them for Barron.

Barron used different materials to draw his minions and added different detail to them to make them unique from Charlie’s.

Another example: we were making “pop of color” drawings one day.

This is where you would choose one thing to draw using a black felt pen and add a pop of color to one part of the drawing. Fielding chose to draw a sailboat with a mast. Chadwick was sitting across from Fielding and noticed Fielding’s sailboat but from his perspective, he saw an umbrella. So Chadwick chose to draw an umbrella. He was inspired by the shapes and lines of Fielding’s drawing and got noticeably excited as he developed his idea from Fielding’s work.

Small journals or storybooks have also been an “inspired by” experience. The children have their own journals that they can use at any time. However, one day, one of the children decided to create their own “small” book. Writing stories is part of our weekly experiences in the classroom. The children often write “Beginning, middle, end” stories as part of our writing workshop curriculum. We discovered that the children were inspired by both the writing process and this particular child’s “small” books and several of the children started creating their own “small” books. They share their books with each other and seem to feel proud of them.

How has noticing these inspirations impacted the children and environment?

It is a way of being in our classroom. We talk about being inspired by others and why we are inspired by others. It just is. It is something that we observe. It is something that we experience. It is something that seems to happen regularly in our class. It is an awareness and a recognition of others talents and skills, an eagerness to learn from others, leaning into that while sparking our own creative ideas at the same time. It is noticing that we all have offerings to give. It deserves attention. It deserves its own place on the wall. “Inspired by” is inspiring in itself. It is a good feeling. It is excitement. It is confidence. It is pride. It is empowering. It is compassion. It is connection. It is contagious.

“The children are inspired by their friends. The educators are inspired by the children and as a whole, we are inspired by those who have paved the way for us to experience the world in many different ways.”

BRIDGE & GROVE: BRIDGE BUDDIES Bridge Buddies is a tradition started in the past few years that brings together children from different age groups to engage in partnership and connection. Annie Bryan described the beautiful impact this program has on the children and their learning.

“The Bridge Buddy program is a beautiful way to foster kindness, leadership, and trust.”

Describe Bridge Buddies and the inspiration behind this partnership.

Bridge Buddies is a special mentoring program within our Bridge Room students that pairs younger three-year-olds to create meaningful, nurturing relationships. The inspiration behind this partnership came from our desire to foster empathy, leadership, and a sense of responsibility in our older students, while also giving our younger learners a trusted peer to look up to. It’s rooted in the idea that children learn so much from one another. The goal was to build a classroom culture of care and connection.

What projects or connections have come out of the experience?

Some of the most heartwarming moments have come from the simple, everyday interactions—holding hands on the way to the playground, beading their “buddy animal” necklaces or bonding with art projects. The older buddies naturally take on the role of gentle guides as many of them were the “mentees” last year. These shared experiences have helped deepen the friendships between buddies and created a strong sense of community.

What have you noticed about the children and what have the children learned from these interactions?

Our Pre-K mentors take their roles very seriously—they become more patient, nurturing, and attentive when they’re with their buddies. Many show increased confidence and pride in being someone younger children admire and depend on. For the three-year-olds, the connection is just as meaningful. They feel seen, supported, and safe with their older buddies. Over time, we’ve noticed improved communication skills, emotional resilience, and a greater sense of belonging. It's clear that both age groups are learning important social-emotional skills through this relationship— kindness, cooperation, and trust.

“Perhaps the most powerful part of Bridge Buddies is the joy it brings. Watching a five-year-old push a buddy on the swing, or seeing a younger child run to their buddy with open arms, is a reminder of how capable and caring children can be when given the opportunity. It’s these small, everyday acts of kindness that make a big impact.”

CLASSROOM FEATURE: GARDEN ROOM Shantate Watkins offers a glimpse into the Garden Room (Toddlers) with an introduction to their sensory play and how it promotes development in our youngest learners.

Describe sensory play for young children and the benefits it has for their development.

Sensory play for young children is a key element for supporting the five senses, including activities that enhance touch, sight, sound, smell, and taste.

For toddlers, it ignites the children's creativity, imagination, and curiosity which is essential for their development. Various tools and multiple sized objects provide opportunities to develop pre-writing and fine motor skills.

Engaging with the same materials as peers allows for social emotional development and growth of communication skills.

Pumpkin Exploration

What inspired the sensory bins you've selected for the year?

This year our sensory bins have been inspired by the children's interests, seasons, holidays and nature. Some of the sensory bins we’ve offered this year were open pumpkins, cotton balls and pom-poms with tools, coffee grounds with cups and scoops, rice with Valentine’s Day loose parts, and soil with gardening tools.

How do the children respond to and interact with the sensory table?

It's always exciting to watch the children's eyes grow big with excitement when a new sensory bin experience is presented. The parents are also intrigued by the sensory bins. We often see moms and dads walk over to the sensory table and asking "Wow, what is this?” as they reach in, eager to join their children in the play.

Do you have any favorite sensory memories from the year?

Some of our favorite sensory moments of the year were the Fall bin and the Coffee bin. The Fall bin contained black beans, dried pasta, leaves, and small pumpkins. We later added eyeballs and spiders for a little Halloween “razzle-dazzle.” The Coffee bin contained grind coffee, white cotton balls, Dunkin’ Doughnuts coffee cups and empty coffee boxes, as well as scoopers and spoons.

Cotton “Snow”

“Incorporating sensory into the lives of young children is not only fun but it also gives children a sense of belonging and creates joyful expectations.”

Coffee Shop

Plants & Soil

Rice & Red

BOOKS & BREATH WORK Learn about our resident art therapist, Jenn Nestor-Cardwell, as she describes her past involvement with St. Anne’s and what to look forward to for next year with her new program, Books and Breath Work.

Describe your role at Saint Anne’s and how you’ve grown into this position.

My first experience with Saint Anne’s was when my son was a student here 15 years ago. I chose this school because the Reggio Inspired style of teaching resonated with me as an art therapist. I got involved by volunteering at the school and in 2012, became the Studio Educator. As I worked towards my Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Art Therapist certifications, a subtle shift in how I worked with the children allowed me to offer a new layer of support to them and their families. Over 8 years, I slowly shifted my schedule at the school from five to two days a week and started a private practice. In the Spring of 2020, at the height of the pandemic, I decided it was the right time for a break. Then, when Rhonda joined the community as the Director, she invited me to return in my current role.

What does mindfulness in early childhood mean to you?

Breath work, ritual, routine, offering experiences without judgments, and joyful engagement of all the senses are all part of a mindful practice. As young children develop awareness of self and others, they experience a full range of feelings, thoughts and associated behaviors. Regular breath work practice, stories, and discussions can help to normalize the full spectrum of emotions, teach tools and strategies to help practice of self-care, and build confidence. So, while children learn how to make friends, follow directions, draw, paint, build, write, play, and sing, they will also learn to how to take deep breaths when they get frustrated, sad or mad to help them feel better.

What does a typical session with children look like?

For the older children in the school, our time consists of gathering on the rug, learning and reviewing different breathing tools and practicing them. We then read intentional books, one of which will focus on a lesson or skill we will talk about. I love to incorporate the senses into my mindfulness practice, and have shared this with the children.

They love to wrap the books and breathing time together, enjoying when I spray scented water above their heads, and encouraging their inhales and exhales. For the younger children, our time looks different and is based in sensory provocations that will elicit curiosity and build the skills. The experiences bring joy and are also designed to introduce materials, build dexterity, and slowly practice how to inhale and exhale.

One of my goals is to bridge the breath work practice from the classroom to home to reinforce these skills. To support this effort, I will send out seasonal resources to the parent community to share in our practices.

Inhale the sweetness of quiet moments, the fragrant scent of summer flowers, coconut scent of sunscreen, and fresh cut grass.

Exhale the crumbs in the car, pile of laundry needing to be folded, and worry about things not going as planned.

Remember it is all fleeting and at the end of each day a sweet hug is magic.

FAMILY FEATURE: DICK FAMILY Get to know the Dick Family, as they finish their final year at Saint Anne’s.

Describe your family and their time at the day school.

Our family has been a part of the Day School for the last seven years, starting with our oldest child in the twos and now finishing with our youngest child graduating from Pre-K. Our two older children, Ella Tate (9) and Davis (8), have both moved on to Lovett, and Jameson will join will join them in the Fall.

You can always find our family on some sort of sports field. From lacrosse, to soccer, to football, to baseball, to swim team, sports are how we spend our weekends. We love to go fishing, visiting the beach, and our boys love any game, especially if it can be played outside.

What is your favorite memory of the Day School?

There are so many special memories that it’s hard to narrow it down.

One of the first really fun memories for us as a family was the Fall Fest. As a parent, I was so blown away by the event and how excited my children were by the blow ups, Kona Ice, and the petting zoo. It was such a great way to get to know the community, especially given that it’s one of the first Dick Family events of the year. I have always loved the graduation ceremonies. The Hagan, Katie, Ella Tate, Davis, Jameson time and thoughtfulness that goes into these celebrations always makes me tear up. It makes you realize how well your children's teachers know them and how loved they are in the classroom.

Tell me about your POPs involvement and why it’s been important to you to be so involved.

I used to teach Kindergarten and I think that helped me realize how important it is to be involved in my kids’ school. Once Ella Tate started in the twos, I jumped right in as a room parent and have always found Saint Anne's to be super welcoming to any parent that wants to help.I’ve been a room parent and/or parent liaison almost every year. It’s been a way for me to get a pulse of the community and get to know the teachers. I had the distinct pleasure of being the Soiree Auction Chair two years in a row, including the pandemic year. I also helped to start the wreath sale, with the intent to streamline our holiday and Soiree fundraising. Chairing end of the year events was also a meaningful experience.

In a preschool, no one knows what they’re doing at first. When you’re not sure, the first thing you have to say is, “I want to help,” and dip your toe in the water. The school is always looking for volunteers and it’s easy to hop in and find where you fit and can help.

What does it mean to you for your youngest child to be graduating the Day School this year?

I cannot believe it! Jameson has had an amazing experience at Saint Anne’s and has made the best friends. It’s very bitter-sweet. Some of the teachers here have seen all of my kids grow up and it's so special when they walk in and have multiple people giving them hugs and asking them how school is going. This school has meant so much to me and my family. Something I love about Saint Anne’s is that it is a small and warm community, which I’ll miss very much. The resilience and creativity my children show now were nurtured from the strong foundation they received at the Day School. Although we closed out our final year at Saint Anne's, my kids can't wait to come back for Fall Fest!

UPCOMING EVENTS Don’t miss out on these upcoming dates and opportunities!

Summer Camp 2025 Week 1: June 9-13 Science & STEAM Week 2: June 16-20 Art & Crafts (No Camp on June 19th, in observance of Juneteenth. Tuition is prorated to reflect the four day week.)

Week 3: June 23-27 Sports & Games Week 4: July 7-11 Cooking Week 5: July 14-18 Science & STEAM

New Family POPSicle Party August 17 We welcome our newest members of the Saint Anne’s community to join us for the New Family POPSicle Party, hosted by Parents of Preschoolers (POPS).

Parent Sharing and Classroom Visits August 18th and 19th Meet your child’s educator and get an introduction into their classroom and school environment.

First Day of School August 21st and 22nd Our first day of school in the fall will be Wednesday, August 21st for our 3- and 5-day children and Thursday, August 22nd for our 2-day children.

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Have a friend interested in applying to Saint Anne’s?

We are now accepting applications for the 2025-2026 school year.

Saint Anne's Day School 3098 St. Anne's Ln NW Atlanta, GA 30327 404-237-7024 alumni@saintannesdayschool.com www.saintannesdayschool.com