We held our annual spring picnic on Saturday. It ended up being a celebration of both our school and Planet Earth. Although the day was quite warm, the energy and ambiance were so extraordinary that it was easy to forgive the 90 degree temperature. For a starter, we had live music from Dr. Jesse McGuire. Prior to the picnic, I only knew him as the grandfather of one of our preschoolers. His singing and trumpet playing were exceptional, and his presence elevated the whole event. In the aftermath, I learned more about Dr. McGuire, which made me even more appreciative for his appearance at the Seed picnic. It also revealed why a few kids approached him for an autograph! His generosity of time and music was definitely a highlight of the event for many.
In addition to the live music, tables for Earth-friendly crafts were a source of creativity and delight for numerous young artists. Face painting, as usual, drew long lines, and a new feature of the picnic was a lemonade stand. To offer a multi-cultural flair to the picnic, a variety of lemonade recipes was available, representing different cultures. Beneath shade trees by the basketball court, our strong and steady gardening club set up a table with activities such as planting seeds and making a bracelet with flower petals. Families were invited to visit class gardens and plant seeds wherever they were inspired. At the table was also a bin of free seed packets, saved from Seed gardens and home garden of a staff member. Hopefully, many of our families were able to stop by the classroom gardens, which have been significantly upgraded this year.
The event began with a dedication of our new climbing structure, and to offer gratitude to a few families and helpers who gave the project a boost. A small plaque was installed on the structure with this inscription:
This climbing structure was created for the children of Awakening Seed School as an inclusive invitation to all our students to play, grow, and imagine. The project was made possible by the immense generosity of our Seed community. Thanks to Drew Murphy, staff, board members, and all donors and volunteers who helped along the way. Special gratitude to the following donor families, who significantly helped this project come to fruition:
Jenni and Rob Leinbach
in honor of Lucas
Michella and Katon Kras
in honor of Kenzie and Logan
Bill and Mary Glover
in honor of Ellie Baker
Allie and Dave Bones
in honor of Justin and Emmy
Throughout the picnic, children of various ages were drawn to the climbing structure to slide, play with the music feature, ascend to the top of the climbing wall, or try out the monkey bars. To keep everyone safe, staff took turns supervising the structure. When it was my turn, I stationed myself at the top near the climbing wall to make sure the toddlers stayed safe. There was a moment from my elevated perch that I looked out over the picnic scene. I felt overcome with awe, appreciation, and wonder for the Seed community that has evolved over the past 47 years. It’s an honor of a lifetime to have been given the shared responsibility of its stewardship.