Aftermath

Normally, at this time of year, we’ve already planted most of our classroom gardens.  Not this year.  With temperatures consistently still above 100, very few seeds have been placed in the soil.  A few that have more shade than others, and a small irrigation system installed, have been planted and are bravely poking up skyward.  . . . Read More


Pasta and a Food Truck

Yesterday was 9-11 and I still have vivid memories of the day, 23 years ago.  It was the day planes struck the Twin Towers, the skies went quiet, and everything in the world changed.  Our world continues to have its challenges and bright spots. One of the brightest spots for me is the Seed, particularly . . . Read More


Be Like Jim

 I’m writing this particular blog today because I’ll be in Nebraska next week celebrating the life of my dad, James Kenner, Jr.  He died peacefully on August 11, 2024, at the grand age of 99 years, 5 months, and 8 days.  You can read his obituary if you want to know where he was born . . . Read More


48

Around this time in 1977, my friend Anne Sager and I were busily preparing for the opening of The New School.  Months earlier, I was talking with my teacher, Erma Pounds, and she suggested the idea of starting a school.  As a young mother of a three-year-old and newborn, I said yes.   In the . . . Read More


View from the Top and the End

Today is our last day of summer camp.  The two oldest classes are preparing for their afternoon performances, and teachers are going over checklists for closing up their summer classrooms.  We have a few construction projects going on, and two classrooms are being prepared for painting.  One of my projects for the summer has been . . . Read More


Be Cool

This morning, while out for my walk, I spied this sweet flower in someone’s yard.  I felt fortunate to have witnessed how beautifully the sunlight shone through the petals.  Summer is a good time to slow down and stay open to nature’s surprises.  It also helps take my mind off the summer heat.  It’s hot.  . . . Read More


Five Years Later

Prior to the pandemic, we traditionally organized a summer community service project.  Sometimes we collected non-perishable items for a food pantry.  Other times we’ve collected toys and clothes.  This year we’re bringing back our summer community service project to benefit Chandler Regional Medical Center’s Eat Sleep Console Program.  There’s a story behind our selection of . . . Read More


Last Day

Sometimes it seems like this day will never come.  And then it does.  Today we completed the awards ceremonies for all of our classes and graduated our class of 2024.  It’s always a bittersweet day, and this year was no different with its wide range of feelings and emotions.  Even the fruit on our heavily . . . Read More


A Cause for Celebration

We held our annual spring picnic on Saturday.  It ended up being a celebration of both our school and Planet Earth. Although the day was quite warm, the energy and ambiance were so extraordinary that it was easy to forgive the 90 degree temperature.  For a starter, we had live music from Dr. Jesse McGuire.  . . . Read More


For Future Planters

I’m savoring these last few days of spring.  The mornings are still cool enough that I need a long-sleeved shirt, and the evenings make me want to linger in the garden as long as there’s still light.  On Wednesday night I sat on a large flat rock near our compost pile, meticulously removing dried peas . . . Read More


Mystery of the Missing Lids

This week I had the most excellent opportunity to observe in the Early 3s.  It was during open centers, and there was no shortage of action or engaged activity.  As I entered the room, two children were finishing up snack, one sat quietly working at the writing table, some were exploring natural objects near the . . . Read More


Regarding Celebrations

You may notice the beautiful bulletin board in the hallway, celebrating the Ramadan holiday.  It’s part of a year-long effort to represent and celebrate the various cultures of our Seed families.  Prior to the Ramadan display being installed, I was asked to review the content of the material that was going to be used, to make . . . Read More


Even In Our Neighborhood

Last weekend I was out for a walk along the canal by my house.  I was appalled by the huge pile of trash accumulated near a barrier consisting of styrofoam Polar Pop cups, recyclable water bottles, a GrubHub cooler, and a soccer ball.  I shared this with the 1st graders to remind them that climate . . . Read More


What’s Not to Love?

Energy is high around the Seed, as we approach parent/teacher conferences.  It’s a time that demands much of the teachers, as they thoroughly prepare progress reports and gather materials to communicate each child’s progress.  This season of  reflection on individual children helps us establish our path forward for the second half of the school year.  . . . Read More


Sifting Through Climate Change

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


Activist Training

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


Here Comes the Sun

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


Community Collaboration

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


Intentional Watering

From time to time a certain voice catches my attention.  Most recently it’s the voice of Christiana  Figueres, the former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change from 2010 to 2016.   She is also known for being a key figure in making the 2015 Paris Agreement possible.  Christiana had a . . . Read More


Gathering in Gratitude

The days leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday look different from what they used to prior to the pandemic.  For decades each class selected a food item and was responsible for preparing it for a school-wide feast.  After a few songs with Jay, items like green beans, applesauce, quesadillas, cookies, fruit salad, mashed potatoes, and . . . Read More


Full Moon Movie Night

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


Emergent Curriculum for Teachers

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


Cricket Workshop

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


Repurposed

I’m loving these new days of autumn, even though we are still in the upper 80s for midday recess.  After such a long, hot summer,  it’s wonderful to feel a breeze that’s slightly cooler.  The seasonal change has invited more time outside to enjoy our playground and outdoor areas.   While supervising a small group . . . Read More