The red threads captured my attention. During one of my summer morning walks, I heard an interview with Marcus Buckingham. He described his life long obsession with helping others improve the quality of their workplace experience. The interview held my attention, yet there was nothing extraordinary in the conversation until he brought up the red threads. . . . Read More
I walked into the K-1 this just as a duck was having her feet trimmed. In preparation for their upcoming production of Crocodile Beat by Gail Jorgensen, one of the ducks was with her teacher, having a costume fitting. On the table behind them was a pile of handmade costumes and props, including a crocodile . . . Read More
As this fourth week of summer camp comes to a close, the word “congruent” surfaces in my mind. Congruent means to be in agreement or in harmony. It comes from the Latin verb Congruere “to come together, correspond with.” All week long I’ve seen evidence of congruency in action. When we developed our plan for . . . Read More
Things are moving and shaking at the Seed this summer. When we designed our program this year, we wanted to make sure there was a strong movement component. The summer heat often brings on a tendency toward being lethargic, so we decided to take a proactive approach. We have regularly scheduled music classes once a . . . Read More
Last Friday morning was a popular time for water play, so the sand circle was flooded more extensively than normal. I had the pleasure of being on duty for lunch recess and got in on some excellent water play action. One thing I noticed right away was several children attempting to cross over the . . . Read More
Our new edition of The Harvest, the Seed’s yearbook, just arrived this week. It’s full of happy student faces, quotes, and photos of their lively art collected from projects throughout the year. Usually we dedicate the yearbook to a staff member. This year, at the request of Krina (our editor), the dedication is different. It . . . Read More
Harvesting seeds is no easy task, especially for three-year-old fingers. In case you’re unfamiliar with kale, broccoli, cauliflower, and cilantro seeds, they’re about the size of a small pin head. They mostly grow in long thin pods that only crack open easily when they are dry. There’s a purpose behind the tediousness of harvesting tiny . . . Read More
When I was a child growing up in rural Nebraska, the Little Blue River meandered through our town. It was more brown (from the mud) than blue. The Little Blue is a sleepy river, except during the occasional rainy season when its banks overflow. A few years ago it wiped out one of the main bridges . . . Read More
Last week I described potential plans and activities happening on and around Earth Day at the Seed. One project in particular took on a life of its own. The Preschool 4s’ campaign to help the African Wildlife Foundation has become a school-wide effort, thanks to the generosity of parents, as well as their baking talents. . . . Read More
We’re doing Earth Day differently this year. Usually we pick one issue—such as plastic bags, throwaway straws, or endangered species—and make it a whole school theme. We decide how to address the issue within each classroom, then report back to the whole group on Earth Day. This year, since such varied authentic learning is happening . . . Read More
Since returning from India, I’ve thought about air quality. A lot. It was one part of the trip for which I was unprepared. I managed to escape the common digestive tract illness most people contract while traveling, but ended up coming home with a nasty case of bronchitis. As a result, I’ve appreciated the clean . . . Read More
I had a flashback on Tuesday morning. Seeing the K-1 class with teachers and parents waiting at the bus stop on 40th Street, brought me back to the earliest years of the Seed when we had only a handful of young children. It was the late 70s, and the father of one of our students . . . Read More
I can tell it’s spring, and it’s not just the weather. All kinds of blooming is happening at the Seed. I noticed dozens of pink and purple blossoms on our peach tree, and the apple tree has buds as well. Things are blooming inside the building, too, as was evident in the K-1 class last . . . Read More
During Monday’s all-school meeting, several classes reported news of emerging studies. It’s that time of year when deeper studies come forth, usually inspired by interests of children. I decided to investigate the roots of these studies, and it was no surprise how varied, yet similar, those roots are. Generally, studies have formulated based on . . . Read More
It’s impossible for me to see wild geese and not think of Mary Oliver. High above the Platte River on a wintry Nebraska day or passing through the desert at the change of seasons, the wild geese are poetry in action. These words at the end of Oliver’s most famous poem, “Wild Geese,” have sustained me . . . Read More
Returning after winter break is always a mixed bag of feelings. On one hand, it seems like we just get used to a more open schedule, then it’s time to get back to our school routine. I know I wasn’t the only one feeling this on our first day back. Several parents used the phrase . . . Read More
Wednesday morning we had our first glimpse of this year’s version of the Seed’s Celebration of the Winter Solstice. Stuffed into the multi with the dance area configuration taped to the carpet, one by one each class presented its dance for this year’s performance. The book we picked, upon which the performance is based, is . . . Read More
We’ve been observing in classrooms lately, as part of our annual teacher evaluation process. Included are a classroom observation, answering a few questions via email, and an in-person follow-up meeting. Our intention is to acknowledge the wonderful things going on in a classroom, give specific feedback about what is observed, and choose areas for future . . . Read More
You may have noticed the collection of stars posted on our office bulletin board. Beneath the stars is a growing pile of toys, pillows, basketballs, and children’s pajamas. Tucked under the table is a brand new child’s bike. So many gifts are arriving that we’ve opened up an additional table space to hold the incoming . . . Read More
We have a small box we open only at this time of year. It contains gaffers tape, a map, and a six foot segment of ribbon with a tiny piece of yellow chalk tied to the end. It might seem like an odd, insignificant little collection of things, but in reality, it’s quite foundational to . . . Read More
In the past few days I’ve noticed people mingling outside the 3rd/4th grade classroom. Finally I walked down the hallway to check out what was going on. The class created a giant bingo display with an act of kindness in each section. Anyone interested in participating is invited to sign their name in a section . . . Read More
As an alum of Arizona State University, I often receive ASU publications. One arrived last week that caught my eye. On the cover was a delightful photo of Alberto Ríos, an ASU professor, Arizona’s first poet laureate from 2013-15, and a former Seed parent. I read the engaging article about Alberto, his life, and his work . . . Read More
On Friday the 2018 carnival will be in full force. Months of preparation will come to fruition for the Seed’s big Halloween event. The bounce houses will be installed, desserts will be arranged in delicious piles, and lines will form all evening for this year’s Mystery Theater performance of I Need My Monster. Racks of kid-decorated . . . Read More
When the carnival starts next Friday night, you won’t see me right away. I’ll be hanging out backstage with the monsters. You see, for the past 31 years, I’ve been one of the Mystery Theater players. We’re a dedicated band of hooligans (also Seed staff members) who enjoy making people laugh. The Mystery Theater . . . Read More