Birthday Songs for Apple, Moon, and Raindrop

Dear Families,

       I have added recordings of birthday tune for our 3 celebrations at the end of the school year.  You should be able to access them by going to this facebook page.

At the first parent meeting, I described my personal and professional journey in which I was attempting to move away from the tangible and physical gifts either for or by the children.  In Baltimore, children and I became so efficient at candle dipping, for example, that children began taking home a candle everyday, and for some children, nursery became a big disappointment if they did not take something home like that every day.  This challenge provided an impulse for me to have courage to send home a lot less and focus more on cooking, care of the classroom, time in nature, and to treat music--the playing of the violin and Irish whistle in particular--as lawful, meaningful work to envelop the children with much as another Waldorf early childhood teacher might spin or sew or knit in the presence of the children.  It is an ongoing investigation for me, and I welcome feedback. 

I have also unabashedly made my birthday gifts for the children something that aims to be of interest in the future, whether in 6th grade when they are acquiring proficiency on violin or--in light of new roles in the school--in 8th grade when they can play chords on the guitar or when they are adults, possibly with children of their own.  Please do not worry if your child shows no interest in the gift; find a safe place (if possible) to store it away until your child is in 5th or 6th grade or so.  My intent is to in 10 years or so to be able to prepare your children to perform these songs on fiddle (or other melody instrument) and guitar toward the end of our 8th grade year (because I really try to hear a melody for each child, some of the tunes that come to me may still be a bit challenging in 8th grade).

With warmth and light,

William Dolde

p.s.  Please take everything out of your child's spare clothes bag today.  If needed, you might bring appropriate spare clothes in a back-pack, grocery sack, or paper bag.