Thanks from Lynne

Hello Everyone,

I would like to thank each and everyone of you for the thoughtful gift basket!
We are enjoying all of the treats (some of which are long gone...)
I am so touched by the generosity of all.
It is a great blessing for me to be with your children in class, it brings me such joy to part of their world.

Wishing all a very joyful holiday!

Lynne

Festival Tomorrow at 9am

Dear Families,

I look forward to seeing you at Thursday's festival at Relles Hall (right near the Butterfly Classroom) at 9am. If you arrive a little early, your child can play on the playground for a few minutes.  I have song sheets prepared.  The walk through the Advent Spiral should take about half an hour.

Thank you for the many gifts.  I look forward to looking through your basket of kindness later tonight.

With warmth and light,

William

True, Kind, Necessary

Dear Families,

In our discussion on the night of the Confident Captain, Zen Captain talk I presented a number of weeks ago, we explored ways to communicate with our young children without speech, or with just the right amount of speech.  This is tricky.  There are times we need to talk--perhaps a good deal--and times our silence is most helpful.  I recommend the penultimate chapter from Kim Payne's Simplicity Parenting on Simplifying Information or "Filtering Out the Adult World."  In this chapter, he shares a guideline for speech that comes from any number of spiritual, religious, and cultural streams.  Before we speak (to children or adults), we can ask ourselves if what we are about to say is true (avoiding gossip or hearsay), kind (avoiding criticism; indeed, Payne advises us adults to go on our own put-down diets, to be careful of criticizing, say, a president or politician we don't like in the presence of our children), or necessary (here is where we filter out the adult world of too much information to soon; is their a way to reach our child with our modeling or guidance or an image or gesture).  It is easy to forget, so Kim Payne writes the words "true, kind, necessary" down to remind himself before speaking to his children or others.

What follows are other thoughts I have collected on speaking and not speaking.

Talking, not talking, nonverbal education

"A night full of talking that hurts
All my worst held-back secrets.
Everything has to do with loving and not loving. . .
This night shall pass,
Then
We have work to do."
--Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī as recited by Ashley Ramsden

A number of years ago I was blessed to be able to accompany Ashley Ramsden--a storyteller and performer who teachers storytelling for future Waldorf teachers--as he performed in Monterey and Santa Cruz. He told long stories to assemblies of Waldorf students. He told stories at libraries and performance spaces. He also recited many poems by Rumi (many of which are like stories). To thank me for playing music for him, Ramsden gave me a recording of him reciting poems by Rumi--these performances and my image of Ramsden come to me from time to time. He was an excellent speaker. He was extremely gifted at not speaking as well. His pauses in a story or poem conveyed so much. When I find myself rushing through an Ellersiek game or tale in class, I think of Ramsden and his mastery of the moment.

I also think of Magda Gerber and her concept of tarry time, the time we give our infants and young toddlers to process information. She had observed that it can sometimes take a minute--literally--for our children to, say, register that we have told them we are going to pick them up to change their diaper. At the same time, some toddlers and preschoolers are so quick that they are already anticipating (often joyfully) what is about to happen.

This is all to say that I have observed  both the joys of talking with our children and some beautiful nonverbal interactions between parents and their children, situations in which the parent gave loving and silent witness to the new challenge or discovery a child was making.

As we help our children create community and transform conflict into conversation, we may find ourselves talking a lot as we notice and describe what is working--and help direct children toward another path that seems to work better, whether to say, "Let's try that again" or "I'll put my hand here to keep you both safe" or "You both seem to want those plates." Even while we respect that our young children learn through moving, bumping, dropping, climbing, falling, rolling, and pushing, we can help them move--as Michael Gurian writes in Boys and Girls Learn Differently--towards using words without having unrealistic expectations that a progression to civility will happen overnight or in a week.

As several parents have reminded me recently, we can also cherish those times when we don't need to speak, where the lesson, the reward, the value, the blessing is inherent in our child's activity and our silent, respectful presence is the greatest gift of all. A number of years ago a parent from one of my classes shared this article about silence and presence with me, finding it in harmony with our observation work in our classes. The chapter "Dailiness" from Mitten Strings for God: Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry (available in the Kathrine Dickerson Memorial Library in the lobby) resonates with a celebration of doing and not doing, of appreciating the moment without fear that the moment will pass.

Even as we find the need to use words to guide our children throughout the day, we can strive, when the moment is right, to create structure and form with movement, music, rhythm, predictability, and modelling. Dr. Michaela Gloeckler writes about becoming nonverbal educators. In a relatively short number of pages, she provides a picture of three phases of child development and helps inspire us to become worthy of imitation for our children in these early years. She helps link a spiritual picture of human development to practical suggestions for how to be present with and for our children.

With warmth and light,

William Dolde

Parent & Child Article You May Find of Interest

Dear Nursery Families,

Here is an article I composed for parent & child families that you may find of interest.

Why Our Toddlers Seem to Push Our Buttons

Joseph Chilton Pearce on Toddlers

I received a question about balancing our growing children's desire and need to explore with our need to keep them safe and secure, with the sense that parents are guiding the family ship and have not abandoned the wheel.  While healthy and consistent (and age appropriate) limits are healthy, it also helps our child and helps keep us sane if we can find appropriate ways for them to learn about the world--and toddlers learn about the world through climbing, running, tumbling, slamming, wrestling, building, toppling, throwing, splashing, and breaking.  As Rahima Baldwin writes in "Rhythm and Discipline in Home Life," the first Waldorf kindergarten teachers found it most effective to find an acceptable outlet for something she needed to forbid--ideally before the children even thought of trying the forbidden activity.

Using brain research, Joseph Chilton Pearce describes the toddler's innate need to explore and learn in "The Cycle of Competence" and "Will and the Terrible Two."  Because you may need to download and/or print the above selections in order to view them, here is a synopsis of Pearce's argument.  As a book such as The Scientist in the Crib would suggest, from birth children are "wired" to explore and learn about the world, to develop connections in their brain.  The most profound way they do this is in their bonds with parents and other primary caregivers.  Another important way is through free movement and exploration in the environment.  Children do not open and close the cabinets or try to open the oven to annoy us (at least at first).  They are following a divine and spiritual plan to learn about everything.  

Because children have such a strong bond with their parents and and such a strong desire to learn from everything, toddlers find themselves pulled in two directions at once.  Pearce describes how a toddler may pause and look at a parent saying, for example, "Don't touch the oven.  It is hot!" The toddler, after pausing, proceeds to touch the oven, causing pain in the toddler and dismay in the parent.  "He looked right at me and then ignored me!"  Pearce advises us to reframe our way of viewing this.  The toddler's pause and then apparent disobedience are not, Pearce says, a challenge to us, a toddler pausing to say a la Clint Eastwood, "Go ahead.   Make my day."  The toddler, rather, has not yet developed  control of his will yet and is being carried along by two strong forces:  one, always having to explore and learn about everything; the other, wanting to maintain this strong bond with a parent and primary caregiver.  The toddler wants to strengthen the bond with mom or dad--hence the pause--but also feels driven to keep exploring--hence the apparent disobedience.

This does not mean we as parents should let our children turn on the oven, drive our cars, and practice with a welding torch just because these experiences have a lot to teach  (though we may find with less dangerous forms of exploration such as climbing, cutting, and jumping we can find ways for the children to challenge themselves without coming into undo harm).  Limits and boundaries are healthy.  What Pearce and others help us remember is that we should also expect our young children (up to six or seven) to forget our boundaries and need patient reminders.  As Sharifa Oppenheimer writes, when we are redirecting our children or setting a limit, our words will be much more effective at guiding our children when we use the same tone we would for a statement such as, "Here's the towel."  If we steadfastly refrain from transforming our toddlers' need to explore into power struggles, we may find ourselves able to guide them while staying calmer ourselves.  Although it is healthy for children to see a diversity of emotions from parents and learn that it is OK to be sad, glad, angry, and anxious, if we provide ostentatious or explosive reactions to our children's forbidden explorations, we may inadvertently foster the development of a young social scientist:  "If I do this, Dad explodes like this.  Boy, I wonder what Dad would do if I do this!"  

Children do need limits.  It is helpful if we state them positively, telling the child what she or me may do, or--even better--stating in a general way what is the appropriate thing to do.  When mentoring other teachers, I have observed them at a time when a child is disruptive say, "Joe, you may be quiet now," only to have Joe experiment with how long he can be noisy before the teacher does something else.  A power struggle begins.  I have asked the teachers to consider a phrase such as, "This is the right time to be quiet," or "When we are all quiet, the beauty of silence can come" or "It is polite to listen quietly or sing along."  Teachers have reported back that these phrases (and the gesture they implied) have reduced power struggles dramatically and invited more compliance.   When a power struggle does emerge with an older toddler or kindergartner  and our child needs a cooling off period, Rahima Baldwin advises us to leave the room with the child rather than sending them off by themselves (the chapter in discipline in Hold on to Your Kids follows a similar approach).  We stay with the child calmly without lecturing (long tirades tend not to penetrate and may be entertaining) and sit in a calm and boring manner with our child.  After a minute to 3, we say, "Let's go try that again" or "We'll do that again in a polite way" or "The kings and queens have been called to the table.  I'll be queen and you be king."  Young children live and think in pictures, and when we can garner the resources to create living pictures as we guide them, we may find ourselves more effective.

I hope this is helpful.  In a follow-up conversation with the parent who sent me to read Pearce again, the parent reported having adjusted the location of some furniture in the kitchen, permitting climbing in a certain area, and redirecting the exploration there.  It sounded as if the parent and child were both satisfied--the child could explore; the parent could ensure safety; it was no longer a power struggle.

If you have trouble downloading the selections, they are available in Evolution's End, available in the Kathrine Dickerson Memorial Library. 

With warmth and light,

William Geoffrey Dolde

Nursery Advent Garden, Thursday December 16, 9am

Dear Butterfly Nursery Families

I look forward to seeing you at our Advent Garden next Thursday, December 16, at 9am. The Festival takes place at Relles Hall at the Whidbey Island Waldorf School (the new outdoor performance pavilion).

Follow this link for a brief description of the festival and lyrics to many of the songs we will sing.

A number of you attended our parent & child festival last year and the year before, and our nursery festival will be similar--during the daytime, with parents encouraged to sing, and with children sitting with parents in family groups.

Even with the less formal atmosphere (singing rather than quiet music, sitting with parents), some children may find it intimidating to walk the spiral. Even if a child just watches, she or he benefits from the group experience. Because it is a nice rite of passage for a child to walk with a teacher, I will first seek children willing to walk the spiral with me, then children who might be more comfortable walking with a parent.

Grandparents, siblings, and friends are welcome.  Kindergarten siblings will have walked the spiral the night before, and some may need to be prepared that our nursery walk is a little bit less formal.

Please contact me with any questions or comments.

With warmth and light,

William Geoffrey Dolde

Holiday Workshop, Annual Drive

Dear Nursery Families,

It was a vibrant and lovely day today.  Children worked and played together, sorted out conflicts, and found ways to be engaged and involved in a task for long periods of time.  Some children played together in groups building and tumbling large structures.  Others created a very small cage for pretend animals.  Other children--without being in conflict to other children--set up elaborate puppet shows and play scenarios that they played and played in alone in peace.  Other children helped me peel and chop vegetables for quite a long time, enjoying a sense of mastery and competence from their growing skills with peelers and knives.

Thank you for remembering so many soup vegetables.

Because the Butterfly Room will be a store at Saturday's holiday workshop, it is probably best to take everything home (as usual) on Wednesday--except for the slippers.  These we will leave for St. Nicholas on a high shelf--rumor is he will visit on Sunday night.

As you may know, a donor has offered $500 to our school for each and every class that has 100% participation in our annual drive.  I encourage you to donate or pledge whatever feels comfortable, no matter how small.  Not only does this help bring about this generous matching gift, it also helps the school apply for other grants--foundations often like to see 100% participation from faculty, staff, board, and parents in an annual drive before they make a donation.

Thank you,

William Geoffrey Dolde

Holiday Workshop from Parent Council

Hello Nursery Families,
We are preparing for our Holiday Workshop festivities, and this year, several Kindergarten families are helping to organize the Snowflake Fairy Land, which will involve a simple story and craft for children. Nursery families are welcome to join us in our planning, in fact, we'd love it! Right now we are in need specifically for helpers for the day of the workshop. We need several adults in the Snowflake Land, posing as fairies (use your imagination here -- wings, glitter, white dresses, etc!) and helping children with crafts. We are also looking for another door keeper. These are about 1 hour slots, maybe a tad bit more. It's really very very fun, a simple way to be involved in the excitement of the day. You can email me (Ashley) if you'd like to help, or there is a sign up sheet above the water fountain outside William's room.

Also, we are planning on having the first trip through the Snowflake Land (10:30) specifically for the youngest children, and if your child would like you to come along, we will be allowing adults into the first round. As the day progresses, we hope to have only children through the adventure, as it will be a bit tight for adults. There will be a sign-up sheet downstairs, so if you anticipate that your child will want to go through the Snowflake land (will involve a 5-8 minute story, crawling through a tunnel to the next room, and then decorating a snowflake with glitter) it will be a good idea to sign up first thing when you arrive.

With anticipation,

Ashley Umlauf

Crayon Article from Parent & Child

Dear Nursery Families,

After I wrote the following piece for parent & child families, I thought it may be of interest to some of you.  Some of you may have read Ingun Schneider's article previously--I tend to publish it to parent & child families every year.

There were several topics that we discussed last session that I will follow up on during the break between sessions.  We discussed crayons and coloring for young children.  I recommend the book Understanding Children's Drawings by Michaela Strauss, in which the author has studied pictures (scribbles) from around the world and drawn interesting conclusions about developmental similarities in children and how these are reflected in archetypal early forms--the scribble, the swirl, the dot, the cross, the closed circle.  Strauss also notes that it is not necessarily good or bad that a child starts drawing at 18 months or 2 years or 3 years or 4, noting that children who start a little later tend to go through the same developmental archetypes of all children, just a little more quickly.  In class, I reflected that it is fine for our youngest children to draw but we need not worry if our children show no interest in drawing.  Helle Heckmann--master early childhood teacher from Denmark--reminded me fairly strongly in an evaluation that in the first 4 years, our children benefit more from gross motor experiences (the crawling, climbing, tumbling, wrestling, building, falling, and so forth) and that I would want to avoid distracting children from this by having too many fine motor activities such as stringing cranberries together.  I have heard and read elsewhere of the value of allowing our youngest children to move freely and develop their gross motor skills first, and then this will help their fine motor skills when the time is right.

When I began as an assistant teacher in 1997, early childhood teachers in Waldorf Classrooms were beginning to take a hard look at the use of block crayons in early childhood--up to that point they seemed a natural gift for early childhood classrooms: they did not break; no paper to be removed; they seemed to encourage exploration and divergent artistic thinking rather than outlining and perhaps more convergent form making. Remedial teachers such as Ingun Schneider were asking kindergarten teachers to take a second look the the use of thick, block crayons. As Schneider points out in her article on supporting the development of the hand, our arms and shoulders become very tense when we hold a block crayon; they are noticeably less tense when holding a stick crayon and pencil. Remedial teachers began to wonder if the overuse of block crayons in kindergarten classes were interfering with a smooth and natural process of developing pencil grip and learning to write. I remember my lead teacher packing away all the block crayons and purchasing stick crayons to use exclusively.

Not long after this I was fortunate to take a week of classes with Ingun Schneider as part of my training to become a lead teacher, and for me the use of stick crayons for very young children (including toddlers) made a lot of sense. As with any educational system, there are different opinions and streams, and I respect colleagues who make more frequent use of block crayons. That being said, one preference I have for stick crayons (or even sturdy colored pencils) for young children is that they help dispel the illusion that in a Waldorf early childhood setting everything needs to be soft and fuzzy: there are places for lines and angles as in the crosses and scribbles young children make as they work with crayons; and there is space for lines and hard spaces and toddlers work through conflicts as we have read in recent articles on toddler conflicts.

Schneider's article provides helpful insights into how we can help our children develop; she begins with infancy and early toddlerhood. If we can allow our children opportunities to move, climb, roll, crawl, fall, and tumble, we allow them the chance to form the foundations for fine motor development in future years.

With warmth and light,

William Geoffrey Dolde

Thanks and Looking Ahead

Dear Families,

Thanks for attending Monday's meeting on a dark and stormy night.  It seemed just right to have nursery and parent & child families together--making the group the right size for sharing and discussion.  In addition to gatherings for our nursery families such as potlucks at the beach (which will rest for a bit in winter), I plan to gather us with interested parent & child families two or three times in the new year for various lecture and/or discussion topics.  If any in attendance have other thoughts or ideas or topic inspirations, please share them.

You are all invited to next Wednesday's Advent Study in the Butterfly Classroom at 7pm, November 17.  It will be led by other faculty members and help share a bit about the Advent season, ideas for home, and more.  With apologies, I will not be present; I will be at another meeting at the time.

I look forward to seeing you tomorrow at our lantern walk.  Please review a past blog post if you forget your invitation time.  First, it is a lovely event, and I want you to feel welcome.  It also has some unique scheduling needs to make it run smoothly, and I want to clarify or repeat 4 points.

1.  Please arrive as close to your actual start time as possible.  If you are early, your car's arrival may interrupt a quiet moment at the end of the previous group's lantern walk.

2.  Please park in the parking lot on the right once you turn into Old Pietila Rd.

3.  We will have lanterns for you.  Because I will be leading the walk, I will not hand them out.  Your child's name will be subtly inside the lit lantern to pick up for our walk.

4.  To make best use of the outdoor space (Relles Performance Hall), we are replacing our traditional puppet show with storytelling and a tableau. 

Remember that we are closed Thanksgiving Week.

We will have our nursery advent spiral on Thursday, December 16, at Relles Hall.  I am setting the time at 9am (I proposed 8:45am before) to make it easier to remember.  It will likely take about 30 minutes and can be a nice image for the children to take away before our three week break.

With warmth and light,

William Geoffrey Dolde

Dates and vacations to be mindful of

Dear Nursery Families,

Because a number of you are new to our school, I wanted to give a preview of some calendar items.  Our weekly newsletter also has an accurate calendar.

Friday, November 12 -- Lantern walk.  See a previous blog post for your family's time.

November 22-24  --  No school the week of Thanksgiving.

Friday, December 10 --  Nursery Advent Spiral postponed.   Because the whole school will be involved, we are delaying the set-up of the greens and changing the dates of the early childhood spirals.

Thursday, December 16, 8:45am  --  Likely time of the nursery Advent Spiral.  Parents are invited to bring their children back to school for this event.  It will last about half an hour.

Monday, December 20 until Friday, January 7, School closed.   My hope is you have adequate time to prepare for this 3 week closure.

As a school, we are trying to avoid one day closures that bump classes off rhythm.

My experience is that longer breaks create space that enables children to start anew with wonderful new imaginative play scenarios.  I look forward to the joys and gifts children bring with them in the New Year.

Please note that school will be open on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  It will be a day of service (I am not sure as of yet in what ways we will honor the day in our nursery class).

Hope this helps.

Respectfully,

William Geoffrey Dolde

lantern walk invitation

LANTERN WALK
The sunlight fast is dwindling,
My little lamp needs kindling,
Its beam shines far in the darkest night,
Dear lantern, guard me with your light.
~ M. Meyerkort
Dear Early Childhood Families,

As winter approaches we will kindle the light within us all at our upcoming Lantern Walk on Friday November 12th. We will gather our courage for the dark days ahead as we walk into the night with our shining lanterns guiding us. The lanterns are a symbol of our inner light that must be kindled during the long winter months ahead.

There will be three lantern walks, one at 4:30pm, 5:30pm and 6:30pm. Please check the end of this letter to see which lantern walk your family is scheduled to attend. Siblings are welcome if they are able to support a reverent mood and stay close to their parents at all times during the festival, including the walk where they should be by the side of their parents. They can bring their own lanterns if they have one. If you have a conflict with the lantern walk you are scheduled to attend please swap with another family and please inform your teacher. We are not able to add children to the lantern walks as they are all very full.
 
Please arrive on time and walk quietly to the pavilion where we will have hot apple cider. Please do not arrive early or late. (This is very important).  The timing of our walks is close and so we have to remain on schedule. Park in the lower parking lot just off Campbell Rd (you turn immediately right as you come into the main driveway on Old Pietila Road).

After everyone has arrived we will watch a puppet play in the pavilion. (Please dress very warmly). The teachers will then lead us on the lantern walk. After the lantern walk we will lead you back to your cars and say goodbye.

This is a quiet and reverent festival and we ask that you help support this mood by quietly guiding your children through the experience.

Blessings


Dyanne, Kim and William




4:30pm Lantern Walk
Ruari and Callum Keith
Viola Butters
Corey Lindstrom
Phoebe Holland –Thompson
River Stephens
Beatrice Zabel
Leon Kohlhass
Cooper Patty
Yarrow Batiste
Olivia Sichel
Atam Zimmerman
Walden Sagmeister
Ianna King
Sara Teevin
Sylvia Anton – Erik
Benjamin Cone
Ian Woodrow

5:30pm Lantern Walk
Josephine and Jack McAuliff
Julian and Soren Walston
Kailey and Alena Henderson
Wilder and Grace Yanz
Sonia and Gabby Toombs
Michael Cardosa
Ada Faith – Feyma
Annie Kate McDanniel
Edythe Donham
Anna and Thor Umlauff

6:30pm Lantern Walk
Crispin Dolde
Slater Canright
Forrest Erickson
Briar and Miles Morgen
Zachary Rosenberger
Sam Simons
Genny and Joey Edmonds
Ava Johnson
Amanda Kehl
Kiera Sherman
Josephine Chia
Sterling Gardiner
Natascha Graner
Hugo and Rain Costello
Sierra and Nicholas Muller

Sunflower

Dear Nursery Parents,

Last week, the Sunflower kindergarten children joined us on the playground.  Because it worked so well, Dyanne and I will continue to mix our classes together for another week or two.  It was wonderful to see 6 year olds and 3 year olds playing together with joy.

Warmly,

William

Monday, November 1

Hi Nursery Families,

Here is a note from our kindergarten teachers.

The day after Halloween Monday November 1st!!!!! 

Please feel free to take a late start on Monday November 1st if your child has had a late night on Halloween or you need some extra time to sleep in or sleep off candy. Children can come as late as 9:30am if your schedule allows, I will begin snack at 9:30am. Please also feel free to keep your child home for a catch up day if Halloween activities will prevent them from having a positive experience in kindergarten the next day.
Have fun everyone and see you trick or treating!!
Kim and Dyanne

In the nursery, your child is welcome at any time.

With warmth and light,

William

More background for November 8's talk

Dear Nursery Families,

Here is more background for next Monday's talk.    It weaves together ideas from experienced Waldorf teachers with the wisdom of RIE (Resources for Infant Educarers) to give suggestions for planning our children's day.

Expect more communication soon about our upcoming lantern walk on November 12, welcoming new children to our class, and more.

Our children's play continues to be rich.  Play scenarios involve more children inside and outside and sustain for long periods of time.  In the woods, children are more and more creating cooperative play scenarios, such as driving cars or motorcycles to a lake or searching for birthday party gifts.

With warmth and light,

William Geoffrey Dolde

Updated Rhythm, Potluck Reminder

Dear Families,

Here is the updated nursery rhythm of the day and the week that lists soup day on Tuesday and bread day on Wednesday.  Because children help bake the bread on Wednesday, our snack time is a little later than Monday and Tuesday, and we don't have soup vegetables to munch on.  I've started sharing little bits of pecans or cashews or almonds (prepared by my colleague Dyanne following recipes in Nourishing Traditions) at about 9:45am to tide us over until snack time.

Thank you for bringing vegetables on Monday.  Children love helping to make the soup (and crunching on a raw carrot or other healthy snack).  If you forget Monday and bring vegetables Tuesday, this is still helpful.  In this case, we may peel and chop in preparation for the parent & child class--this gives nursery children who are still tentative about the soup (most eat with a good deal of comfort) another bit of snack as they crunch on a carrot or cabbage or celery.

I look forward to seeing you at tomorrow's potluck.  I have an appointment in the afternoon and could be a little late.  If you arrive at 5, I'd appreciate it if you send my apologies to others until I show up.

With warmth and light,

William Geoffrey Dolde

Parent Evening, Confident Captain, Zen Captain

On Monday, November 8, I will host a parent evening in the Butterfly Classroom from 6:30 to 8pm.  This is open to nursery and parent & child families as well as to others in our school community and the Whidbey Island Community.  While I will direct my talk toward parents of young children, some insights may be of interest to parents of older children as well.

The topic will be

Confident Captain, Zen Captain

Guiding Our Family Ship Through Calm Waters

and Wandering Rocks

As parents and teachers, we find ourselves presented with a wealth of resources on how to parent, how to teach, how to discipline, how to speak to our children.  At times it often seems we have too much information and would wish for clarity and simplicity.  Should we be stricter?  Or are we being too strict?  Are we giving enough choices or too many?  Many well written articles and books seem to contradict one another:  some argue that what our children need most is form; others petition for giving our children freedom.

Our children, of course, need form and freedom, and--here is the rub--every child or group of children needs a different mixture of the two at different times.  Using the metaphor of a captain at sea, William Dolde will gather insights he has gained from teaching, from reading, and from his own mistakes (shipwrecks) to suggest ways we can find a balance that works for individual families.  The captain has to be confident to gain the trust of the crew; the captain has to be competent.  Yet the captain must also be flexible and respond to the winds and the waves.  The captain must also be observant and friendly to the crew; otherwise, the captain invites mutiny.

As preparation, parents may wish to read the following selections I have put together.

"Beyond Personal," my summary of a way of speaking described by Polly Berrien Berends in Whole Child/Whole Parent.

Here are some general thoughts on speaking to toddlers that I have collected.

Sometimes the seas are rocky.  Here are thoughts I collected on how to speak to a young child during times of tantrum and other intense times.

With Warmth and Light,

William Geoffrey Dolde

One more potluck, sand muffins, trails

Potluck this Friday, 5 to 6:30pm

I want us to be able to get together as adults and children; to this end, I propose we see if weather permits us to have another potluck for any interested families (an invitation, not obligation), this Friday, from 5 to 6:30pm at Maxwelton Beach.  If the weather is foul, we can crowd into my house at 7467B Maxwelton Road.  We may have new families starting in a few weeks, and I will invited them as well.

Although the school calendar is packed, I intend to schedule a talk/parent evening for nursery and parent & child families, also open to the community, in early November.  It will likely be on a Monday or Tuesday evening.

Sand Muffins


At the playground, groups of 3 or 4 children have been baking sand muffins in the shelter.  Girls and boys have been working and playing together in this groups, and this play has seemed inclusive, flexible, and relatively peaceful.

Trails


A number of children look forward to walking the short trails near the teepee.  Some are choosing to explore on their own (right nearby where the teachers are are).  As a group, children seem to be warming up to our time in the woods.

Speaking of warmth, I have noted that it is warmer in the woods than it is on the playground.  I don't know if this is because some sun peeks in, the trees block the wind, or nature itself is warming us.  Please take this to heart as you prepare your child in these darker, colder months of the year.

With warmth and light,

William Geoffrey Dolde

School Open Tomorrow, Columbus Day

Dear Families,

We do have school tomorrow, Columbus Day.

Our nursery class will continue without interruption until the week before Thanksgiving.  During that week, there is no school for students.  Traditionally those days are used for parent & teacher conferences.  Early childhood families traditionally have 1 conference during the year, either during the fall or spring.  Some families choose to have two.  Kim, Dyanne, and I have also found that the official conference dates are not necessarily the ones that work for student, teacher, or parent and are working in different ways to see what rhythm works best.  For parents who want a fall conference, I will make some times during the day on Friday available in the weeks before Thanksgiving; I could also likely provide a Tuesday night conference.

On Friday, November 12, families will be invited to join us in the early evening for our Lantern Walk at the school.  I will let you know the exact time of the walk (probably around 5pm) once the kindergarten teachers and I have set the time.

Lynne will be away this week.  Carrie--who has worked with us already--will substitute for her.  Thank you for your patience this week if rain pants or coats end up on the wrong hook.  If it is very wet this week, we will likely hang up some of the wettest clothes on a separate drying rack.  Please look there at the end of the day.

In my attention to the children's emotional comfort in the first weeks of school, I feel I may have missed some variances from our traditional dress code (rain pants every day, slippers for inside, nail polish, and the like).  For your and my convenience, I am including text from our Children's Garden Handbook below.  In a young nursery, children tend not to notice variations so much; as they get older and move into kindergarten, they notice very much, so it will help set them up for more equanimity in kindergarten if we adhere to the dress code as best as possible now.   As always, I do provide mittens for children at school, so you need not bring those.


• Clothing
School is a place of active work and play where we often spend 1 to 2 hours outside
every day. (Rain or shine) To allow the child to experience nature and the elements
in an enjoyable, open way, clothing is extremely important. It is no fun climbing
mountains if your legs are cold. Clothing should be sturdy, practical and fit
properly. It is also important that the older children can dress and undress
themselves (5 and 6 yr olds). Please avoid clothing that has difficult zippers, tight
buttons or otherwise complicates dressing.

Please look through the WIWS parent handbook to see the guidelines for school
attire. Clothes should not include flashing lights, advertising, media images or
writing. In addition, make up, face paint, henna, tattoos, hair dye, and nail polish
are not permitted at school. If your child’s ears are pierced, studs should be worn.
No other jewelry should be worn at school.

Please label all clothing. Labels can be purchased from various label companies
online or you can use a permanent marker.

~ Waterproof Coat, Rain Pants and Rain Boots
The children will be expected to wear rain pants, rain boots and a waterproof coat
rain or shine from Michaelmas (September 29th) to May Day (May 1st).
Children will need to have rain gear at school all year. We will be wearing rain
pants even if it is not raining as children often dig in the mud and play in the water.
Please bear in mind that rain coats are often thin and cold and so children will need
warm layers underneath. In the winter, waterproof snow pants work well.
Please make sure boots fit well. Ideally they would have a liner so feet stay warm.
Walking boots or shoes will also work as long as they are waterproof. Shoes and
boots will get dirty and wet every day, it would be ideal to have an extra old pair
around in case they get wet.

Rain/snow pants can be bought from REI, Lands End, Hanna Andersen or other
outdoor stores. (They are hard to find on the Island.)

~ Hat
Please bring a warm woolen hat for the fall and winter and in the spring please
bring a sun hat.

~ Many Layers
We have found that children stay warmer with many layers instead of one thick
sweater. In the early morning our playground is quite cold but as the day progresses
we find that the children layer down. We suggest long underwear if possible and
ideally wool/silk long johns keep children especially warm. These can be purchased
at various online companies.

~ Socks
Please dress your child in thick, warm (ideally wool) socks. Socks should be tall
enough to stay up in rain boots so the children’s feet stay warm. Please have lots of
extra labeled pairs at school. (Four pairs would be ideal).

~ Mittens or Gloves
These should ideally be waterproof and allow free movement for the child.

~ Slippers or Inside Shoes
Slippers or inside shoes should support movement and activity, not inhibit it. Please
make sure the slippers cover the heel and toes. They should be simple, practical and
stay on the feet. They should not have any media advertisements or flashing lights.

~ Extra Clothes Bag (We will provide the bag)
This will need to be checked and filled regularly and should be CLEARLY LABELLED
Underwear (4)
Pants (2)
Shirts (2)
Socks (4)
Sweater (1)

Thanks for helping the children be present and engaged in the work and play of the classroom.

With warmth and light,

William Geoffrey Dolde

Articles from Parent & Child

Dear Nursery Families,

Some of you have read the articles I mention below before.  Some of you are new to our school.  We had an enlivening discussion about types of praise in our parent & child class, and I wanted to share what I posted to those families with you.  In general, I find our children in the nursery class to have a great deal of intrinsic motivation, industry, and initiative.

Dear Families,

Thank you for your presence in class this morning.  It is wonderful to observe the joy and engagement of our children as they work and play.

Some of you heard a discussion about the phrase "good job" and how praise can inhibit learning.  I mentioned two articles and am making them available below.  Too much global praise (good job, good girl, great job, you're so smart) can make a child risk averse and less likely to prosper academically, emotionally, and socially. I have published links to these articles before, but I offer them again here to make them easy to find.

This article from New York Magazine offers a parent's perspective on the research.

This article from Scientific American Mind is by Professor Carol Dweck (the researcher mentioned in the previous article) and is a bit more formal in nature.

Parenting and teaching is an art, and we are always moving toward balance.  I would be remiss if I suggested you should never praise your child.  Specific, appreciation of a child's effort and loving and perhaps silent witness of our children's achievements every day are wonderful.  Without worrying too much about it, the more we can be fully present in the situation and describe what we actually see ("You put on your boots all by yourself.  It took a while, but you kept trying") rather than leaving the present moment with an evaluative statement ("You are a good boy.), the more we help our children stay in the present moment, learn from it, and develop in a graceful way.

Next week I will write more on this from the perspective of discipline and guiding our family ship through the waves and currents of the day.

With warmth and light,

William Geoffrey Dolde

Keeping Soup Day Tuesdays

Dear Families,

      Because we are blessed to have Eurythmy for students in grades 1 to 8, our 8th grade students are not able to visit our class on Tuesdays until after Thanksgiving.  We will continue with our altered schedule (Rice on Mondays, Soup on Tuesdays, Bread on Wednesdays) so that we do not have to change again once the 8th graders start visiting us later in the year.

William

course for parents from our librarian

Dear Nursery Families,

     MaryBeth Dickerson, who makes the Kathrine Dickerson Memorial Library so wonderful, let me know about a course for parents that begins tomorrow.  I am passing along the information she provided me.

With warmth and light,

William Geoffrey Dolde

It's only a few days away and I am really excited about the
upcoming 6-week telecourse,"Essential Elements of Early Childhood".
I had such a great conversation last week with Rahima Baldwin
Dancy, author of, You are Your Child's First Teacher, I've decided
to play the overview/introduction we did for this upcoming series.
This call is free, so jump on early to get a spot!

Here is the free registration link http://www.elementsofearlychildhood.com/preview.htm

Once you are registered, you will receive the call information in your email.

You will also have instant access to the call we presented about a week ago,

 "3 Ways to Create a Nourishing Home for Your Child"

It was given by 3 Waldorf early Childhood teachers and chock full of tips!

http://www.elementsofearlychildhood.com/preview.htm

Donna

 http://thewaldorfconnection.com
donnaashton@thewaldorfconnection.com

230 Melrose Dr, Pawleys Island, SC 29585, USA

Discipline in Early Childhood

Dear Families,

At today's faculty meeting, teachers from all the grades at school will turn in their behavior and discipline systems for their classrooms.  As a strings teacher, it will be very helpful to me to know how the 4th grade or 6th grade or 8th grade teacher holds students accountable to provide an excellent learning environment.

Dyanne and Kim (our kindergarten teachers) and I find--we think rightly--that systems of rewards and consequences do not fit the varied lives of young children.  Most of the discipline in the early years is the self-discipline of the adult--working to be present, steady, consistent, predictable, and unwavering.  The chapter, "Rhythm and Discipline in Home Life" from You Are Your Child's First Teacher by Rahima Baldwin Dancy provides an excellent description of how we can be loving and firm--or firm and patient without going crazy--at the same.  This book is available in the Kathrine Dickerson Memorial Library, upstairs from the classroom in our school lobby.  As school community members, you are welcome to check out books from this library during the school year:  There are children's books, books about child development and parenting, and books about Waldorf education. 

Over the years, we early childhood teachers have worked together to provide a consistent description of how we observe the children and provide the response that meets the situation, the ages of the children, and their developmental stage.  Here is our description of Discipline and Behavior in Early Childhood.

While we have had many tears about saying goodbye to mom or dad in our class this year, I have found the children very responsive, proactive, and cooperative this year.  Perhaps the most electric issue so far has been a pink pig in the classroom that several girls and a couple of boys have shown a keen interest in, with a fair bit of pulling, grabbing, and meltdowns.  That being said, I have also seen children--after what seems an impossible standoff--work out a way of sharing the pig or taking turns; my experience is that this is much more valuable than if I impose a system ("You may have the pig for 5 minutes and then must pass it along.") Lynne and I will help when we can and be ready in case tugging turns to hitting or biting.  One thing I won't do is flood the room with more pink pigs.  In past years, there have been seemingly unending fights over the three smallest baby dolls; then, time passes, and the children find peace again.  If we had three pigs, it is as likely 3 children would have pigs with 1 or 2 very sad children remaining.

Although it is possible 1 or 2 children are captivated by the toy itself, it is likely for many children their interest in a prized toy like a pink pig is a way of interacting with other children--to them it must be important if others become so upset.  This potentially adversarial relationship often changes into friendship in an instant--indeed, many friends of all ages can move quickly from love to rivalry.  Our hope is to model and help guide the children toward loving interactions.  Forcing them to be peaceful won't work because forcing a situation is working against peace.

I write all of this as an elaboration on our letter that is scheduled to come out at this time.  Again, while the tears of saying goodbye are hard for the children and parents and for me as a teacher, I find your group of children delightful to be with and fairly easy to guide through the morning.

With warmth and light,

William Geoffrey Dolde

Friday Potluck and Missing Bear

Dear Families,

     Apologies for the short notice.  It is highly likely we will have a child new to our nursery class join us next Monday--with a good chance of another child starting soon thereafter.  I thought it would be nice if a few or many families could get together this Friday at Maxwelton beach (Dave Mackie park) for a potluck.  Please consider this an invitation, not an obligation--my goal is to foster community, not create stress in lives that are already full, and I know the notice is short.

Details:  Maxwelton Beach, 5-7pm, pot-luck (if everyone brings potatoes again,wonderful), some Rise Up Singing if it manifests, siblings welcome.  If the weather becomes horrible, we can go to my apartment near the beach, 7467B Maxwelton Road.

Missing Bear  My 7 year old helped decorate for last Friday's Autumn Festival and placed a teddy bear dressed like a scarecrow on the counter in my classroom (it was a gift from his grandmother).  When we cleaned up, I could not find the bear.  I wonder if a family inadvertently took it, thinking it belonged to them.  My son would be really appreciative if it could come back.

There has been more and more group play this week, and play that involves groups of boys and girls.  While dogs and cats taking walks still are present, families with babies come to life in the room, as well as a lot cooking of our pretend pumpkins and apples.

Children enjoyed helping me saw wood after clearing a fallen tree from the trail in the woods this morning.  In general, our children show increasing comfort in exploring the short trails near the teepee clearing and in playing imaginative games in the woods.  Last year the trend was similar; by the end of last year, the nursery children seemed to all adore their morning start in the woods. 

I will bring exciting and meaningful work like sawing logs when I can--it is always a balance of bathing the children in lots of experiences of physical work and keeping the day as free as possible of rush and hurry (as some projects can turn into if I try to take on too much with the children).

With warmth and light,

William Geoffrey Dolde

Dogs and kittens

Dear Parents,

I have written you individually about some of the play scenarios I have been fortunate to witness.  One pervasive theme has been dog and owner; children are very excited to have a rope tied around their waist (in school dogs have leashes around their waist rather than their neck for safety reasons) and to find another child to be the owner to take them for a walk.  This sometimes evolves into momma and baby dogs keeping house, or momma and baby kittens.

With warmth and light,

William Geoffrey Dolde

Michaelmas Rehearsals Next Week - substitute

Dear Families,

Next Monday at 11am and next Wednesday at 8:30am, I will be wearing two hats.  I will both be the Butterfly nursery teacher but will also be the strings teacher and director of our school's Michaelmas pageant.  Some years it has worked very well to have my nursery children with my assistant watch me direct a rehearsal; this is a fruitful opportunity for our children to observe me as I engage in the meaningful work of directing.

That being said, the dragon portrayed by the 6th grade (and reports are that this year they have improved and intensified the dragon) might be too much for some of our children.  I have procured a substitute for me during rehearsal time, Carrie Fong, a parent of a 4th and 7th grade and alumnus, who will assist Lynne in guiding the class.  It is possible that Carrie and Lynne will sit with all our nursery children to watch the rehearsal.  It is possible that Lynne or Carrie will stay with one or several children in the classroom for whom the play is overwhelming, while the other watches the rehearsal with other children.

I also invite you as parents to come at 11am on Monday and first thing Wednesday morning to share the experience with your child.  What might be too much in a group situation could be a lovely and positive experience with you.  I feel confident that Lynne and Carrie are both so warm that they provide enough comfort to children whose parents cannot be present.

Because of the rehearsal first thing Wednesday, Wednesday will be an upside down day like they have in kindergarten--we will start inside (for those children who need it) or watching the dress rehearsal.  We will continue baking bread and celebrate the harvest.  We will end our day outside.

With warmth and light,

William Geoffrey Dolde

Birthdays, Start Time, Bread and Soup, Jobs, End of the Day

Dear Nursery Families,

Birthdays

     We will celebrate 3 summer birthdays next week, 1 fall birthday the following week, and another summer birthday the following week.  In the nursery class, my birthday story tries to be simple, beautiful, and meaningful. I present a puppet show that tells the story of heavenly child's search for just the right parents.  I provide a gift to the birthday child.  As dessert for our snack time, we eat spicy ginger muffins (I will provide recipes) that the birthday child and I baked at either the child's home or my home.   Apart from allowing me to use your oven in preparation and tolerating my mess in your kitchen (which I will try to clean up), you need not do anything else for the birthday celebration.  I provide all baking supplies.  My first two baking home visits last week were delightful.  It was really, really nice to visit a child with such a lovely project to do.  It is hard to imagine trying something other than visiting a child at home to bake birthday muffins.

I've lived without a working oven on multiple occasions.  I am more than glad to have you and your child visit my home for the birthday muffin baking.  My point in transforming the traditional Waldorf School home visit into a baking experience is to free it from all sense that a visit will be a home inspection.

Start Time


It has become clear to me that my sons need me to be present to walk them to class in first grade and kindergarten.  As such, I cannot at the moment offer the possibility of you dropping your child off with me in the woods before 8:30am, the official start of school,  When I did go to the woods early, it did not seem that parents arrived before 8:30am, so I hope this will not be a hardship.

My plan for next week is to drop off my first grader at 8:20 and my kindergarten son at 8:25 (or when the teacher is ready) and then head to the woods at 8:30, our official start time.

That being said, if you are in a pinch to get to work, I will be glad to care for your child before our official start time (if the transition works smoothly).  Please contact me.

I remain convinced that our clearing in the woods is the right place to start.  It seems so busy (wonderfully so) on the main campus of our school that I sense that a start at school would lack clarity and could perhaps inspire more tears (last year in the nursery a number of children found it very hard to say goodbye right at school).  Thank you for taking the morning walk to the teepee to make the transition smoother.

Bread and Soup


Thank you for bringing so many vegetables last Monday.  Children loved to help peeling and chopping.

Because 8th grade musicians visit us on Tuesdays, it occurs to me that it might be best to switch our bread and soup days.  We have finished our work on the soup on Monday, so it is easy to cook soup for an earlier snack on Tuesday, This year I want the children to help knead and bake rolls on the day that we eat them (rather than the day before), and we will be able to do this with less haste and hurry on Wednesdays.

Because so many children loved both baking and eating our bread, bread also seems a good experience to end our week with (I was also impressed, however, with how many children tried our vegetable soup).

This is perhaps a good place to notice that the first weeks or months of school can be very tiring, and nursery children can be particularly tired by Wednesday.

Jobs and Crafts and Manners


Over the years, a number of wise evaluators and mentors have encouraged me to simplify my nursery program--that nursery children do not need the same fine motor and artistic activities that kindergarten children benefit from such as coloring, finger knitting, sewing, and the like.  It is best to provide them opportunities to work on their gross motor skills and begin to work and play cooperatively with others.  I have taken a number of workshops with Kim John Payne on fostering social inclusion (preventing bullying) in school.  In some of these workshops, he encouraged teachers to work on fostering manners in an age appropriate way.  I have observed in some early childhood classrooms in which children can be quite impolite as they correct the manners of others (e.g., interrupting the teacher to tell a child to get elbows off the table or to tell a 2 year old to chew with a mouth closed).  I felt a strong impulse to create a different approach toward manners and courtesy.

A really important element of my nursery day has been to have my assistant and 2 or 3 nursery children bring our snack to administrators or teachers.  The adults are so grateful, and our children get a positive experience of what it means to give.  I feel like we are planting the seeds for manners and inclusiveness.

It also makes for a busy classroom.  Lynne takes 3 children upstairs to the tower while I wash dishes and observe the other children at play.  Children also get turns once in every 8 days (or however many children there are) to play the bells to welcome us to snack time, to be the first child to play, to play finger cymbals to put the room to sleep, to play the lyre to help us with our lullabies, and to play violin to end our day.  This is a lot--I do it because I found over the years that I as teacher and others were promising children, "You'll get your turn another day," without any clear system or way of remembering.  I figure it is better to have things very clear and systematic, that over time this relieves anxiety--even though in early childhood we still strive for the ideal that the teacher starts an activity and children flow to it out of imitation (this happens beautifully when we bake bread or wash dishes).

To balance this potential business, I particularly avoid crafts and tasks that nursery children need to finish.  I feel they get plenty of work and nourishment in playing with other children, participating in my puppet shows, doing their various jobs, helping to prepare snack, and being part of our group.  They will have 2 to 3 years in kindergarten after our nursery year, and I feel that will be the right time for handwork and other projects--I have no objections to sewing and other projects at home.  My decisions in the classroom are meant to balance the busy day and work children are already involved in.  In all things, I try to provide a sense that "There is plenty of time.  No need to rush."

End of the Day


This is to register that I am aware that the time from noon until 12:20pm remains tender.  Once our children who stay for lunch and nap leave at noon, our other children become more somber, wondering why they have not moved on to being with mom or dad.  I will work with my colleagues to see what we can do to make this time of day as positive as possible.

With warmth and light,

William Geoffrey Dolde

Nursery Children are invited to Friday's Festival

Dear Families,


Infants, Toddlers, Preschoolers, Parents, Grandparents, and Friends are invited to our Autumn Festival on Friday, September 24, from 9 to 10:30am.

As summer changes to fall, days shorten, and the frost and cold of winter approaches, we as humans need strength and courage to help us stand upright through the darkness of winter. Different cultures have received inspiration from the meteor showers (heavenly iron, shooting stars) they observed around late September; the iron from the stars of heaven gave people strength. In various cultures and religions, this comes forth as a tale of a hero--a knight like St. George or Archangel Michael conquering or taming a dragon. For Rudolf Steiner, this battle between a knight and a dragon goes on inside each one of us--the dragon is not some Other out there to be excluded, but, rather, that part of ourselves that we need to confront, acknowledge, and tame so we are ready to be free individuals capable of serving humanity and the world.

Explanations of a psychic battle inside each of us or battles with dragons can be too much for children birth to 4, who, rather, find seasonal inspiration as days shorten and nights lengthen by looking in wonderment toward the stars. An early childhood teacher could simplify the celebration of Michaelmas toward an examination of stars--singing "Twinkle Twinkle" and cutting open an apple to reveal the star come to earth on the inside.

On Friday the 25th parents and children will gather outside to play and share a snack (Nursery children and I will have baked extra bread and made extra soup in class that week). We will also have a harvest dance to tune of the fiddle. Then we'll go inside for a puppet show. After that, we will walk to the woods to meet (as a surprise for the children) a knight from the stars and Mother Earth--they will both present us with gifts. After the walk, children and parents will depart with their gifts.


Again, this festival is open to current nursery and parent & child children and to all families in our community with young children.  Please contact us at 341-5686 or enrollment@whidbey.com with any questions.


Parents of children of all ages are invited to a joint faculty, parent, and community study at the pavilion at WIWS on the night before, Thursday, September 23, from 7 to 9pm.  William Dolde, our parent & child teacher, will address adults at that study.  He will guide the community in singing, talk a bit about Rudolf Steiner's description of Michaelmas, and tell a longish fairy tell that resonates with the themes of Michaelmas.


With warmth and light,


William Geoffrey Dolde

First Two Days

Dear Nursery Families,

     My hope would be to contact you individually.  Please accept my apologies as I provide some general impressions of our first two very sweet days with our Butterfly Class of 2010-2011.

First, the most tender and difficult moments (rather than holding those back).  Right before noon, Lynne walks the three children who stay all day down to the Golden Forest kindergarten room to join a healthy group of young kindergarten children (including my son Crispin) for the early lunch and nap.  While we are as peaceful about this as possible, it not only makes the children leaving (to stay all day) perhaps a little sad, it also makes the children staying with me a bit tearful--they wonder why isn't their transition happening.  I do not as yet have inspiration about what could change about this, if anything.  Even without the transition, 4 hours can be a long time for nursery children; around noon it becomes harder to find the joy in cooperative play and work.

That being said, it has been a delightful and spiritual start to the year.  Words cannot describe how wonderful it is to witness your children at work and play and discovery.  In the woods--which might possibly overwhelm at first--children have found joy and engagement with the present moment in walking short trails, balancing on logs, building pretend bonfires and forts, and the like.

When we return to the playground, some children enjoy swinging.  Others have enjoyed helping me build stools and tables for the classroom.

Inside, all children have shown incredible reverence around the simple yet appropriate start of the year puppet show of "Rub a Dub Dub, Three Men in a Tub," (I present it in a loving way; when they knaves are thrown out, they are put to put bed and sung a lullaby) and our fingerplay and blessing, "The Sun Rays from the Heavens Free, On our lovely earth and sea" (full text in the attachment I sent previously, I believe).

While children in the nursery are free to play or join the adult in work out of an impulse to imitate, every nursery child helped me to knead bread today.  All children ate bread with great delight at snack time.

Almost every child helps to wash dishes at some point (again, this comes out of imitation in the nursery, not out of direction or compulsion).  The process of cleaning up has been fairly smooth--I also won't be disappointed if it becomes more challenging as our children create more complex play scenarios that involve more play objects.

Finally, today 5 8th graders visited us to practice guitar.  As a potentially nonconformist student of Rudolf Steiner (founder of Waldorf education), I am attempting to transform tasks such as the teaching of music into lawful and meaningful work worthy of imitation by young children.  Rather than having the 8th grade visitors play with and engage directly with our nursery children (which delighted some of last year's nursery children and intimated others), this year I had them all face in a circle toward me.  It was really a practice session for the 8th grade and me as we prepared to play guitar and sing waltzes for a dance during our Michaelmas pageant on September 29.  Lynne washed dishes.  Lynne and I both observed.  The play of our nursery children was beautiful.  Some sat on stools and thumbed through Rise Up Singing as if they were preparing to play music as well.  Others played with babies, cars, houses, and other ideas with loving and lawful engagement with no need for redirection from me or Lynne.  It was a hint that lawful work from adults (whether it be chopping wood or preparing 8th graders to play for a festival) can be very nourishing for our youngest of children.

With warmth and light,

William Geoffrey Dolde

Hellos and Goodbyes

Dear Families,

      Thank you for coming to Friday's potluck.  The drizzle cleared to provide beautiful hues of blue over the mountains.  It was sweet to watch the first grade, kindergarten, and nursery children playing together with merriment and confidence and composure.

        I look forward to school on Monday.  About 8 years ago, I had a girl start in my nursery class.  Her mother told me that she thought her daughter would do fine in my class if I made sure to avoid looking at her for the first few weeks--in other programs the caregivers had been too direct, and this child feared teachers.  Playing the part of Medusa or Perseus, I taught class those first few weeks without looking at this wonderful child (like parents, teachers quickly learn ways to know what is happening without having to rely on vision alone).  Two months later this child was chatting fondly and freely with me, and one might never have guessed our relationship began with me having to pretend I didn't see her.  The following year in Baltimore, I had a child who quietly insisted upon sitting on my lap every morning at drop-off.  This ritual continued for two years.  Toward the end, I felt like Thidwick the Moose; not only this girl, but five of her friends would be balanced on a chair with me at the start of the morning; what had begun as a help in the transition had turned turned into humorous gymnastics (that we wall enjoyed; this child was so helpful in so many ways, I never felt burdened by this ritual).

       I've already had conversations with some of you about what comforts your child most.  Some like to be on a teacher's lap right away.  Others prefer a space alone away from apparent observation.  Some might be much more comfortable with Lynne at first.  Others with me.  We may well be surprised.  I write this to ask your patience and flexibility and understanding at drop-off time.  If we do not rush up to a child with a vigorous hello, it is because it is our hunch the child wants a less direct greeting.  Other children may want the opposite.  And the needs or wishes of the children may change.  Please let me know as the days and weeks evolve if you think your child needs more or less interaction from the teachers first thing.

       The children, Lynne, and I have bonded all morning.  When the doors open at 12:20 (or on the playground at 3), this is their chance to reconnect with Mom or Dad.  They don't have to say goodbye to me or Lynne unless the inspiration comes from them.

With warmth and light,

William Geoffrey Dolde

Drizzling serenity

The drizzle is allaying my fears of a crowded beach.  The boys and I plan to be at Maxwelton with hopes of reserving the covered shelters.

We will glad to dine with any families that attend and completely understanding of families choosing to stay out of the rain to rest or recuperate for Monday.

Location : 3600-3698 Britzman Loop, Clinton, WA 98236,

Songs and Rhythm of the Day and Week

Dear Butterfly Families,

      During the school day, we sing a lot throughout the morning.  Here are lyrics to many of the songs I sing throughout the day.  I also teach strings, orchestra, and guitar to students in grades 4 to 8.  Rather than keeping my teaching elements separate, I make music teaching part of the meaningful work I bring to the nursery environment (in Waldorf early childhood pedagogy, teachers strive to teach out of imitation and example.  They bring lawful, loving work--such as cooking, cleaning, ironing, sawing, knitting, chopping--that children are free to help with--when it is safe or appropriate.  The idea, however, is that children need not help the teacher knead bread dough or wash dishes to benefit from that work; orderly, present work inspires the children in their imaginative play).  As such, nursery students also will hear me sing from Rise Up Singing and other books.  Last year I gave many impromptu cello, viola, and violin performances for nursery children to dance to.  And 5 8th grade students will visit our class every Tuesday to play guitar and sing songs from Rise Up Singing.  Last year's nursery class really enjoyed these visits and the connection with the oldest students in our school.

This document, the Butterfly Nursery Rhythm of the Day and Week, provides a description of the nursery morning and week. As I observe and become more familiar with your children, it is possible I will adjust the rhythm to meet the unique needs of this group.  My puppet shows can stay quite simple or evolve into longer stories depending on what nourishes the group.  I do not list times of the activities--in nicer weather we will stay outside longer than in the cold months.  That being said, we are outside every day, so please find rain pants and boots that work well for your child.  One parent noted that Lands End had overstock rain pants at a reasonable price.  As a reminder, I provide mittens.

 Children who are staying for lunch will walk with Lynne to the Golden Forest Room (at the end of the hall) and noon for lunch and rest.  They will be outside at pick-up time.

At these times, I risk providing too much or too little information.  Please ask me questions.

Thanks,

William Geoffrey Dolde

Saying Goodbye is Sad

Dear Parents,

      As some of you prepare to say goodbye to your child for a first school experience on Monday, I will provide copies of the "Chapter Saying Goodbye is Sad," from 1, 2, 3, ... The Toddler Years (available in our school library in the upstairs lobby).  Some parents have found it helpful in the past.

Here is a description of how Erikson might view the tears of saying goodbye at school as part of normal and healthy child development.  Although this is ostensibly about children younger than our nursery children, we still like to work the idea of accepting that sadness can occur over missing mom or dad, that this is normal, and that this is part of the curriculum of coming to an early childhood classroom.  That being said, I wouldn't want a parent to feel remorse if a child charges away to school without looking back.

As I mentioned to a couple of parents yesterday, although school starts officially at 8:30, parents who do not need to be here to drop off older siblings are invited to come at a time that works for their family, 8:40, 8:50, 9, or even a little later.  Susan Weber, a teacher of Waldorf teachers who seems quite competent and the sort to always be on time for a meeting herself, exhorted a group of parent & child teachers at a conference to release parents from any guilt about being late to a class.  She felt it so important--with the work of Gerber and RIE she was bringing us--to have parents of very young children create a breathing element to the day with a sense of "plenty of time, no need to rush," that it would go against the culture she was trying to build to give any sense of judgment to people who were not in class right at the start.  Although it is important for first graders to start the day with their classmates, and while kindergarten provides a good transition to being at school promptly at 8:30, I would much rather have a centered nursery child and parent arrive at 9:10 than to have that same parent and child arrive full of stress at 8:30.

Some years, the slightly shorter morning a later arrival provides make those first days or weeks away from mom and dad easier.  Our start in the clearing by the teepee (50 yards from school) makes the staggered start easier, I find--all the children enter the classroom at the same time later in the morning, so there is less anxiety about perhaps not getting to play with a favorite doll or toy.

I also know some parents need to have other children at school early and get to work themselves.  Although we officially start at 8:30, I will strive to be in the teepee earlier, as soon as I am able to drop off my son in first grade.

Respectfully,

William Geoffrey Dolde

Potluck tonight (Friday)

Dear Nursery Families,

        Welcome, this is the first of a few emails I will send as we prepare for our first day.  Please remember that you are all invited--with your families--to join us at Maxwelton Beach for a potluck tonight from 5 to 7pm.  This is another informal chance to meet me and the other families, have your children make connections, and ask me any questions before our first day.  I will try to bring extra plates.  Please bring some extras, too, for families that may forget.
         I will bring a guitar and a bunch of copies of Rise Up Singing with the hopes that we can have a bit of a sing-along as well.

With warmth and light,

William Geoffrey Dolde

You are welcome Tuesday to Friday 9 - 11am

Dear Families,

       Rather than having a formal cubby day next Tuesday, it will be another opportunity for children to play or help parents as we set up the classroom.  Come for any amount of time from 9 to 11am that day (and the same times Wednesday through Friday).  Indeed, I may ask help in hanging up the hooks for jackets on that day.

      As a reminder, because our cubbies will be in the classroom, and because my room will be used by parent & child children, I am going to ask you to take everything home (I can keep slippers in the classroom) on Wednesdays, if not daily.  This system has worked well in the past.  Thank you for giving it a try this year.

With warmth and light,

William Geoffrey Dolde

I will write more once it becomes clear who will join us in the nursery class at the start of the school year.

Songs recorded as duos

Dear Nursery Families,

      With great delight as I reflected upon the great year I had with your children, I re-recorded all of their birthday songs as duos with violin and guitar (one track has a viola, the other a cello).  You can listen or download for free by visiting http://williamdolde.com/fr_birthdaysongs.cfm.  Please share with grandparents and friends.  Please let me know if there are any technical glitches.

Blessings on your summer,

William Geoffrey Dolde

Dress for Rain

Today's festival includes a puppet show about the Mossy Men; they bring rain and moisture to help the plants thrive.  It seems the Mossy Men are active at present on Whidbey Island.  Most of our festival today will be outdoors; while there are covered places, do dress yourself and your child for cooler, wetter weather.


I will have warm soup and rice available starting at 9am to warm you from the inside.  I look forward to seeing you today.


William Dolde

Last Day Schedule

Dear Nursery Families,

      On Wednesday, June 9, parents are invited to join us at 11:30am outside the classrooms on the playground.  We will join with the kindergarten families to share Strawberry Shortcake.  If you are unable to be present at 11:30, please let me know; this event tends to work best when every child has a parent or caregiver with her or him.

William

Last Day of Kindergarten
June 9th

Parents are welcome to join us at 11:30am outside for strawberry shortcake and goodbyes on the last day of school.

The formal school day will end at this time and we request that all children have an adult present to supervise them.

If you know you are not able to attend please arrange with another parent to supervise and pick up your child.
There will be no extended care this day for early childhood children.

Last Day of Kindergarten
 

June 9th

Parents are welcome to join us at 11:30am outside for strawberry shortcake and goodbyes on the last day of school.

The formal school day will end at this time and we request that all children have an adult present to supervise them.

If you know you are not able to attend please arrange with another parent to supervise and pick up your child.
There will be no extended care this day for early childhood children.

Gifts

Please check your parent folder on Tuesday.   I will place gifts for your children there to avoid confusion.

My boys and I will not be present on Wednesday.  Thanks again for the vegetables.

Please join us Friday for the summer festival.

Location : 201-299 Mercer St, Seattle, WA 98109,

Vegetables Tuesday

Please bring a bounty of vegetables on Tuesday.   I hope to make extra soup for Friday's festival.

We have a volunteer photographer for Tuesday.   I also know at least one student and Lynne won't be there Tuesday, so I propose we try an informal shot then and another one on the next Wednesday.

Location : 415 1st Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109,

Save some time on June 9

Dear Nursery Families,

      On our official last day of school this year, Wednesday 9, we often invite parents to join us for part of the morning.  I am still working out exact details with Kim and Dyanne, and I will pass along a more exact schedule to you when I have a clear picture to pass along.

      We will likely have a special event with our middle school friends next Tuesday; it will also be the last day this school year for one of our students.  I wonder if there is a parent willing to try an informal photo at 12:20 to share with our parents (our official photo does not include two of our newer students).  I will also have some of my gifts for students Tuesday.

     The year goes on after that, of course.  We look forward to celebrating our June birthdays on June 7 and June 8, as well as our closing festivities on the 9th.

Thanks,

William

reminder about Wednesday's talk

Form, Space & the Philosophy of Freedom:
Looking Toward Tolle & Steiner to Guide Our
Parenting & Teaching

~A Lecture by WIWS Faculty Member William Dolde~

Wednesday, May 26th, 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.
in our Butterfly Nursery classroom, lower level

In this lecture, Mr. Dolde will use some of Eckhart Tolle's concepts to navigate one of Rudolf Steiner's foundational works, The Philosophy of Freedom. Dolde will suggest ways in which the work of both Tolle and Steiner can guide us in our work with children, whether as parents or teachers. The concepts of form and space, important in the Waldorf classroom, will be used to build a bridge between the two conceptual frameworks.





                 




Eckhart Tolle      Rudolf Steiner

FFI:  Sheila Weidendorf, Enrolllment Director
360-341-5686

Professional Development Feedback

Dear Nursery Families,

In past school years, a standard form went to all families to provide feedback to your child's teacher(s).  Because a nursery teacher is very different from a Spanish teacher from a 6th grade teacher, we are looking at making this feedback process more flexible with the goal of improving teaching and the experience for your children.  Some teachers may give you forms; others may seek feedback during a parent meeting.  All teachers will be summarizing what they have received to present to our college of teachers (our group of teachers which oversees professional development).

In our meeting in March, many of you already gave me feedback about home visits, start time, the transition to kindergarten.  Some of you also provided written feedback at this time.  Please do not take your time to write about these thoughts again, but if you have a new inspiration to share with me to include in my summary, feel free to email me.  If you want to remain anonymous, you could submit any thoughts in writing in the "Dolde" parent folder.

If you do have time before next Wednesday, I would value your observations and insights about the following 2 topics.

A)  I have devoted a lot of attention to integrating music and early childhood teaching this year, toward making music into meaningful work to nourish the children; playing far more music than I have in past years while your children play, dance, watch, and work.  I've played a much wider range of instruments (e.g., cello and viola, too) and many styles beyond traditional early childhood songs.  At school, I have observed children making orchestras and bands in the woods, using sticks to create magical instruments.  Please share if you have any observations at home--whether your child seems to play imaginatively with music or not; my goal is not necessarily to inspire all children to be musicians, but rather to surround them with joyful work so that they can play and work with attention, engagement, and joy.

B)  Next year I am considering devoting a good deal of time, professional development funds, and perhaps my money into taking singing lessons with the goal of making my singing voice more worthy of imitation by the young children.  Here I am not seeking your feedback or reassurance or condemnation about my singing voice, but rather what you may have observed this year about the way your child sings at home.  Although comparisons among teachers can be really dangerous (we all have our strengths, and I would be a poor teacher if I tried to be exactly like Kim or Dyanne or Vanessa or Karol White or Eckhart Tolle or Kim John Payne rather than witnessing the children and trying to call forth in myself that which can meet the children in my care each day), if you have children (older siblings) who have had experiences with teachers with beautiful singing voices (such as my colleagues) and you notice a difference in the way your child(ren) sings and think you can relate it to the quality (or perhaps gender) of your child's teacher's singing voice, those observations would be helpful in my professional development planning.

Do feel free but not obligated to share feedback about any other observations you might have.  Specific insights, appreciations, or recommendations tend to be more helpful to me than global statements of praise or criticism (though I do appreciate the literary value of really stinging insults if you want to throw one my way).

With thanks,

William Geoffrey Dolde


p.s.  below are the topics I solicited your thoughts about in March

 1)  Your thoughts on home visits.
2)  Your thoughts on the morning ritual and our expeditious departure to the teepee.
3)  Your thoughts about next year, the transition to kindergarten, the 4 and 5 day options, and looking forward, your thoughts on how my nursery class might evolve.
4)  Your thoughts on start time--does it work for me to be outside at 8:15am?  Would it be better for me to come out at 8:30?

Captains, Tantrums, Pirates, festival reminder

Dear Nursery Families,

      As I was preparing the post below for parent & child families, it occurred to me that some of you may have received them more than once and others not at all. Even if you choose not to reread the articles below, please read the reminder about our parent & child and nursery festival on Friday, June 4, from 9 to 10:30 to which all of you are invited.


Dear Families,

     I had a request last week for support for parents about supporting a child through tantrums.  I will likely touch on this next Wednesday, May 26, during my talk weaving together Tolle and Steiner and Waldorf Education.  For myself, I find the image of a captain at sea useful when teaching or parenting; while I cannot control every element (or I would be like monomaniacal Ahab or a captain doomed for mutiny), I can still be in charge and work with the wind and elements to keep the ship on course.  If a captain is too stern, he is likely to be thrown overboard; too weak, he is likely to be thrown overboard,  I seek just the right balance.


      Here are 3 articles I have written in the past couple of years relating parenting and being a captain.




1)  This article helps us plan our day's journey with our children to make the storms of tantrums less likely or severe (while we should always abandon hope of living tantrum free; there is great beauty and power in making peace with this aspect of development, too).


2) When the storm of a tantrum does occur, here are some ideas to help you and your child pass through the storm with resilience.


3)  As Eckhart Tolle reminds us (and many Waldorf teachers and others already put into practice with grace and effectiveness), there is incredible power in saying yes to what is, into accepting what is now rather than resisting the present moment (this does not mean caving into a toddler's demands to get a tantrum to stop; we still are the parents; we accept our need to parent through what might seem a trial with the same surrender and equanimity--even as we may be need to be firm in holding limits--as we would during an ostensibly easy time with our child).  Related to the sea, here are some reflections about my own journey toward acceptance of the now that I wrote last year to my nursery families.  It is called Falling Cradles, Pirates, and Sewing Up the Wolf's Belly.


It may be that after next week's talk, I will need to create a new series of metaphors about Zen captains.


Although our final classes are next week, May 27 and 28, all families, whether currently enrolled or not, are invited to our Rosebud/Dewdrop/Nursery summer festival on Friday, June 4, from 9 to 10:30am.  We will share our traditional feast of soup and bread, dance our farewell dances to the Maypole, see a puppet show about the Mossy Men, felt, and welcome our bonfire cloth for summer dances.


With warmth and light and thoughts of summer fire,


William Geoffrey Dolde