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
Morning walks this time of year always seem to reveal life lessons. Whether it’s an unusually simple cloud formation or a homeless man balancing his found possessions precariously on a “borrowed” grocery cart, there’s always something that connects with what I’ve been thinking about. Two words, simplicity and presence, have been swirling around in my . . . Read More
I’ve been sitting on this story for almost a month now. My hesitation for writing it has many layers, not the least of which is it’s a deeply personal story, and I try to keep relatively clear boundaries between my personal and professional lives, especially with my blog. There have been exceptions, though, and in . . . Read More
Last Friday morning was a popular time for water play, so the sand circle was flooded more extensively than normal. I had the pleasure of being on duty for lunch recess and got in on some excellent water play action. One thing I noticed right away was several children attempting to cross over the . . . Read More
During playground duty I noticed our peach tree was loaded with fruit. Its branches were heavy with ripening fuzzy peaches. The birds had already discovered several and helped themselves to a sweet meal. I picked a few that were starting to soften and handed them over to one of the teachers for her class to . . . Read More
On Wednesday afternoon I sat in the dark on the floor in the toddler room, holding the last wakeful child. All of her classmates were sound asleep. She was quiet, yet not ready to surrender to nap time. I began rocking her gently, and she soon drifted off to sleep. As I held her, I . . . Read More
Since returning from India, I’ve thought about air quality. A lot. It was one part of the trip for which I was unprepared. I managed to escape the common digestive tract illness most people contract while traveling, but ended up coming home with a nasty case of bronchitis. As a result, I’ve appreciated the clean . . . Read More
Three weeks ago I was on my way to India. It was, by far, one of the most profound experiences of my life. On Saturday evening, we returned to Phoenix, although my inner self seems to be lingering somewhere in between. I’m savoring the memories as I step back into my work at the Seed. It’s . . . Read More
The heart of India has been calling me for a long time. On Thursday evening, I’ll board a British Airways flight for the adventure of my lifetime. For the next sixteen days I’ll be traveling with a friend through parts of India and Nepal. I’ve spent this past year preparing for the journey, and it . . . 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
On Sunday we gathered in the desert to celebrate the life of Ralph Peterson, our longtime friend, colleague, and mentor. Nestled in the San Tan Mountains south of Queen Creek, in the adobe home Ralph and friends built with their own hands, we enjoyed a blue sky afternoon that couldn’t have been more perfect for . . . 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 was a plane that derailed my plans for this week’s blog. I fully intended to describe the many wonderful food experiences happening around the Seed as part of our school-wide nutrition study. I was going to write about the incredible smells, the scent of pizza, beans, and pesto that permeated the hallway. I aimed . . . 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
On June 26th, my mom turned 90. She lives far away and I won’t see her until later this summer. When we asked her how she wanted to celebrate this major milestone, she said she didn’t want a big party. Instead she said, “I want to celebrate all summer long.” As a family, we’ve granted . . . Read More
As we approach the summer solstice, it’s that time of year when temperatures rise. I notice that the number of comments about the heat also rises. A few weeks ago, one of my yoga teachers brought up this very topic. She continued by saying that we live here in the desert by choice, and the . . . 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
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
This day is finally here. Since my last post, I’ve traveled Scotland, returned to the Seed for the last day of summer art camp, then flew to Minnesota for a few days with my parents. My return to Phoenix on Sunday evening was not without its share of drama—our plane was due to land in . . . Read More