What's Happening in the Forest

Grandparents Days in May

We would like to extend a very warm welcome to any grandparents of children at Wauhatchie School, to come and experience the wonder of the forest with your grandchild, May 3-5, 2022. We are excited for you to come and witness the amazing things going on at Wauhatchie and to have a chance to see the world through the eyes of your young one. Be prepared to get outside to meet our teachers, check out the schoolwork, see the sites, and hike around your grandchild’s beautiful campus. Grandparents can check the mail for your invitations soon!

Tuesday, May 3

• Grandparents of T/Th preschool students
• 10:00-11:30 (check-in beginning at 9:30)

Wednesday, May 4

• Grandparents of MWF and M-F preschool students
• 10:00-11:30 (check-in beginning at 9:30)
• Grandparents of K-3 students
• 1:00-2:30

Thursday, May 5

• Grandparents of morning session homeschool students
• 10:00-12:00
• Grandparents of afternoon session homeschool students
• 1:00-3:00

Friends of the Forest: Volunteer Opportunity

We welcome parent volunteers to help with the site-specific logistics and activities at our grandparents day events. Please contact parent and teacher Mandy Martin at amartin@wauhatchie.org if you would like to help out. Thank you!

Tennessee Pollinator Grant

Wauhatchie is honored to be the recipient of a Seeds for Education Grant (SFE) by the Tennessee Valley Chapter of Wild Ones and their Chattanooga Area Pollinator Partnership (CHAPP)! This grant will provide an SFE mentor and the resources for our school to establish our own native pollinator garden. We are so excited about this partnership and the opportunity to engage our students in the entire process of starting and maintaining this garden space. The exact location of the garden will be determined soon, but for now we are dreaming about what this might look like and how we can best serve this amazing ecosystem that we get to learn from. More details to follow soon-- if you have any interest in helping with this project, please feel free to reach out to twilson@wauhatchie.org

Artists and Scientists in Residence

Ceramics with Mrs. Callie Bennett

Our First grade class at Reflection Riding learned all about the ancient art form of ceramics from the artist in residence, Mrs. Callie Bennett. The students were able to hear about the history of pottery, the different hand building techniques, and even got to make their very own pieces of pottery. On Monday the students began working with clay and learned how to sculpt spoons. Tuesday, they dove right into the pinching technique and made individual pinch pots and lids. Students started the process of coiling on Wednesday, which culminated in the creation of two beautiful coil bowls. On Friday, the students made beautiful honeycomb using pot technique and combining their new knowledge of scoring pottery and using slip to connect pieces of wet clay. They even made little bumble bees to go in their wonderful honeycomb creation. They had so much fun and cannot wait to see how their final glazed and fired pieces of art turn out! 

Biomimicry and the Environment with Mr. Andrew Meador

Our 2nd and 3rd Grade class at Reflection Riding had the chance to learn about Biomimicry and environmental problem solving from Mr. Andrew Meador of the Biomimicry Institute. Students explored the pros and cons of hunting in a group by going on individual and team scavenger hunts that highlighted the benefits of working together and individually. Students then played a biogame focusing on the relationship between predator and prey in the wild. Using Biomimicry frameworks, students engaged in a deep dive about trash and the environmental impact of waste. Finally, all students applied what they learned and created their own packaging by collecting natural items in the forest. Everyone had a blast and can’t wait to see Mr. Andrew again!

Free Spring Concert with Ms. Jenni Lee

Jenni Lee is an adaptable music professional with 20+ years of experience teaching children music, and 20 years as a professional performing musician with knowledge of classroom management and inclusive education. Jenni, who recently relocated to Chattanooga from Las Vegas, aims to bring light and joy through music to school communities. She presented a free, interactive “Welcome Spring!” performance recently at Reflection Riding. She brought many instruments for the children to play, used a slinky to teach us about sound waves, and even wrote an original song for Wauhatchie School! Jenni is settling into her new home in Chattanooga, but we are working with her to schedule future performances at all of our sites!

Jennifer Kearns Bio: Jenni is a classically trained French hornist and holds a bachelor’s degree in French horn performance from the University of Kentucky, a master’s degree in French horn performance from USC Los Angeles, and obtained her K-12 music education license from UNLV. Performance Credits include Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Kanye West, Josh Groban, Hugh Jackman, Bernadette Peters, Jennifer Lopez, and more. As a classical musician, her credits include the Pittsburgh Opera, Chamber Orchestra of Los Angeles, Paramount Studio Orchestra, Lexington Philharmonic, and the River City Brass Band. As a touring artist, Jennifer was the French horn featured soloist for both the Emmy award-winning Broadway show “Blast!” as well as the Japan-based tour of “Odyssey.” Her Broadway credits include Lion King, Phantom of the Opera, West Side Story, Beauty and the Beast, Ragtime, and Porgy and Bess. Most recently, Jennifer performed full-time in Steve Wynn's Showstoppers at the Wynn, Las Vegas.

Welcome New Team Member

Aidan Bennett - Communication Architect

Aidan grew up in the Wild West. West Tennessee, that is. He spent his childhood exploring the nooks and crannies of his backyard, tending to the family garden, and inventing games his little brother would not play. His backyard grew in 2016 when he moved to Chattanooga, TN for University, where he graduated with a degree in Communication and Business Administration, but continues to explore his backyard, tend the garden, and invent games. He has worked in a Communications role with multiple non-profit organizations in the area and has fallen in love with growing food to share with friends and film photography. Aidan is elated to join the team at Wauhatchie and to have the opportunity to help grow the school so that others can be a part of the exciting things happening in the forest.

Seasonal Book Recommendations