We’ve been practicing social justice at the Seed since we first began in 1977. Granted, our students were very young and there were just a few of them, but even in those early days we talked about saving the planet and being kind to each other. Over time, as we grew larger and expanded our . . . Read More
This entire week has been one of preparations. Danielle and I have focused most of our attention on setting up schedules, staffing, and the calendar for upcoming aspects of our program. For example, we have been talking about registration for the 2023-2024 school year, considering placement decisions and classroom configurations. We have had conversation about . . . Read More
As you’re all aware of by now, we’ve been fundraising for the last several months to cover the costs of a new playground structure and resurfacing of our toddler playground safety zone. I’m delighted to announce that we’ve SURPASSED our fundraising goal of $93,000. Funds are still trickling in and we have passed the $100,000 . . . Read More
Despite all the hustle and bustle the season, I love this week of school leading up to the winter break. The winter solstice falls right in the middle of it, which is an added bonus. Over the years, the winter solstice has become one of my favorite days of the year. I like the history . . . Read More
It was 37 degrees on the playground this morning and felt like a genuine Arizona almost-winter day. There were still a few hold-outs wearing shorts, and one child even had on a tank top. In general, most had jackets, leggings or pants. There were a few hats and one noted pair of gloves. It was . . . Read More
It’s been a week. It was Thursday before I was able to work at my desk for any length of time. As predicted by the media, the trifecta of winter ailments (covid, influenza, and RSV) has hit our staff and their families hard. We seem to be slowly coming out of it, but there’s the . . . Read More
First of all, thanks to all of you who purchased bricks to support the playground project. We look forward to adding them to the current collection near the ramp to the playground. Now, as we slide into December, we will begin our capital campaign for the remainder of funds needed for our playground structure. . . . Read More
From time to time, situations arise that force us to reflect on our practices and policies. We use these situations to refine what we do, driven by what’s best for children, what’s safe, and what works in a school setting. Such is the case of sticks and roughhousing. Sticks have always been a part . . . Read More
How can it be that we’re already entering the second half of November? The cooler days make it seem more believable, yet it’s all going so quickly. On the agenda for the Seed in the coming weeks is our annual gathering the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. In years past, each class cooked an item to contribute . . . Read More
Last week was full and colorful. It started with Halloween on Monday, as the school filled up with an overabundance of costumed children. The week morphed into many celebrations of Día de los Muertos on Wednesday. Inspired by work in Spanish with Diane, classroom events ranged from setting up simple displays of pictures of ancestors, . . . Read More
Over the weekend I traveled to Cheney, Washington, for my friend Elaine’s celebration of life. I was invited to join her family at their lake home for a Saturday afternoon gathering in her honor. Their house felt like a shrine to Elaine Surbeck, with photos of every stage of her life filling walls and . . . Read More
You may have noticed the parade of silly pumpkins lined up along the hallway this week. You might not recognize them as pumpkins, since they’re disguised as doughnuts, an ice cream cone, a very hungry caterpillar, and other fanciful characters. We wanted to do something fun to usher in the Halloween season, especially since we . . . Read More
In preparation for a writing lesson about pumpkin seeds with the 3rd/4th graders, I found these few lines from a poem from “Jerusalem,” a poem by Naomi Shihab Nye: “There’s a place in my brain where hate won’t grow. I touch its riddle: wind, and seeds. Something pokes us as we sleep. It’s late but . . . Read More
Now that parent/teacher conferences are behind us, and the weather is definitely cooling down (relatively speaking), many classes are at various stages of planting their gardens. It’s always an exciting time of year to start the process and then see what happens in the coming months. Our garden soil is prepped each year by Bill, . . . Read More
These days fractals seem to occupy my mind. In her book, Emergent Strategy, adrienne maree brown describe fractals as “never-ending…infinitely complex patterns that are self-similar across different scales. They are created by repeating a simple process over and over in an ongoing feedback loop.” Further on in the chapter about fractals, she applies this pattern . . . Read More
It’s the autumn equinox, and the rain this morning is a welcome visitor. The creosote bush at the school’s entrance is a fragrant greeter. Even though the days are still on the warm side, it’s clear that summer is coming to an end. It’s giving us a bit of breathing room to look ahead to . . . Read More
For eleven years I taught first and second graders. I believe it was some of my best work as a teacher that ultimately resulted with years of memorable teaching. In fact, I’m still friends with many of my students and their families from that era. Looking back, it was my most prolific time as a . . . Read More
You might notice a large very hungry caterpillar hanging above the Toddler 1s door. The paper was painted by our littlest toddlers, then cut and shaped by a teacher to make the caterpillar. It’s a wonderful introduction to our annual food study, using Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Each year we devote the two . . . Read More
It was 102 at recess today. Although I appreciated the rain that August monsoons brought, I’m glad to be stepping into September. The rain brought plenty of humidity, and this has been exacerbated by extra hot days this past week. For outdoor play when the temperature is 100 to 109, our practice is to offer . . . Read More
We’re settling in. We’ve nearly completed our third week of school, and routines are beginning to come together. Although some children still need extra hugs before saying goodbye, and others express missing a parent, for the most part we’re getting used to being together again. It’s a time of new learning on many levels. Names . . . Read More
I listen to so many podcasts, it’s hard to remember which thoughts and ideas come from which podcasts. Often podcasters interview each other and/or appear on a number of episodes within a short period of time. I love this intermingling of thought leaders. It’s interesting how they might speak on the same topic with different . . . Read More
Beginning school in early August has its challenges, one being the Arizona heat. We’ve been lucky so far that the temperatures have hovered under 100, allowing us to be outside for midday recess. Our policy is if it’s 100 degrees we will offer an indoor/outdoor option. When it hits 110, we keep everyone inside, except . . . Read More
I know it’s unbearably hot this time of year, as sweat becomes a natural state of being. That said, I love the storms and cloud formations that appear during July in Phoenix. Last night the clouds were unusually mesmerizing, and I’m glad I captured a few views before the light changed. As I continued my . . . Read More
It’s a time of practice for our 2nd-6th grade class. They are in the throes of preparation for the 32nd annual Way-off Broadway production. It’s a long-standing summer tradition here at the Seed and involves prop making, backdrop painting, practicing dance moves, and learning lines. The performance at 2:00PM (which will be presented on Zoom), . . . Read More