Each year one of the most exciting parts of beginning a new school year is joining the kindergarten class for journal writing every Monday morning. This year’s debut was phenomenal. The class is a blend of students new to the Seed and returning students. There were many things that stood out, one being that it was hard to tell which ones were previous Seeds and which had just started. Everyone jumped right into writing and illustrating about their weekend. There were stories about gardening, going to Kids Empire, and grandparents arriving for a birthday celebration.
Generally at this time of year, kindergarteners learn the names of letters, become more familiar with letter sounds, master holding a pencil, and practice adding details to their drawings. It’s not unusual for a few students to have strong mastery of some of these skills when they start kindergarten. This year, the entire group has begun the year with quite impressive skills. Some are already strong readers (not a requirement to begin kindergarten at the Seed), and more than a few are able to write an original thought using invented spelling (spelling phonetically with an emphasis on WHAT they are saying rather that having the mechanics perfect). It’s obvious wherever they attended preschool (one didn’t even go to preschool), they are well prepared.
Certainly we want them to succeed as a learner wherever they go when their time here is completed, but being successful academically is only one part of our aspiration for each child at the Seed. These are our intentions for each child, that they learn to
- be a kind and compassionate friend
- have an appreciation for the planet we inhabit
- have a strong sense of self with an equally strong voice
- be an advocate for self and others
- trust their own creativity and ability to solve problems
- have a respectful awareness of our similarities and differences as humans
- live a life based in possibility
These items are part of the Seed’s core values and social justice curriculum. At times classes will do a focused study on a social justice topic (e.g. a study of change makers, food insecurity, etc.), but more often than not, they become themes interwoven into the everyday life of each classroom. They look different for toddlers than they do for 3rd and 4th graders. Teaching a young child to say, “Stop. I don’t like it when you take my toy,” eventually leads to a 1st/2nd grade conversation about consent.
When I was in Kindergarten on Monday, one of the children, who was drawing a picture n her journal, asked her teacher, “Do we have any skin colors?” The teacher quickly produced a basket of crayons of all different skin colors. The child looked through them, then picked one that seemed close to her own skin. After looking it over, she asked her teacher if she thought it matched. Another children wanted a crayon to match his skin as well. Like the first child, he selected a color and compared it to his own skin. I was struck by the awareness and confidence of each child, and appreciated all the experiences they’ve had to cultivate that awareness. Most of those experiences are embedded in everyday life, in the way we treat one another, the way we honor uniqueness, and the materials available for each child to be celebrated as they are. We are all still learning how to do this work well, and each day offers a new opportunity to practice being our best selves, for our students, each other, and the planet.