Ease and Flow, Play, Extra Outside Time, Harvest

Ease and Flow

The children seem to be welcoming Molly with open arms, and we are having a sweet time together. The long walks on Mondays and Tuesday (which the children take up with joy and composure--with some grumblings of hunger and fatigue toward the end) blend into an outdoor snack time and really beautiful, sustained play in the woods. Children are choosing a variety of playmates. They are challenging themselves physically, communing with nature with fairy house building and berry picking, and enjoying an occasional mutually satisfying game of chase.

Our long playground days of Wednesday and Thursday have been satisfying as well. Last week I pruned some of the alder trees to promote their health, and children have been building and decorating forts and houses with the branches. A number of children help prepare the snack, have been sewing up their painting folders (and I've been sorting our first paintings from last week), and help care for the chickens.


Play

At Grandmother Rock, I found myself telling a small group of children, "And now we will do something we've never done before," and a child responded, "O, yes, I remember that!" Rather than just telling the story, children act out the story as I narrate. I had very simple costumes that we could transport to the woods. A child can always refuse to play a part. On this day, the children chosen seemed to find delight and satisfaction in portraying Sea-Girl, the 3rd Daughter of the Dragon King, a goose, a parrot, a pea-cock, and eagle, a farmer, and the water. I'll keep track and give a variety a chance to play a role.

This transformation of a story into a play was something my mentor did when I first taught Waldorf kindergarten, and master storyteller Nancy Mellon insisted that I use this technique (in a very polite and emphatic way), and that I should stay with a story in this way for a long time. She told me, for example, of the benefits of staying with The Wolf and the 7 Little Kids for 3 months between January and Easter, most of it as a play (this would likely be too intense for our current mix of children). It was true, the children loved rotating through all the roles of little goats, shopkeeper, miller, and baker. I was always the wolf. And we did stay with this story a long time. We'll plan on a couple of weeks with my current story and then see where we are.


Extra Outside Time

While we will have great opportunities for indoor work and play, current opportunities are keeping us outside a great deal. On Wednesdays, we play with the Sunflower children for an hour on the playground at 9am and then with the Butterfly nursery children at 11am. Somewhere in between we enjoy our snack. Mixing with both classes seems stimulating and brings out wonderful things in our children, and this seems really important to foster. I am moving the painting day to Thursday at present.

We will also likely be watching Michaelmas rehearsals, which may keep us outside more often this week (even on painting day).

Next week the 3rd grade is building a Sukkah, a traditional Jewish harvest shelter. I sense this will be a great activity for us to observe, perhaps even help with. Next Monday we will visit the work, and if it seems fruitful, we will likely join the 3rd graders often next week to help, watch, delight, and enliven.


HARVEST

On this Wednesday, we will have our early childhood harvest festival. Please bring, if possible, harvest items (flowers, squashes, bulbs, and the like) to the EC hallway. The kindergartens will work together to decorate a harvest altar. Our Golden Forest class will tend a fire in the clay oven, and we will bake an apple snack to share with the Sunflower and Butterfly classes toward the end of the day. The two kindergartens will join together for seasonal games to end the morning.

These decorations will find a 2nd life as part of the Golden Knight's decoration of the 10 acres to welcome families parking there for Friday's festival.


With appreciation for all your support,

William

Sept 25 2012 class meeting

Kindergarten Class Meeting
Tuesday, September 25
6-7:30pm

Sunflower and Golden Forest Parents will meet and stay together, commencing in the Sunflower Room and moving to the Golden Forest Room.

Agenda

Introductory -- Class Coordinators, Social Inclusion (Kim Payne work)
Other Announcements

Singing and Movement -- "O How Lovely is the Evening"

Lecture and Discussion -- William on Raphael's painting of the Madonna, why it is up in some early childhood classrooms, relationship to verses by Steiner, and other anecdotes.
Dyanne deepens discussion, relates to other forms of painting and Eurythmy.

Our Relationship to the Woods and to our Community -- what we can do to bring beauty to the woods around us (Golden Knights already at work); kindergartens working on crafts for the community (making lanterns for nursery and parent & child).

Reprise of Singing (outside if possible)

First Week Appreciations. Future Events.

Appreciation for Polly

When Polly shared her intention to journey forth, she let me know that she would be able to use time away from school to amplify her income.  This would free her husband up to return to Whidbey Island.  Their family will be reunited.  The thought of her family together brings me such joy, and this is the vibration of thought I will hold about Polly as your children and I continue through the year.

Appreciation for Polly, Kim, Children, and You

It was a thrill to be with your children last week.  They show great willingness to try new things, to endure, to be flexible, to be clear, to be really happy, to make it clear when they are not.  Walking through the woods was really easy, and this allowed us to enjoy relatively long and beautiful walks right away.  It was often really cool or really warm in the woods, and the layers allowed us to be OK in the cool, and we could choose to play barefoot in the warmth of the Story meadow.  I told stories of the gnomes and nymphs at work in the Story Woods (Legacy Forest), and children respected the moss on the old growth stumps and seemed relatively content with leaving gifts of the forest in the forest.  Children tried all the snacks, and there were always some children who really enjoyed them (which is great right at the beginning of the year; I've had many a traditional grain day at which children complained as a group about the same rice or porridge they would savor later in the year), and many days most children tucked in to hummus, soup, or eggs and apple sauce.  The eggs and apple sauce were so popular, I'll increase my request for both.

Seasons and Indoors and Outdoors

 It feels right to honor the seasons with more outside time here at the start.  Our snacks in the woods on Mondays and Tuesdays and at the picnic table on Wednesdays and Thursdays feel like they thrive, preparing us for indoor snacks later in the year.  On Wednesdays and Thursdays, children came inside with me in small groups.  I previewed our work this week of painting lanterns with a story, we drew, and children then played inside.  I think this smaller group indoor play allows the children to explore more, lets me observe them at their play with more attention, and will set us up for robust and flexible play when we come inside as an entire class in a few weeks (my litmus test will probably be 2 days of really wet and uncomfortable picnic table snacks on a Wednesday and Thursday).  Children also joined me for flight school on Thursdays; pretending to be birds, they flew aloft in my arms, and then we practiced some zoo exercises on the floor (more about this at a future class meeting).

Stories

Three days this week I told the story "Wild Goose Lake" at the tent near the Story House.  On Thursday, Sunflower and Golden Forest classes joined as I told the story of the Golden Knights, how the oldest children in the village were called to serve the youngest.  I related it to our Michaelmas pageant; it tells of a peaceful time when the dragon is tamed, but in order for the crops to grow, new Golden Knights are needed to help keep the dragon in balance.  On Monday, Polly has asked to share her transition with the children.  Polly and I have talked, and I know to pay especial care to the children in the coming week.  Tuesday we will return to "Wild Goose Lake."  My intention is to stay with this story for a while, and to surprise the children by allowing them to act it out on the Story House Stage as we deepen our relationship with it.  When I taught kindergarten in Monterey, I worked with master storyteller Nancy Mellon, and she encouraged me to assign roles and have children act out the story as I narrated.  It was rich and rewarding.  Have no fears about children being singled out.  Children are always allowed to decline a role and just watch, and this is especially appropriate for our younger children.

Introducing Molly Rice

When Polly let me know of her intentions, we were fortunate in that we had recently conducted a hiring process for a Sunflower assistant.  We received a letter of interest from an excellent candidate right after we had hired Gina to be Dyanne's assistant.  I was able to contact Molly (the excellent candidate), and her interest in joining our school remained and remains really strong.  Molly, her husband, and 3 children moved to Whidbey Island this summer from Portland, where Molly taught early childhood classes, took Waldorf training and many workshops, and founded and led a very successful all outdoor forest school.  She has an excellent singing voice, has a strong sense for the woods and can share stories of the wonders of nature (tangible and intangible), and has skills in puppetry and crafts that will enrich and enliven our time on the playground and in the classroom.  We are blessed to have her.  Molly is excited about her role as Golden Forest assistant.  Her husband is excited to live and play with their children while at home (their children hopefully joining our school community soon).  Please welcome her and her family as much as you can.

Trying New Things

As all teachers do, I may make various modifications to the rhythm of the day and week.  I am exploring providing a rewarding amount of interaction between our students and students in Sunflower and the Butterfly nursery.  I am sure Molly and I will be finding vibrant ways of interacting, and this may cause some minor adjustments of schedule and rhythm.  I'll keep you informed as the weeks progress.

Class Meeting Next Tuesday, Office Hours, Apples, Pears, Eggs

We will gather for a class meeting on Tuesday, September 25, from 6-8pm.  We will join with Sunflower parents for part of the meeting.  I will give a preview of the agenda as we approach.  

Office hours with me will be on Tuesdays from 2:05-2:50 (2 slots), weekly in the Butterfly Room, starting on the 25th.  I will put a sign-up in the hallway.

Do keep bringing a bounty of soup vegetables, crunchy vegetables for the woods, and lots of apples.  Apple sauce was very popular.  Some parents have a bounty of Asian Pears.  Many children love these as a daily snack, and let us try mixing some in with our apple sauce.

Children like eggs more than I predicted.  We have one family brining a dozen eggs this week.  Our school chickens should provide a dozen.  It'd be great to have a third dozen.

With appreciation for your attitudes and help,

William

A Letter from and joyous wishes for Polly

First, a letter from Polly.

Dear Golden Forest Parents;

I am writing to let you know that I am needing to simplify
my life a bit. Along with working in kindergarten I have been
carrying two other jobs, single parenting and have now gone back to school.
I am feeling a bit stretched! I'm needing to make my life a little
more manageable for my sanity's sake, so I have decided not to continue
as the assistant in the Golden Forest kindergarten. This has not been an easy
decision for me since Waldorf education is my first love and your children
are so very near and dear to my heart. The children do not know yet as I
wanted you all to know first. The school has found a replacement, a lovely
woman by the name of Molly, who is very familiar with Waldorf early childhood.
I will still be around the school as my Alli is in her last year at school and
I am happy to sub when the occasion arises. This Monday will be
my last day and I will let the children know of my leaving then.
Monday will be Molly's first day and you all will get a chance to meet
her.
I wish you all a wonderful year together.
With much love in my heart for you all,
Polly


Now a brief note from William

I appreciate all that Polly has done for our class and our school. We will still see her often. She has helped to leave our class of children in a wonderful place. After I give you some time to digest Polly's note, I will send along descriptions of our first week and an introduction to Molly Rice. All will be well.

With appreciation for all you do for our children and the school,

William

notes for first full week

Hi Parents,

It was delightful to be with our older children last week and to work in collaboration with Dyanne. Some practical thoughts come to mind as we start our first full week with all children.


The Elementary School Bell is Early!

This year the grades teachers opted to have the morning bell ring at 8:25 so they could start their main lessons at 8:30. This means that if you arrive at 8:28 with a grades student, you are not late (just go to the classroom, not the playground). Kindergarten still commences at 8:30. It is really important for me to be able to drop Crispin off in Sunflower (inside) before you drop your children off with me. After this drop-off, I will sing a song, open the playground gate, and welcome your children. (And as with last year, you are welcome to come after 8:30 to avoid the crowds).


Fruit and Veggie basket will be inside

In case it ever does rain again, it seems best to leave the fruit and veggie basket outside the Golden Forest door on the inner hallway. We need crunchy veggies and fruits for our walks and soup vegetables.

Eggs and Apples

I'll put a sign-up on the Golden Forest door so people can estimate how much they can bring. I love your generosity. It'd be great to have 2 dozen eggs or so each week rather than 6 dozen the first week if everyone is eager to give (I can store if need be; hard boiled eggs do work better with older eggs). You can also email me your intention and I'll write it.

Layers

As you probably remember, the playground is really cool. When we leave for our walk, I'll likely have the children take off an outer layer; our walks will be vigorous. It'd be great to dress your child in multiple light layers. The trails are a bit overgrown (and it is cool in the woods); I recommend pants in the morning, even if it is going to be a hot day.


Blessings on our first week,

William

passing the train whistle

Dear Golden Forest Families,

Kim and I have had a rich conversation about the story she told about Buttercup and her work. As anticipation and excitement build about the arrival of my little one (I want the anticipation to be fun for children), there will be intimations and messages coming to me that will include stories of the wellness that Kim and Buttercup are experiencing.

Tomorrow, Kim and I agreed that a simple, short exchange would be the right thing. After the whole school rainbow bridge ceremony, Kim will meet me by our playground, hand me the beloved train whistle used to gather children in the woods, and then she will want to depart in a graceful and rather rapid way (rather than lingering) (again, we will see her often, and I will weave in stories of Buttercup and Kim's adventures with my little one). I will likely play the whistle and sing "I've been working on the railroad." Then I'll look forward to welcoming your children for their cubby times a little later that morning.

With warmth and light,

William

Reframing Transitions and Farewells

Dear Golden Forest Parents,

I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday morning. Kim will indeed be present during the Rainbow Bridge ceremony at 8:30. Upon reflection, it seemed best not to include a symbolic gesture of Kim passing the torch to me as the Golden Forest teacher during the whole school ceremony. She and I are in the process of planning something very simple on the Golden Forest playground right after the whole school ceremony (approximately 9am); it will likely be quite simple--we want to maintain a sense that all will be well with the transition.

Here are some thoughts about the sadness children demonstrate when saying goodbye to a parent after a long summer away from school (or as also sometimes happens later in the school year). In a workshop with Nancy Foster--one of the wisest of wise women who have refined the craft of Waldorf Early Childhood teaching in America--I remember her recommending that teacher and parent work in concert as "confident actors" (her term), quelling any nervousness on their parts and focusing on the likelihood that all will go well with a child's transition to school.

What if we take this a step forward and use a phrase like, "Things are always working out for me. Things are always working out for my child"? No matter how twisty a path, it is always working out towards one of thriving and well being. If this sounds or seems challenging, we could start with very general phrases that soothe us and make us feel better (whether we need soothing because our child is reluctant, or because our child marches away from us and never looks back!). "I've known a lot of other parents whose children were sad at first and then really enjoyed kindergarten." "There are a lot of times when I felt hesitant about beginning something and was really glad I did so." "I don't have to figure out the perfect way to say goodbye. There is no wrong way, and there is no perfect way." Maybe from here, inspirations or images will come that will support your child.

One image comes to my mind from the spring of 2006. I would begin each morning in my nursery class with 5 children merrily perched on my chair as I was knitting. Some of these children had been with me for 3 years, and in the 3rd year, only seemed appeased when saying goodbye to mom or dad when sitting on my lap. Even after the relief was no longer needed, the fun these 5 children had all crowding onto my chair--and it brings back a big smile for me, too--continued this ritual. It was a wonderful spring with lots and beautiful interactions--on my chair and throughout the room and playground. I bring up this image when discovering ways to soothe a child in distress at the start of the morning.

If you have stories to share or insights, I'd love to hear them. Let me know if I can share with other parents in our class.

Finally, there have been some transitions in assistants and a student. Here are words from Dyanne. "We have a couple of updates to the Sunflower Class. First, Jack McAuliff will be in the Sunflower Class this year. It has become clear to both William and me that this placement will be best for all. Also, I am pleased to announce that Gina Schneider will be my assistant this year. Gina has lived on the island for about one year, during which time she spent a good deal of time substituting in our Sunflower, Golden Forest and Butterfly classes. Prior to her time on Whidbey, Gina taught for 10 years in the California public schools, and was a lead kindergarten teacher at a Waldorf charter school in Orange County, CA. She was trained in "The Art of Teaching Kindergarten" at Rudolf Steiner College and is also published poet. In addition to assisting in the Sunflower class this year, Gina will also be assisting Cordula in the afternoons and working on her internship with The Art of Spiritual Direction Program. Many of your children will remember Gina from last year. She is very excited to be joining the team and we are excited to have her."

With appreciation for your willingness to try new things,

William