It’s been a good year for peas. All along the sidewalk on the south side of the building, tall vines are loaded with white blossoms and forming pea pods. Peas are one of most popular crops in Seed gardens, and they rarely make it into the building. As soon as each pod grows full of its set of peas, they are snatched up and eaten by young gardeners. Most of our class gardens have been more prolific than ever, due to well prepared soil, lots of watering and attention, and sturdy little fences to keep out hungry creatures.
As we prepare to launch our summer program, On Solid Ground, we’re borrowing a garden metaphor. Our intention for this summer’s camp is to give children a new version of normal. We want them to have a summer that begins with a strong foundation in nature, filled with activities and experiences that help them feel grounded and safe in their lives on Planet Earth. Since COVID-19 will still be with us awhile, we’ll continue requiring staff and elementary students to wear masks. We will likely continue keeping classroom groups separated, and encourage social distancing as much as we can. We believe that even with these protocols in place, we can give our students time and space to enjoy their childhood.
The “soil” of our summer program will nurture our students and give them a sense of normalcy that will help them continue to grow and feel secure in themselves. There is an additional layer of solid ground we hope will occur. As many of you know, the Seed has taken a hit financially this past year due to COVID-19. We lost about a third of our families, yet had to maintain a full staff, due to extra coverage requirements. Although we’ve received some assistance from different government programs, having full classes this summer is imperative for the Seed’s future well being. To help keep the school a steady place of grounding for our Seed families, we’re asking you to consider sending your child to at least part of our summer program. We’ll continue providing the safe “fence” by maintaining our current COVID-19 practices and protocols as we give our students a time to celebrate the earth and our natural world. As we’ve done so well this past year, working together will usher us through these challenging times.
One other way you can support the Seed is to make a tax credit donation to IBE.