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
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
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
In the sweaty days of August during our teacher prep week, we were approached by two enthusiastic parents about starting a volunteer garden club. It was a busy week with a long list of tasks and, to be honest, the gardens weren’t high on my to-do list. Nevertheless, the pair had such enthusiasm, I found . . . 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
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
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
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
On Thursday morning a group of students ran up to me excitedly asking to pick peaches. I noticed most of the peaches had already been picked, but said we could go check it out. When it was determined there were enough still left, a small envoy walked to the kitchen with me to obtain a . . . Read More
It’s Earth Day, a day I renew my commitment to serving Planet Earth. I’me realizing more and more that the most significant way I can be of help is to keep working with the upcoming generations who will assume stewardship of our planet. Today’s blog is about one of those young stewards. One of . . . Read More
You might notice the sticker recently adhered to the glass door of our Little Free Library. It came with the books and materials for the READ IN COLOR program sponsored by the Little Free Library Foundation, with books provided through Southwest Human Development. Their mission statement says: “READ IN COLOR aims to promote the distribution . . . Read More
Last Friday the Seed was inundated with collard greens. Cases of greens arrived along with bags of ingredients to prepare the greens for eating. The collard greens were part of a program called The Blue Watermelon Project. Their website describes the project in this way: “Inspired and led by the efforts of Chef Charleen Badman of . . . Read More
Monday, March 15th, marked the ten-year anniversary of my breast cancer diagnosis. It happened over spring break in 2011 on my first-born child’s birthday. It was a surreal day, and one that significantly altered the course of my life. I had “the good kind” of cancer, ductal carcinoma in situ, and managed to get through . . . Read More
A winter storm blasted through Phoenix on Monday, ripping three screens off our office windows and leaving piles of white precipitation scattered around the playground. I learned later that there is a special name for this precipitation, graupel. Graupel is described as “water that accumulates on snow above the ground, then freezes and creates . . . Read More
It’s a week before Thanksgiving, and we hit a record 92 degrees on Tuesday. Hardly anything surprises me these days. In addition to the unusual weather, it’s a time of profound change, both externally and internally. Certain world events have triggered profound changes in myself, one of the most significant being the killing of George . . . Read More
I don’t remember a time when using our voices has seemed so important. There’s much to sort through as we move toward an election that will significantly alter the course of our country one way or another. I have my personal opinions, of course, and what I’ve been thinking about is larger than partisan inclinations. . . . Read More
The sunrises have been extraordinary lately, unfortunately due to smoke that’s filtered our way from the west coast fires. Each new morning I see another bright orange sun, I think of the people who have lost their homes, family members, and healthy air to breathe. It was shocking to read in the news yesterday that . . . Read More
Earlier this week, our board of directors had to make the difficult decision to keep the Seed closed a bit longer. We were hoping to offer a three-week summer program, to provide much-needed childcare, as well as test our projected adaptations we plan to implement in August. Before finalizing the summer opening date, we determined . . . Read More
Choosing a school can be a daunting task. We see parents in this process every few weeks as they attend our introductory tours. It’s a huge decision to choose the environment where a child will spend most of his/her waking hours during the week. The early years shape a child cognitively, socially, physically, and emotionally. . . . Read More
A few days ago I read a plea for help posted on Facebook by one of our Seed alums. She’s living in Australia. Her post included a stunning photo of a huge plume of smoke and an article describing the fire as big as Manhattan. I thought about her post all weekend and decided we . . . Read More
The Seed carnival started in the 1980s as an alternative to trick-or-treating. It has evolved over the years into a huge community event, attended by current and alumni families, as well as neighbors and other local friends. It’s become a much anticipated first return to the Seed after families leave to move on to other . . . 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
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