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
There are few traditions as well established as our annual Halloween carnival. It’s a labor of love by many people in our Seed village, and it happens close to the beginning of the new school year. For new families, it can seem like information overload. I’m writing this to highlight a few components of the . . . Read More
On Saturday we held the annual retreat for our Seed board of directors. I don’t often write about the board, since our work is primarily behind the scenes. The board is a guardian of the Seed, looking out for everything from the annual budget to the school’s long range vision. Primarily Seed parents, either current or . . . Read More
On the playground earlier this week, I noticed a group of children being super creative. Standing near the toddler fence, several preschoolers and a first grader were tossing balls back and forth to the toddlers on the other side. It was a simple game, yet it demonstrated the cohesive community that is forming between children . . . Read More
It’s shaping up to be a year of reviewing the history of certain Seed events. Tie-dye day is at the top of the list. I’ve looked over my blogs about tie-dye, written since 2012, and each one takes a slightly different slant on the event. One year looked at it as a rite of passage, . . . Read More
This week I took one whole morning to visit every single class. I asked the teachers how things were going in general and what they needed in terms of equipment and support. The needs covered everything from replacing soap dispensers to ordering extra shelves. Across the board, everyone seemed pleased with the challenging process . . . Read More
When I teach young writers, one of the first things we work on is topic selection. We discuss how the challenge isn’t usually having something to write about, it’s deciding which of many topics to choose. That’s how I feel about this summer. In the six weeks since I wrote my last blog, I’ve walked . . . Read More
Baby birds are everywhere these days. Little ducklings swim in the canal where I walk in the mornings. Our backyard garden regularly hosts quail families, as the parent birds tutor their young in the fine art of foraging. Just last week I witnessed several tiny balls of fuzz attached to legs scurrying across our back . . . Read More
We’ve been showered lately. Not with spring rains bringing relief from rising temperatures, but with gifts of kindness and generosity. Last week was Teacher Appreciation Week, and it felt like a birthday or holiday season. I was touched by the sweet gifts, messages, and cards I received from many of our parents, and I’m not even . . . Read More
Forty-one years ago I signed on to bring forth a school, which has now become Awakening Seed. I was 25 years old at the time, just barely an adult. I made the commitment because I knew it was the right thing to do. I had two young daughters then, and I wanted them to have . . . Read More
As our complex world continues on its trajectory through time and space, I’m seeing that often the best way to help is to work with what’s right in front of us. Through a conversation with one of our Seed dads, I was introduced to an article that addresses this idea. The author, Kevin McCarty, explores . . . Read More
Anyone who has known me for any length of time knows I’m obsessed with plastic—reducing, reusing, and recycling it. I bring my own reusable bags wherever I shop, spreading the message to one cashier at a time about the wastefulness of plastic bags. More and more, I make purchasing decisions based on the amount of . . . Read More
Sometimes silence speaks louder than words. Such is the case with our annual silent auction of original Seed art made by students and staff. It’s a tradition that’s gone on for well over ten years. Originally associated with the Seed Scramble, a golf tournament held for a few years, the silent auction has taken on . . . Read More
Last week we received a wonderful surprise. News arrived from the community service branch of Brady, our janitorial supply company, that the Seed had been selected as the recipient of a $2,500 Brady Shines grant to help fund our new walkway, which will enhance handicap access to our playground. It was a reminder of the . . . Read More
The Seed was infested with ants when we returned from spring break. Not the kind of ants the PreK class is studying, human ants. During our week off, Bill ordered fourteen tons of sand to be delivered. The pile loomed by the swings and sand circle, inviting possibility. Mobilization of the work force was in . . . Read More
Like some of my colleagues and friends, I had the good fortune of seeing Hamilton last week. It was like nothing I’ve ever experienced. Everything about it was exceptional, and as I continue listening to its soundtrack, more is revealed. Several major themes keep circling around in my mind, including standing up for what you . . . Read More
There was a time when we had chickens. One of our talented dads built a coop for them, including the enclosure that, in recent history, has become the maintenance storage area. The chickens have been long gone, for a variety of reasons, and the coop remained, filled with all sorts of things not suitable for . . . Read More
Last week I wrote about the Seed’s commitment to continuing the conversation about race and social justice. This week we stepped into it further. On Wednesday morning, our dear friend, Dr. Elsie Moore, paid a visit to the Seed and left us with much to ponder. Elsie is the director of ASU’s School of Social . . . Read More
A few days ago I ran across this quote from Martin Luther King, Jr.: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about what matters.” The timing was perfect, not only because we just celebrated MLK Day. It confirmed a practice we’ve had at the Seed since we began in 1977. Over the . . . Read More
When we returned from winter break, a new face was waiting for us. After a year of conversation, fundraising, and coordinating with the sign company, the Seed finally has a new sign. We’ve had a steady stream of positive feedback all week from students, parents, grandparents, and social media followers. In fact, one of our . . . Read More
Today is the winter solstice. I love this day because of its symbolism and how it invites us to tune in to the light within each other and ourselves. It’s a time of hope. At the Seed, it has another meaning; it’s what we celebrate this time of year as a school to be inclusive . . . Read More
Although the weather still feels like autumn, we are headed toward the official first day of winter next Thursday. It will be an especially meaningful solstice this year since the Seed’s Celebration of the Winter Solstice falls on the actual day for our 2017 event. Our fall semester ends a week later this year, so . . . Read More
Another feast has come and gone. We had perfect weather and delicious food, thanks to teachers, parents, and students. Hundreds of hungry, friendly families gathered to celebrate our Seed community. It was gratitude at its finest. Each year our intention is to approach the Thanksgiving holiday with a genuine sense of gratitude. The challenge is . . . Read More