The warmer weather has inspired me to find a new route for my morning walks. Through a bit of exploring, I’ve discovered some sleepy, lesser traveled streets near South Mountain that even provide a bit of shade. At the point where I turn around, a sailboat is parked. It’s been there awhile, and seems like . . . 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
The branches on the Seed’s apple tree are heavily weighted with dozens of apples. I’m certain the crop is larger than usual, due to the absence of small “harvesters” this year. The tree is also maturing, and capable of producing more. The apples seem symbolic of the weight upon us at this time in history, . . . Read More
One by one, each child was acknowledged and celebrated. Beginning with our tiniest toddlers, and ending with our 3rd/4th grade graduates, the day of celebration brought a most unusual school year to an end. Despite not being physically present with our students since early March, each teacher had kind, thoughtful words about the students with . . . Read More
Two weeks ago I wrote about our efforts as a staff to do what’s best for kids. I keep thinking about this topic, and a related one—children’s mental health. Daily I see articles about this subject, and have concerns that, amidst the focus on academic learning time lost, the mental health piece is not being addressed . . . Read More
It’s that time of year when everything at school winds down. Teachers are writing progress reports and making awards. Ceremonies of completion and graduation are being planned. Teachers are organizing students’ materials to take home as a record of the past ten months. The one big difference this year is that none of the festivities . . . Read More
My third grade teacher, Marie Peithman, received me for exactly who I was. She was a breath of fresh air after a second grade tyrant who made me stand on tiptoes with my nose in a chalk-drawn circle on the board, just for talking. Mrs. Peithman was kind, and had appropriately high expectations. I remember . . . Read More
When I was a kid, May 1st was a day of connection. We’d make little baskets and fill them with lilacs, popcorn, and candy, then deliver them to friends’ front doors. It was a sweet way to remember close friends. It’s not a practice we see around here. And with social distancing in place, as . . . Read More
Earth Day has historically been one of the most important days of the year at Awakening Seed. It’s an embodiment of the Seed’s mission statement: “Awakening Seed is an innovative, compassionate learning community that inspires global citizens by fostering curiosity, celebrating uniqueness, and promoting social justice.” This year, more than any other year, it was . . . Read More
As we enter our second month of days at home instead of the Seed, it’s beginning to sink in that we may be at this longer than we originally anticipated. The novelty has begun to wear off, and the list of things we are missing from our old life grows longer each day. Granted, most . . . Read More
A devoted mother dove sits in the nest she built on a small shelf above the hose in our back yard. She’s been there for nearly two weeks. There were two eggs originally, and now there is one hatchling, whose eyes are still closed. I don’t know what happened to the other one. This mother . . . Read More
On Tuesday morning I was over at the Seed taking photos for our upcoming yearbook project. Evidence of spring was everywhere. Bill has been hard at work keeping weeds at bay, and the freshly mown grass looks incredibly healthy. A few class gardens are bursting with produce, including kale, chard, and spinach. Sunflowers are blooming . . . Read More
When I returned from my trip to Nebraska, I checked out a group of mysterious cabbage-like plants in our garden. Looking closer, I discovered underneath the lush green leaves a whole collection of tiny Brussels sprouts. How could this be? I do remember planting seeds months ago, but thought our rabbit visitors had wiped . . . Read More
When visitors come to the Seed and we open the door to our playground, the response is nearly universal: Wow. One parent even asked if our school was adjacent to a city park. Many express their awe by saying, “I wish I’d gone to a school like this when I was a kid.” I’ve visited . . . Read More
Exactly a year ago today, I left for India. It was an adventure that changed my life and is still with me. The orange-pink sunrise, the smell of rose oil, and the flapping of prayer flags in my back yard all carry me back to India. Lately I’ve been reflecting on the year that has . . . 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
Although everyone is moving a bit slower this morning, we’re all feeling the glow of last night’s performance. The amount of effort that goes into our winter solstice production is unseen by most of our audience. The vision, patience, and practice that fill up our December weeks came forth last night as we offered an . . . Read More
In most places around the country falling leaves signal the arrival of autumn. Not so in Phoenix. When leaves at the Seed finally cover the ground, we know we’re well on our way to winter. Even though the winter solstice is still a week away, the leaf-covered ground is a sign that our balmy days . . . Read More
The other night at sunset, the looming darkness took me back to where I was a year ago. Just a few weeks shy of our departure for India, I felt like I was at the edge of a great chasm, preparing to step completely into the unknown. The month of December with the shortest days . . . Read More
Preparations for our celebration of gratitude started last week as each class brainstormed ideas of what they could for another classroom. In the K-1 class they began with the question: What is it to be thankful? Children said, “It’s when you love people.” “It’s when you say thank you for all that people do for . . . Read More
We want you to know about our exceptional K-4 program. Although we’re just entering our fourth month of the school year, it will soon be time for making decisions about the future. In order to help families make the most informed decision about elementary school placement, we are offering a K-4 information session on Wednesday, . . . Read More
On my walk along the canal yesterday morning, pushing my great-granddaughter in her stroller, a man with his little dog called out to me: “Good morning, Grandma. Never give up!” I replied, “I won’t. I’ll keep going as long as I can.” As I kept walking, his words lingered in my mind. He pretty well . . . Read More
For the past fourteen years I’ve taught a kids yoga class at Desert Song Healing Arts Center on Tuesday afternoons. I’ve worked with hundreds of children under the age of ten. Some of them are in college now, and new students keep arriving. Many of them attended my class for several years before outgrowing it . . . Read More
Early Tuesday morning I sat in the dentist chair, looking out large windows into the overcast skies looming over the valley. I noticed a heron perched on top of the building in front of me. It was a color study in grey. Monday was the autumn equinox, and our shifting weather matched the change of . . . Read More