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
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
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
Our food study has been deliciously successful this year. In speaking with various teachers, several themes have been present across grade levels: learning about foods by color and what they do for our bodies inviting parents/grandparents to come in and share favorite or traditional foods of their families/culture making a connection to gardening and our . . . Read More
It’s been three mornings of celebrating each and every Seed child. One class at a time gathered beneath our huge shade trees on the playground to honor the excellent year we’ve had. Starting on Wednesday morning with the Toddler 1s students, parents arrived to join the ceremony, cameras in hand. Their ceremony was an exercise . . . Read More
First of all, thanks to all of you who purchased bricks to support the playground project. We look forward to adding them to the current collection near the ramp to the playground. Now, as we slide into December, we will begin our capital campaign for the remainder of funds needed for our playground structure. . . . Read More
In two weeks we will experience a new Seed event and, perhaps, tradition. Since the 1980s we’ve celebrated the winter solstice as a universal approach to the holidays, in respect for the variety of families the Seed serves. The original celebration included music, singing, and dancing. Each class was responsible for preparing a dance that . . . Read More
Last Friday was a big step for our Seed community to begin spending time together again. Our tie-dye and tile painting event was a huge success on several levels. It had been two years since we’d held the event, and it took us awhile with the tie-dye part to pull everything together. The night before . . . Read More
I write this week’s blog from rural Nebraska, where I’m staying for a few days, helping out with my parents. I collected classroom stories about our nutrition study before I left, and lots of wonderful food experiences have happened since I left. My intention in writing about the study is to give you a bit . . . Read More
If there’s anything the 2020-2021 school year has given us, it’s an overabundance of opportunities to be innovative. After missing their graduation a year ago, we wanted to make sure our 3rd-5th graders had a memorable ceremony. Although some of the mitigations for COVID-19 have eased up a bit, we still have to follow . . . Read More
For many years I’ve thought of the Seed as a hybrid. Early on, we drew on a variety of approaches to inform our practices. In graduate school I researched Montessori, Waldorf, and embraced the Whole Language movement. We’ve studied the constructivist approach, based on Piaget’s theory, and added Love and Logic ® to our toolbox. . . . 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
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
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
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
On Monday the Seed grandparents gathered once again. Over twenty arrived for the beginning of our fourth year as an organized group. During introductions we met grandparents new to the Seed and caught up with familiar friends who have been around the school for a long time (including one grandmother whose daughters are Seed graduates). . . . Read More
The scent of basil is a sure sign that our nutrition study is underway. Coincidentally, as food nutrients dominated conversation in classrooms, I came across a new term— psychological nutrients. My ears and mind perked up, wondering what this idea could possibly mean. It came to me in the same way I absorb most . . . Read More
In July we took my great-granddaughter to Minnesota to visit her great-great grandparents. Included in the mix of family present was my great-niece, Emmy. She’s a bright, articulate, curious girl, and was completely mesmerized by the baby. Being a typical four-year-old, she wanted to touch her new little cousin and find out all she could . . . Read More
I had a flashback on Tuesday morning. Seeing the K-1 class with teachers and parents waiting at the bus stop on 40th Street, brought me back to the earliest years of the Seed when we had only a handful of young children. It was the late 70s, and the father of one of our students . . . Read More
Returning after winter break is always a mixed bag of feelings. On one hand, it seems like we just get used to a more open schedule, then it’s time to get back to our school routine. I know I wasn’t the only one feeling this on our first day back. Several parents used the phrase . . . Read More
In the past few days I’ve noticed people mingling outside the 3rd/4th grade classroom. Finally I walked down the hallway to check out what was going on. The class created a giant bingo display with an act of kindness in each section. Anyone interested in participating is invited to sign their name in a section . . . 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
Just when our planet needed a positive distraction, nature provided. Monday’s eclipse lived up to the hype, even at the Seed. Initially, we made an executive decision to keep our students indoors to protect their young eyes. We made plans for older classes to watch live stream coverage of the eclipse and some classes began . . . Read More
We’re making a change this year. Since the early 90s, we’ve had the kids come to curriculum night to offer a glimpse into what a typical day might look like. The teachers and students demonstrated how circle goes and activities were planned that involved both parent and child. It’s always been a fun, though slightly . . . Read More