Since I last wrote, my four-year run of avoiding Covid came to a screeching halt. Mostly it felt like a bad case of bronchitis, for which I am grateful. I’m slowly sifting through the residual symptoms, and am glad to be on this side of it. I now understand the brain fog piece, and see . . . Read More
Each year around this time, we learn about the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. and others, like Rosa Parks, who contributed to the Civil Rights Movement. Although social justice practices are ongoing, this time of year is an opportunity to hone in on activism. I’ve always loved putting together studies, and the chance to . . . Read More
On Wednesday evening, from 5:30-7 pm, our playground will be transformed into a magical evening of light, art, and music. This year will be especially fun, with our theme, “Here Comes the Sun,” featuring Beatles music. To capture a glimpse of this extraordinary Seed event, check out this link. We wish you all a safe . . . Read More
This past summer when we installed our new climbing structure, a mountain of sand was displaced by wood chips that would become the material for the fall zone. It was 20 inches of sand that had to be moved to a new location. Some of it went to the other side of the building, and . . . Read More
When the pandemic arrived in 2020, an important part of my life was hit hard, Desert Song Healing Arts Center. Since 2003, it was my yoga community where I taught and practiced, as well as a personal refuge in many ways. The same week the Seed shut down, the studio’s doors also closed. Several of . . . Read More
A bulletin board covered with paper monarch butterflies is one of the first things you’ll see upon entering the building. It’s a group collaboration in honor of Día de los Muertos. According to one source, “Monarch butterflies are souls of ancestors who return to Earth for their annual visit.” On Wednesday and Thursday, celebrations were held, . . . Read More
Last Saturday evening at the Seed was magical. As the full moon rose in the east, dozens of families gathered on the Seed playground for an outdoor movie night. It took awhile for the sun to go down enough to see the image on the screen, and once it did, everyone’s attention shifted to the . . . Read More
We often talk about our emergent curriculum, especially with new incoming families. It’s described on our website as “an organic approach to learning that incorporates the interests and passions of children, their teachers, and relevant issues or current events.” We use it because “it offers children and teachers the most autonomy as learners. Using an . . . Read More
Like most people I’ve talked with lately, my heart feels immensely heavy. It’s the news, the level of stress we all live with, and the fact that it’s past mid-October and it continues to be over 100 at lunch recess. We have such easy lives compared to many, and it’s still a lot. I take . . . Read More
During a committee meeting, Danielle and I were asked how the year is going. We reported that things are going well on many fronts, including our new flooring, our fabulous climbing structure, and the fact that at the start of the year everyone working here was a returning staff member. As the conversation continued, we . . . Read More
Our food study has been deliciously successful this year. In speaking with various teachers, several themes have been present across grade levels: learning about foods by color and what they do for our bodies inviting parents/grandparents to come in and share favorite or traditional foods of their families/culture making a connection to gardening and our . . . Read More
First, I want to say thanks for all the kind words in response to my mom’s passing, the cards, flowers, and generous donations of trees in her memory. My heart was quite touched. In all honesty, my initial response to her death was relief. As this week has unfolded, I’ve moved into forgiveness. I’m intentionally . . . Read More
My writing teacher, the late Donald Murray, once said that over time he found himself returning to the same topics. In his case, two of his topics were serving in WWII and the death of his adult daughter. His words drift into my mind as I notice I’m starting to write yet another blog about . . . Read More
There’s a theme emerging from our new climbing structure: I couldn’t do it, then I practiced. In under ten days, examples of strength, determination, courage, and triumph have shown up over and over. It’s a beautiful sight to behold. On the first day of school, one of the PreK students stood at the edge . . . Read More
On Monday, June 19, the Seed will be closed in honor of Juneteenth for the first time in the school’s history. Now a federal holiday, Britt Hawthorne describes it as a day “to commemorate the day that enslaved Black Texans in the U.S. were finally free.” It’s the longest Black American holiday to be celebrated, . . . Read More
It’s been three mornings of celebrating each and every Seed child. One class at a time gathered beneath our huge shade trees on the playground to honor the excellent year we’ve had. Starting on Wednesday morning with the Toddler 1s students, parents arrived to join the ceremony, cameras in hand. Their ceremony was an exercise . . . Read More
One of my favorite annual Seed traditions started years ago and continues to this day. Each year Changing Hands Bookstore donates a gift card to each of our Seed graduates, and the school matches the amount on the card. It’s an arrangement that originated with Gayle Shanks, co-founder of Changing Hands, whose son, Michael, and . . . Read More
On Thursday I was sitting under the loft in the 1st/2nd grade class with one of the first graders, finishing up the final touches of his published book about museums. Although we were highly focused on his book, I couldn’t help but be distracted by what was going on with the rest of the class. . . . Read More
So many life lessons happen in the sand circle. The Seed playground continues to provide opportunities that serve as a microcosm of the way the world works. A brief time supervising the Early 3s during their Monday recess did just that. During the pandemic we removed many of the pots and pans from the . . . Read More
We still have two months till the end of the school year, and already it feels like we’re in motion toward that ending. Lately I’ve witnessed multiple examples of growth toward mastery of skills practiced for, in some cases, years. Snippets of paper with invented spelling that a year ago was unreadable, now hold words . . . Read More
Ever since I was a young child, I’ve been engaged in the creative process. My first memories of this involved my hands in mud. As I grew older, with unlimited raw materials at my fingertips, I branched out into making doll clothes, accessories, and full-on environments for my troll dolls and small animal erasers that . . . Read More
This week I’ve had the opportunity to observe our three youngest classes as part of our annual teacher evaluation process. Additionally, we had another teacher presentation from our professional development series featuring classroom practices. These experiences, as well as more time doing playground supervision, gave me plenty to write about. When I looked for a . . . Read More
You’ve probably seen extra vans parked in our lot these past two weeks, and plenty of ladders and equipment strewn in different parts of the school. At last, our new fire surveillance panel has been installed, and the final details are being worked out. It feels great to have this upgrade behind us. We received . . . Read More
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