It’s been an unusual week for me, shifting back to Arizona time, catching up on sleep, and adjusting to being back at school. I had a wonderful time walking through the Spanish countryside past lush green fields and forests, greeting people from all over the world with “Buen Camino,” and digging deep within myself to keep walking when I wanted to stop and give up for the day. The residual effects of walking the Camino will continue to integrate into my being in the days and months ahead. It’s an experience that has changed me, and I’ll be curious to see how it manifests. I want to say thanks to everyone who covered my responsibilities so I could make the journey.
One thing for sure, it was a reminder of the importance of belonging to a community. As I walked into the school on Monday morning, I saw children and parents diligently writing kind messages in chalk to the teachers as part of teacher appreciation week. The next day, flowers were offered to every staff member, and on Wednesday we received a bounty of delicious food for a staff appreciation breakfast. It’s been a week of feeling loved and appreciated.
As all this transpired, another valued group of Seed parents stepped up for a much-needed gardening task. Members of the Garden Club, who’ve been keeping an eye on our school gardens for several years now, showed up on Wednesday afternoon to remove soil from some of the raised beds and place a layer of wire mesh in the beds to prevent rodents from eating all the plants. It was a tedious job on a warm afternoon, as we collaboratively problem solved to put in place the best solution. It was also fun and inspiring to be a part of it, doing something that needed to be done. We didn’t complete the entire project, but we got a good start, and this will ease the work load in August. We talked about the new shade screen system that could be installed any day now, and looked ahead to helping classes re-establish their outdoor areas once construction is finished.
This is a shifting time of year, with the culmination of our school year looming and children graduating and moving on to new school settings. It’s a time of letting go and trusting that what we’ve experienced as part of the Seed community matters, and will continue to matter in the years ahead. We appreciate each family that belongs to our community, and want you all to know how grateful we are for all you’ve brought to the Seed.