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
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
Grateful grandparents, the food drive, and a sand village were a perfect combination to usher in the season of gratitude. Our wonderful grandparents group met on Monday. After addressing a few business items, grandparents arranged themselves in pairs to discuss questions around the topic of gratitude. Taken from Seth Godin’s Thanksgiving Reader (http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2015/11/a-thanksgiving-reader.html), questions led . . . Read More
The little altar under the tree caught my eye. I saw it on my way out to Gwen’s Castle with the 3rd/4th graders the morning after Halloween. We were headed to the castle as part of Día de Los Muertos, Day of the Dead. For several weeks, many classes have been learning about this time . . . Read More
Occasionally ideas slither like a snake around the Seed, and we never know where they’ll end up. Wednesday was one of those days. Each year around Halloween, PreK students take on the study of a creature that generally creeps out humans, creatures like bats, spiders, and snakes. Snakes are this year’s chosen species. Coincidentally, the . . . Read More
It’s not my regular practice to write about individuals. I prefer to write about our Seed community, about the relationships and dynamics that keep the school a vital, living entity. Nevertheless, from time to time, a specific person catches my attention. When you hear her story, I think you’ll understand why this week’s blog is . . . Read More
Years ago, while visiting a friend near Concord, Massachusetts, we took a day trip to Walden Pond. I’ve been a fan of Thoreau since my teens, so standing in the space where he spent his two years, two months, and two days at Walden Pond was significant. That day I soaked in the essence of . . . Read More
In case you thought Wednesday was a bad diaper day for the toddlers, you can be rest assured, it was merely the PreK’s batch of brussels sprouts baking in the oven. We take our nutrition study seriously and that means stepping out of our comfort zone from time to time to try new tastes . . . Read More
When I was a kid I went to a public elementary school with polished wooden floors and desks lined up in rows. It was a two-story red brick building that often felt stark and forbidding. Most of the teachers were friendly and kind, although my enthusiasm for learning varied from year to year, based on . . . Read More
Seed teachers are back at it. We started our prep week on Tuesday and it’s been an action packed few days. Currently the hallway is lined with items each teacher no longer needs, including extra random art supplies, puzzles with missing pieces, wrong sized tables or shelves, lost and found clothing, and outdated equipment. My . . . Read More
This morning a kindergartener bounced into school with a book and long strip of police badge stickers in her hands. I asked what she was carrying and she said it was a book to share about her mom, who is a police officer. I said, “That’s right. Your mom is a super hero for sure!” . . . Read More
Action figures arrived from home in sets of five. As the week unfolded, those same figures brought acceptance and respect alive in a whole new way. Over the weekend their teacher cleared enough cubicles for each child to have a personal space. Before long, the classroom looked like a colony of condos. Toys, blocks, and . . . Read More
In keeping with the Seed’s emergent curriculum model, our week of learning about feelings is gathering inspiration from the heat wave. The first and second graders used the high temperatures to launch a project called, “How I Feel In Arizona’s Summer Heat.” Their visual images certainly express how many of us feel these days, especially . . . Read More
When we met in January to develop our summer art camp curriculum, there were three major considerations: • it would be arts-based • social justice would be the underlying theme • what we chose to do had to be relevant to children Over the next several months, we pulled together resources, asked for suggestions from . . . Read More
Some things will simply not be denied. Although it’s hard to believe, on Wednesday we finished our 40th year and added fourteen more graduates to our alumni population. Since it’s a multiage class, a few will be returning for their 4th grade year in August. The rest will be scattered into the world to find . . . Read More
Each week I aim for 500 words and generally, I’m in the ballpark. This week is an exception and as you read on, you’ll see why. Even though this week’s is longer, I hope you’ll stay with me because it’s about our three speakers at the Seed’s 40th birthday celebration. We selected three inividuals to cover significant focus . . . Read More
The end of the school year feels like a fast moving train about to arrive at the station. It seems like three weeks ago that we started our 40th year, and here we are almost finished. Teachers are working on assessments, final projects, and bringing closure to big studies. In the background we’re gearing up . . . Read More
It’s Thursday afternoon and I’m sitting at the table where a significant chapter of the Seed’s history began. It’s the same Starbucks table where, on Christmas Eve years ago, Danielle and I first entertained the idea of her eventually stepping into the directorship of Awakening Seed. It seems like such a long time ago, yet . . . Read More
This week as the temperature crept toward 100, Seed artists added final touches to our new mural. On the wall along 40th Street, it’s like no other mural among the dozens painted throughout the Seed’s South Phoenix history. This one was a community effort, bringing together ideas and talents of many. It began through a generous . . . Read More
Last week’s Earth Day celebrations delivered a wealth of blogging topics. On Friday morning, as the Toddler 1s practiced placing recyclables in a bin with a huge recycling symbol on it, the Seed was visited by Channel 3 for a segment of Good Morning, Arizona. The interviewer, Lina deFlorias, was masterful with the children. She started . . . Read More
Boxes arrived this week filled with our special edition 40th anniversary t-shirts. The design took an interesting detour right before the final proof stage. Originally, an illustration of the earth was inside the zero. While working on a draft for the mural design, we played around with making the zero into a peace sign. The . . . Read More
Monday was National Sibling Day. I’m grateful to my three siblings, each for his or her specific contribution to my life. Admittedly, I was at times the bossy older sister, and it has been noted that my two youngest siblings were camped outside my bedroom counting the minutes till I packed up my things and left . . . Read More
Our Earth Day celebration of the Seed’s 40th birthday is just around the corner. In fact, it’s occupying most of my mental real estate at the moment. It’s an event that involves a number of lists, from which several of us are dutifully checking off items. This week I started a piece of art for . . . Read More
At first glance, the name of our summer art camp might seem odd. If you lean into it for a bit, I think you’ll understand. Our intention for the summer is to provide an arts program for children that invites creativity and self-expression. Additionally, this year we’ve included a social justice piece, as we explore . . . Read More