Today is my dad’s 90th birthday. I’ve been thinking about the full life he’s had and is still having. On the phone this morning he described his recent project of clearing out several dead trees in the town where he lives. It involved a ladder. It’s ladders and trees that keep him young. On the . . . Read More
We write, too. With all the recent buzz over STEAM, it could be easy to overlook the excellent writing going on here at the Seed. We have first and second graders writing persuasive letters. One of the second graders wrote a letter to Bill requesting a zip line at the Seed: “I think we should . . . Read More
There are few moments in my career as the Seed director that I‘ve felt prouder of our staff and students than I did on Wednesday. We tried something new and the response was overwhelmingly favorable. For nearly a whole school year, we’ve worked together to make the STEAM curriculum our own. From the tiniest hands . . . Read More
The Seed is bursting with creativity these days, fearless creativity. The 1st/2nd graders have been honing their skills as makers of marble runs and the PreK students are cooking up all kinds of new concoctions in their recently renovated outdoor kitchen. The Toddler 1s, in their study of hands, have produced watercolor replicas of their . . . Read More
The Seed has a gallery in the making. It was an idea born in August before school started. It’s weathered several transitions and is finally taking shape. If you look closely, you’ll see some of the shelves backdropped by splattery paintings. Lined up side by side are handmade “snow globes” with a photo of a . . . Read More
One of the best parts of working at the Seed is curriculum planning. It’s been especially enjoyable this year with the addition of STEAM to our already creative approach to education. We’ve always had a good handle on the arts, so integrating science, technology, engineering and math in a more intentional way wasn’t all that . . . Read More
On January 1st, I started a yearlong art course. Once a week, for 52 weeks, I will receive an online lesson to play around with and practice. The second week I learned how to make altered tags, which has turned out to be a whole lot of fun. I keep thinking of different ways to . . . Read More
About five years ago, unbeknownst to me, my granddaughter planted a seed from her apple in our garden. When it sprouted, I wasn’t sure what it was until I noticed the leaf on an apple I was about to eat. As it grew bigger, I transplanted it to a safer place. The first time it . . . Read More
I was a free range child. The way I spent my early days made a huge impact on how my life turned out. In fact, I’m fairly certain the Seed would not have happened without the kind of childhood I had. The experience we had as kids has been on my mind lately, especially after reading an . . . Read More
It’s solstice week. Anyone who is a previous student, staff member or parent knows what this means. It’s a week of finishing up projects, finalizing dances and taking deep breaths. The gift drive is over and items have been delivered. The multi is taped with all kinds of symbols and words to remind young dancers . . . Read More
Driving down 24th Street late Sunday afternoon, a bird convention caught my eye. Hundreds of birds lined up on the telephone lines. I turned my car around and pulled over to take a photo before they dispersed. A few took flight, but most seemed content to stay put. Prior to noticing the birds, I was . . . Read More
I awoke to Ireland yesterday morning. Although I wanted to sleep longer, I made myself get up, even though it was still dark. It was raining and night had not yet turned to day. Eventually I headed out for my morning walk, warm and mostly dry in the raincoat I bought last summer for our . . . Read More
On Saturday I did something I rarely do, I took the day off. Normally I arise at my usual 5 A. M. and head off to teach yoga at 8:30. Unless I’m on vacation or busy with something school related, I seldom take a day off. I needed a day at home. It coincided with . . . Read More
It’s official. The holiday season has arrived at the Seed. On Monday we posted flyers for the Tanner Chapel food drive and that same afternoon lead staff met to select our theme for this year’s Celebration of the Winter Solstice, to be held on December 19. Classes are gathering ingredients for next week’s all-school Thanksgiving . . . Read More
Earlier this week I was covering a playground shift in Gwen’s Castle. A few of the kids had built a makeshift fort between the wall and a bush. A brick annex was added, including a tire propped upright, held in place by large rocks. Groups of children moved fluidly in and out of this space. . . . Read More
For the second week in a row, light shining through glass jars caught my eye. This time it was in the PreK, after a weekend rearranging frenzy by its teaching duo. A science corner was set up with all kinds of natural objects, including a large rock occupying almost an entire shelf. The loft was . . . Read More
In a thoughtful space between an impressively successful carnival and Halloween itself, our lead staff met to talk about about teaching. I always look forward to these conversations, as they are strong reminders of why the Seed exists and how fortunate we are to work in an environment that not only invites children to think . . . Read More
It’s a busy week. On Friday night we’ll hold our annual Halloween carnival, a Seed tradition since the 1980s. The carnival has grown from a tiny event on a crowded school yard into a much-expanded major production. Preparations for a carnival basically begin right after the previous one, involving hundreds of hours by a small, . . . Read More
A small okra forest fills the space between the sidewalk and straw bale bench in the kindergarteners’ outdoor area. It was not planted intentionally, by the class anyway. When I first noticed the broad green leaves, I thought it might be okra. Although it’s a food not high on my list of favorites, I’ve tried . . . Read More
We’ve had a monsoon of enthusiasm from our alumni lately. Little did I know that a few dozen Seed archive photos would invite such an enthusiastic response. Last night while digging through closets at home, I hit a photo jackpot. I was searching for old carnival photos and ended up reliving the last 38 years . . . Read More
Four stories surfaced. At first they seemed unrelated, but with further thought, it became apparent that the stories are all about connection. Connections made by children, connections made by teachers, connections teachers are helping children make. They are about connecting to the world beyond and from our past experiences. Here are the stories: #1: . . . Read More
Digging holes is sweaty business. Although the temperature is dropping theoretically, it’s still hot enough to be dripping with sweat at the end of a digging session. Over the summer I had the idea to take a few of our excellent logs and partially bury them around the second sand circle to make a pathway. . . . Read More
It’s no secret that innovation is on our minds. As we pursue the conversation, timely and relevant material keeps coming our way. The idea of innovation fits perfectly with our staff’s growing interest in incorporating more of the STEM activities (science, technology, engineering and math) into the curriculum at all levels. We’re devoting this . . . Read More
I knew it would be a rainy day schedule, based on how hard it poured Sunday night. I just didn’t know the extent of that schedule, for the Seed and the rest of the valley. Reminiscent of snow days when I was a kid, it was the first ever closure for the Seed due to . . . Read More