Winter & Spring 2025-26 Biscuit's Bulletin

WINTER & SPRING 2025-26

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

FROM THE DIRECTOR Dear Day School Community,

In This Issue CULTURAL CELEBRATIONS & SPECIAL VISITORS

HOLIDAY PROGRAMS

SPRING SOIREE

DAY SCHOOL DASH

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHTS

DONORS AND SPONSORSHIPS

UPCOMING EVENTS

The second half of the school year at Saint Anne’s was full of rich experiences and events that nourished our children’s minds, bodies, and spirits. You can see the growth as you turn each page of the Winter & Spring edition of Biscuit’s Bulletin. As you settle into your summer routine, I hope you take a few minutes to reflect on the wonder, joy, and community captured in the photos and articles of this edition – maybe over some ice cream.

Classrooms engaged in intentional studies, and our community came together to celebrate holidays that represent our faith, history, and culture. It is in these moments that the children build confidence and a sense of self by sharing their family traditions, while they also gain knowledge and perspective by observing the practices of classmates and community members. Additionally, we hosted in-house field trips and experiences that developed rich language and literacy skills, such as interactive storytelling with Mama Koku, and those that demonstrated mesmerizing STEM concepts, such as our visit from the Georgia Tech Robotics Team. These are the memories children will hold for many years. This is the foundation of lifelong learning.

In this edition of Biscuit’s Bulletin, you will also see how our community came together in support of our financial goals this spring. Through our largest fundraiser and event of the year, The Spring Soirée, our parent association raised a record $75,000 to benefit our beloved programs, educators, and facilities. Our final event of the year, The Day School Dash, was also a huge success and as fun as ever! Our fundraising campaigns are crucial to school operations; we are grateful to our POPs leadership and the event sponsors for supporting Saint Anne’s Day School.

At the POPs-hosted Educator Appreciation Luncheon this year, POPs Co-Chair Weezie Finlay delivered touching remarks about how much the Day School has meant to her family over the years. Every day, parents witness the art of teaching and feel the dedication of our educators. In the Professional Development and Classroom Features sections, you get a peek behind the scenes to see the remarkable planning and implementation that make Saint Anne’s magical. You don’t want to skim this section. Indulge in the adult learning and pedagogical practices across disciplines and domains of development: provocations, early math concepts, language, creative and critical thinking, and the environment as the third teacher. You see the artifacts of this work in the fantastic and sometimes unbelievable things your children say and create. In this issue, you get to learn about their origins.

Finally, our Family Feature highlights the Quintas Family, who will be moving to Florida this summer and leaving Saint Anne’s after nearly seven years. Both of their children are alphaomegas, starting in the Butterfly Room and graduating from Pre-K/TK. Many of you know Erised for her leadership on POPs and as the school’s Parent & Community Engagement Coordinator.

We will miss the Quintas family and remind them that they will always be part of the Saint Anne’s community.

Happy Summer!

Rhonda Mitchell Director

Behind the Bulletin Emily Brown Teaching Practices Specialist Editor, Classroom & Community Correspondent Contributors Rhonda Mitchell, Erised Quintas, Lindsey Glass, Danielle Hutlas, Grace Mantle, Alyssa Scarboro

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.

THANKSGIVING Thanksgiving at the Day School was celebrated through thoughtful projects, shared feasts, and time spent enjoying one another’s company. Students and teachers reflected on what it means to be thankful for their community and were reminded to carry kindness and gratitude into each day.

MAMA KOKU December brought a special visitor for the Toddlers and Twos! Mama Koku is known for her interactive storytelling, creating what she calls a “story-doing” experience for the children. Our youngest learners not only listened to beautifully narrated stories, but were invited to join in as joyous characters!

STORY TIME WITH SANTA One of the most magical holiday memories is Storytime with Santa. Children dressed in festive pajamas, listened to cozy books, and enjoyed sweet treats to celebrate the beginning of a month of celebration. Events like these give us a glimpse into the joy and cheer that holidays bring to our children.

LUNAR NEW YEAR Year to year, children at the Day School are inspired to engage in Chinese New Year celebrations. The beginning of the year of the Fire Horse was honored through photo studies, thoughtful art, loose parts creations, traditional medallions, and an introduction to the Chinese alphabet. A favorite among the children was the meal of dumplings, noodles, and orange slices!

BLACK HISTORY MONTH This February, classes honored Black History Month by recognizing the remarkable achievements, contributions, and stories of Black individuals across history. Engaging offerings, hands-on activities, literature, and intentional art led the children through how Black individuals have made a difference in all of our lives.

SunRiver: Jazz, Peace and Light The SunRiver Room represented Jazz music through drawing and engaged in meaningful discussions and experiences about what it means to feel peace and spread light.

Girasol: Black Artist Study Children in the Girasol Room explored Alma Thomas's powerful and vibrant abstract art. The class cut strips of paper to design a piece that represented her patterned style through their eyes.

Nesting: Identity, Differences, and Self-Love Nesting Room used book studies, experiments, and hands-on explorations to drive conversations about pride in how we look on the outside, feel on the inside, and the values we hold.

GEORGIA TECH ROBOT VISIT In February, we had the incredible opportunity to welcome Georgia Tech students for an introduction and live demonstration all about robots! The children were invited to explore five robots that all functioned in different ways. Thank you to the Zhao family for making such an exciting experience possible!

SAINT PATRICK’S DAY Saint Patrick’s Day always brings a little mischief and a lot of magic! The children were delighted by the bright colors, shimmering golds, and playful surprises left by leprechauns. Classes celebrated the holiday through book studies, magical sensory bins, creating with paint and loose parts, and the engineering of leprechaun traps!

EASTER The Toddlers, Twos, and Threes experienced such joy during their Easter egg hunts! Beautiful Spring weather, celebrating with their classroom communities, and the excitement of finding and collecting their very own treasures makes for such a special day.

EARTH DAY Earth Day is a natural extension of what we do and believe at Saint Anne’s. The Reggio-Inspired approach encourages our children to explore, question, and care for the world around them. This year, the children investigated their relationship with our planet, built a deeper understanding of Earth, and discovered that they can make an impact.

HOLIDAY PROGRAM The Day School’s Pre-K and TK Christmas Program is a joyful tradition, and this year was no exception. Parents and families filled the seats, while a live stream welcomed loved ones from afar. After remarks from Ms. Rhonda and a prayer led by Ms. Tabi, the children lit up the Sanctuary with their enthusiasm, spreading holiday cheer through their beautiful voices. Guided by our incredible music educator, Ms. Sebel, our performers brought the holiday spirit to life. It was truly a wonderful time had by all!

SWEETHEART BREAKFAST The Sweetheart Breakfast is a Valentine’s Day tradition that truly brings this loving community together. Each child welcomed a special guest and shared a delicious meal. The children created thoughtful and meaningful gifts for their visitors, and Ms. Sebel led them in songs and poems. A child-led Day School Prayer added a meaningful touch to the sweetest morning!

SPRING SOIREE The Annual Spring Soiree, “Bet on Biscuit,” was a truly winning night! This year, we proudly celebrated 20 years of our beloved mascot, Biscuit. Thank you to our POPs committee for organizing a beautiful night overlooking Bobby Jones Golf Course with perfect weather, delicious bites, and stunning auction items. Together, we raised over $75,000 - an incredible testament to our community’s generosity!

DAY SCHOOL DASH The Day School Dash is a cherished favorite that the children look forward to all year. Thanks to the efforts of our community, we raised an incredible $18,000! Children celebrated their success at school with costume days, bubble parties, and special treats. The Dash was a hit, with snacks, King of Pops, dancing, tons of running, and school spirit!

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT An important part of the Day School’s culture is the educators’ commitment to professional development. We strive to show growth, engage in collaboration, and continue to expand our practices. These experiences ensure that our children are offered an enriching environment each day.

Toddlers & Twos Provocations Workshop Led by our Teaching Practices Specialists and Studio educators, the Toddlers and Twos classes took a thorough look at meaningful offerings in a ReggioInspired environment. Categorizing examples, photo studies, and intentional small group work brought a deeper understanding of provocations with our youngest children.

The team also worked to develop norms for the rhythm of each morning and how to be purposefully involved as an educator.

To finish out the workshop, educators were prompted through a brainstorming exercise, and each developed the provocations they would offer the next day. Spending dedicated time on planning and setup is crucial for providing an enriching environment.

The experiences the educators created were truly rooted in Reggio-Inspired practices. We saw provocations in light & shadow, small worlds, observation drawings, sensory painting, and more.

Each was created with children’s interests and development in mind.

The real magic was when the children entered their environments and engaged with these purposeful and powerful provocations. They were immersed in the experiences through multi-sensory learning. Valuing process over product allows the children to play and learn in ways that feel meaningful to them.

Educators were challenged to document and think deeply about the process of this workshop. After observing and learning alongside the children, they came back together to share experiences, gain insight and ideas from each other, and plan how to expand on these beautiful activities.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT We are so lucky at Saint Anne’s to have the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with content area consultants.

Becky Holden, our Math Specialist, held a workshop for our Threes, Pre-K, and TK classrooms that focused on attributes.

Classroom Application: Making Observations

The goals of the Attributes Workshop were to think about math through a lens of building community, identity, and belonging, and to develop mathematical language. This professional development was offered in two parts, beginning with classroom application of concepts and ending with an educator debrief and collaboration session.

Classroom Visits

Educator Debriefs

Becky had the opportunity to spend time with the Nesting, Grove, Girasol, SunRiver, Window, and Bridge classrooms. During each visit, she held a whole-group meeting around attributes. Children were offered two photos that, while similar, had detailed differences.

Using these photos, the children were exposed to skills such as making observations, noticing attributes, using language to describe what they see, making sets, describing similarities and differences, and counting. Input from the children included the number of items in an image, the types of attributes, the number of attributes that differ between items, and the position and spacing of the items.

The children demonstrated many background skills by making these observations aloud, all while growing as valuable contributors to their classroom community. This activity promoted the thinking that we all learn together.

Following the classroom visits, the educator teams were invited to debrief their experiences and collaborate on moving forward. They were asked to think about: What was helpful during the activity?

What was difficult?

What math did they see?

What examples of community did they see?

What examples of language did they see?

Did anyone surprise you?

Teams engaged in thoughtful conversations around the concepts, their experience, the children’s experience, and how we can continue to grow as individuals within a community. These discussions are so valuable to creating an enriching environment for our children.

Educator Debrief and Collaboration

STUDIO: FLOWER SPOT & BIRDHOUSE Stuffy Storytelling & World Building The Birdhouse and Flower Spot (Twos) visited our Studio Educators, Alyssa and Grace. The children were invited to bring a favorite stuffed animal or loved toy to create a connected experience.

“What the children created with their stuffed animals was nothing short of magical.”

Opportunities to Connect

World Building and Storytelling

Our Studio Educators, Grace and Alyssa, hold many roles at Saint Anne’s, one being unloaders each day for morning carpool. During this time, the two noticed how children in this age group are deeply attached to their stuffed animals. They came together to create a beautiful opportunity for the children to connect not only parts of their home life with their school life, but also to bridge selfidentity with imaginative play.

Children in both the Birdhouse and Flower Spot Twos were invited to bring a stuffed animal from home during their week in the Studio. Each child brought an animal or a loved toy that represented something about themselves.

Grace and Alyssa again worked to build connections by asking questions about the beloved items: What are their names? What do they look like? How do you play with them? Where do you take them? Can you tell me a story about them?

After gaining insight into who the children brought with them, the educators offered a wide variety of materials, ranging in size, shape, texture, and color. Using the loose parts and building blocks, children made independent choices about what they would create. Each designed their own small-world for their stuffed animal and shared incredible stories that represented their designs. Children were seen designing playgrounds, indoor gardens, food and care items, vehicles, homes, and even a beach.

This experience touched so many areas of development: planning and decision making, fine and gross motor, social-emotional, language, and representative play. The excitement that was seen, the joy that was had, and the connections that were built show how meaningful time in the Studio is to the children of the Day School.

“It is so essential that there is space for imaginative play and world-making, as it promotes the child's sense of agency, identity, and provides scaffolding for storytelling.”

CLASSROOM FEATURE: WINDOW ROOM Take a glimpse into the Window Room as educator Lindsey Glass describes their year-long math explorations.

Describe the math practices in the Window Room.

Throughout the year in the Window Room, our math practices have continuously evolved. We have sequenced the concepts of one-to-one correspondence, sorting, noticing similarities and differences, and counting collections, which has allowed space for critical thinking, imagination, and studentled inquiry. These practices align with the school's philosophy of the Image of the Child.

By acting as though the child is capable, as though the child can find their own place to begin, and as though the child has something to add, we have built a rich and rewarding math practice.

Creating Sets

What offerings have excited the children? Where did the children take their explorations?

Counting Collections has been our most enthusiastic practice, and is a well that never runs dry. Counting Collections is a practice that can be done with almost anything: leaves, shells, bingo tokens, rubber bands, buttons, rocks, locks and keys, and generally anything you might find in your junk drawer. You dump the collection out on a surface, and the child gets started. What will they notice? How will they sort? Where will their minds go?

Dice Games Children love Counting Collections because they love tiny things, as we all know. But they also seem to embrace the openness of the practice: they're making their own sense of what's in front of them. We've expanded Counting Collections to whole group work as well: cataloging our clothing, shoes, our eyes, the letters of our name, and so much more. We've done book studies (suggested by Mrs. Emily) in which a child picks their favorite book and looks for similarities and differences in illustrations, counting as they go. And we've had fun with dice, even allowing dice to dictate their paintings! We can't wait to see what comes next.

How has emerging math impacted teaching & learning in the Window Room?

Our emerging math practice is fun for both students and us. Because no two children are the same, their observations, comments, and ways of approaching a question are never quite the same; this variety is enlivening! As a teacher, you never have the same conversation twice, and the minds of your students are at least interesting, and at most mystifying. We've also had the luck, thanks to Mrs. Mitchell, to work with the wonderful Mrs. Becky Holden. She came in the Autumn to introduce her curriculum of attributes, and the Window Room students and teachers basked in her work and energy. When she visited again recently for a professional development session, I connected with her on the unexpected and never-ending joy of these early math practices, and she invited our class to participate in a year-long practice of weekly noticing similarities and differences, ritualized math, and community building. It is our ultimate hope that each child walks out of the Window Room on the last day of school feeling valued, confident, and capable, and we're positive our emerging math practices are only adding to that desired end.

Photo Studies

Counting Collections

OUTDOOR SPACES Grace, our Studio Educator, has been working towards a shared goal for the outdoor spaces of the Day School.

Talk about your new role and how it naturally aligns with your passions.

Over the past year, I have started the process of rejuvenating the outdoor spaces at Saint Anne’s Day School, including the planning of formal gardening spaces for year-round classroom use, beautification of the Piazza and Outdoor Classroom, and creating a long-term, sustainable beautification plan for shared areas of Saint Anne’s campus. All of this would not have happened without the support of Allison East, Rhonda Mitchell, and many other Saint Anne’s educators, who expressed a desire to utilize outdoor spaces that have historically acted as extensions of the children’s interests.

This project is deeply personal. It has grown from my passion for gardening in the most literal sense, but foremost from the divine qualities nature has in invoking wonder, peace, and creativity in those who encounter it. I consider spending time outdoors to be a portal or bridge between ideas and states of mind.

What does the idea of "Environment as the Third Teacher" mean for outdoor spaces?

In Reggio practices, the environment holds a unique role as an ever-present provocation. There are so many questions a child can ask of their environment: Why is the sky blue? Where did the puddle go? Why do the worms live underground? All of these are valuable questions and observations that allow new ideas to emerge, which encourage the child to engage and collaborate directly with their peers, teachers, and their environment in turn. A child’s environment acts as a scaffold for their own sense of wonder, and it is imperative that we provide them the space to engage and exist in those spaces.

I think that the Saint Anne's campus is a wonderful teacher to the children at our school, from the birds that the children observe from their classroom windows to the chipmunks that have established homes in Georgia's Butterfly Garden. I believe that a child at any age can appreciate and learn from nature, and the Saint Anne’s students are reflective of that.

Describe a few projects that are in process this year.

A few things we have been working on include getting raised and in-ground garden beds set up for shared classroom use. Each classroom will share a garden space with another classroom to foster greater collaboration between age levels, allow students to witness seasonal cycles of growth, and give them autonomy in planning and caring for their space. The children have played a huge role in selecting the different flowers and vegetables they want to grow, planting the seeds, and caring for the plants as they mature. It has been such a humbling experience to witness the children’s care, observations, predictions, knowledge, and personal connections to the garden.

As an extension of the collaborative work that the children are doing with each other, I hope that the gardens will allow for more cross-generational experiences, especially with our neighbors at Saint Anne’s Terrace. I host a Gardening Special in the Fall and Spring, and one thing the children absolutely love is visiting the garden boxes over at the Terrace for inspiration. Some of my most foundational memories of nature started with my Grandad and my mom, whether it was watering the tomatoes, husking corn, or learning the names of my favorite flowers. These spaces allow our Saint Anne’s communities to work together and share respective knowledge and wonder.

FAMILY FEATURE: QUINTAS FAMILY

Get to know the Quintas Family as they finish their final year at Saint Anne’s, and we thank them for all they’ve done and wish them joy on their next adventures.

Describe your family and their time at the day school.

Our family consists of myself, Dan, our two boys, Benicio (8) and Mateo (5), and our Australian Labradoodle, Paloma. We’ve called Atlanta home since 2014, and when we began growing our family and searching for schools, Saint Anne’s was always at the very top of our list.

When we first reached out about enrollment, the school year had already started, so we knew our chances were slim. Still, we wanted to at least express our interest in the community and school. We were so surprised and grateful when we got the call that there was space for Benicio in the Butterfly room in the Monday/Friday two-day program. It wasn’t exactly the schedule I had originally envisioned, but it got our foot in the door, and I jumped at the chance. Benicio started in December of 2019, marking the beginning of one of our most meaningful chapters.

Benicio was able to experience Saint Anne’s from the very beginning in Butterfly all the way through graduating from Bridge in 2024. Mateo also began his journey in Butterfly and has now made his way through Quintas Family Pre-K. He is currently in his second year in the Girasol Spanish Immersion Dan, Erised, Benicio, and Mateo classroom and absolutely adores his educators.

Along the way, both of our boys were diagnosed on the autism spectrum. As parents, I would be lying if I said we weren’t scared at first about what that could mean for our future and for our children’s school experience. Many schools in the Atlanta area do not allow outside specialists to be a part of a child’s school journey, so when we found ourselves navigating those conversations, I went to Rhonda with a lot of hope and uncertainty.

What followed only confirmed that we had chosen the right place for our family. We were able to create plans that allowed both of our boys to receive the support they needed while still being fully immersed in the classroom, curriculum, and greater school community. Having facilitators work alongside our children at Saint Anne’s made it possible for them to thrive in an environment where they were truly included. Dan and I were overwhelmed with gratitude knowing our children could receive individualized support while still fully participating in all of the joy, magic, and experiences that make Saint Anne’s so special.

The warmth, flexibility, and genuine care we felt as parents throughout that process are something I will carry with me forever. Saint Anne’s had always met our family with compassion, openness, and partnership. Knowing that our children were deeply loved, celebrated for exactly who they are, and given every opportunity to succeed meant everything to us.

One of the things that has always stood out most to me about Saint Anne’s is how deeply seen children are here.

The educators and staff don’t just know our boys. They know their interests, remember their stories, ask about milestones in our lives, and continue cheering them on long after they leave their classrooms. Benicio still holds Saint Anne’s so close to his heart and constantly asks to “hang with Mom at work” so he can stop by classrooms and read to the children on his days off from school.

Saint Anne’s truly became so much more than a school for our family; it became home.

What is your favorite memory of the Day School?

It’s hard to narrow it down because so many of our favorite memories are tied to Saint Anne’s. Some of the biggest standouts are Fall Fest with our family and friends, watching our boys experience all the magic of the traditions, and the late nights spent working on special events with Rhonda and other wonderful parents who eventually became dear friends.

Some of my favorite memories are the little everyday moments too - walking through the halls and hearing laughter coming from classrooms, seeing teachers greet children with so much warmth each morning, watching the boys beam with excitement during special shares or celebrations, and feeling that overwhelming sense of community that exists here. Saint Anne’s has a way of making ordinary moments feel really meaningful, and I think that’s something incredibly special.

FAMILY FEATURE: QUINTAS FAMILY Talk about your POPs involvement and why it’s been important to you to be so involved.

From the very beginning, I signed up for POPs and volunteered to help with Sweetheart Breakfast during Benicio’s first year here - before we were even technically part of the event! I still remember how special it felt, buzzing around the halls, setting up, and meeting other wonderful parents. It made this big school feel like home.

From there, I dove in wholeheartedly. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of chairing Fall Fest, assisting with Book Fair and Santa visits, chairing the Spring Soirée, serving on the Advisory Council, acting as POPs Chair, and eventually accepting a part-time role as Saint Anne’s Parent & Community Engagement Coordinator.

My involvement was important to me because Saint Anne’s gave so much to our family. My roles here have felt like a way to give back to a community that supported us so deeply during some really formative years of our lives.

I’ve met some truly spectacular women and families through POPs and the school community, and many of those friendships are ones I know I’ll carry with me forever. Being involved also allowed me to witness firsthand just how much heart goes into every single detail, from teachers preparing classroom experiences to parents coming together to create special moments for children and families.

It feels especially bittersweet to share that our family will be relocating to Florida this summer to be closer to family. While we are excited for this next chapter, it’s hard knowing I won’t be tapping my badge at the front door anymore or walking the halls hearing sweet little laughs while chatting with teachers about upcoming events.

The community built here at Saint Anne’s is unlike anything we’ve experienced, and it is something our family will carry with us forever. The memories, relationships, and love we found here have shaped us in ways I know will stay with all of us, especially our boys, for years to come.

THANK YOU: SPONSORSHIPS Thank you to the sponsors of our two largest fundraising events: Spring Soiree and Day School Dash. Your contributions support the Day School in its endeavors for growth and development.

Spring Soiree

Day School Dash

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

Summer Camp 2026 Week 1: June 8–12 Science & STEAM Week 2: June 15–18 Art & Crafts (No Camp on June 19th, in observance of Juneteenth. Tuition is prorated to reflect the four-day week.)

Week 3: June 22–26 Sports & Games Week 4: July 6–10 Cooking Week 5: July 13–17 Science & STEAM

New Family POPSicle Party August 16 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 17th and 18th Meet your child’s educator and get an introduction to their classroom and school environment.

First Day of School August 19th and 20th Our first day of school in the fall will be Wednesday, August 19th for our 3- and 5-day children and Thursday, August 20th for our 2-day children.

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Smyrna, GA Permit No. 142

3098 Saint Anne's Lane NW Atlanta, GA 30327

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@saintannesdayschool @stannnesdayschool

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

We are now accepting applications for the 2026-2027 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

Thank you to Day School parent and artist, Carly Grieb, for creating a beautiful custom portrait of Biscuit to celebrate his 20th birthday!