It was wonderful to be with your children yesterday. The glorious weather allowed us to journey to the sunny meadow. It provides a great opportunity for me to observe the flexible and shifting play of your children--sometimes playing in groups of two, three, five, eight, then back into smaller groups with new comrades. I am particularly impressed with some of the friendliness evident amongst some of youngest children and older children in the class--they seem aware and open to one another.
UPCOMING EVENTS (in tune with the Sunflower class)
The month of March is upon us and will slip by as quickly as the breezes that blow. Please be sure to note our upcoming parent meeting on Tuesday March 19th 6:00-7:30. We will share this meeting time with the Sunflower parents, focusing on Kim John Payne's information on the senses of Balance and Self Movement (vestibular and proprioception). Then, on Friday March 22nd, our school will host interested grandparents for the morning. There are no early childhood classes that day. Grandparents who would like to "come to school" with their Grandchild will come for a brief "experience" that is yet to be created by Dyanne and me. If you are aware of grandparents who are hoping to attend in this way, please ask them to RSVP to Maureen or Sheila. An accurate RSVP list will help us in our planning.
APPRECIATION OF MOLLY AND LYNNE
Molly has been a wonderful match for our children and for me. And she has been so consistent as I have attended to the panoply of illnesses visiting our children and ourselves.
Illness in her family finally caused her to stay home, and the children and Lynne Lesson had the treat of being together in class for the first time since Lynne was their assistant teacher in the Butterfly Nursery with me (11 of our 14 children were in the nursery with me and Lynne over the past 3 years). The children enjoyed Lynne. Lynne really enjoyed seeing the children and witnessing how well our children play and move together as a cohesive group. Thanks again to everyone for making this possible.
AN APPRECIATION OF COOL RANCH DORITOS
"Do we love our times?" -- Kim John Payne
I've heard Kim say this often, and it sounds helpful, and a little anguished. Often he says this as he talks to adults about the put-down diet: we can't, he suggests, guide our children in an inclusive behavior if at home we are railing against the president or big business or this or that body of society that outrages us. Again, I have always found this really helpful--it just also feels like a lot of work.
Recently I heard a little talk about nutrition that suggested that in order to receive maximum benefit from whatever healthy or life-giving food we are eating, we do best to appreciate all other sorts of food. If I eat my raw veggies while condemning Cool Ranch Doritos, I deny myself all the goodness that could come from the vegetables.
This is not to say I or this expert was recommending eating Doritos over vegetables (and they didn't mention Doritos). I really appreciate the relatively diet I provide myself. There was this watershed moment (you can say a weird moment) in which I laughingly really appreciated all those days in college when I woke up in the morning and popped open a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos (I realize how much I am dating myself; I think they are called Cooler Ranch or Cooler than Cooler Ranch Doritos by now); that was the perfect, next logical step for me then, and puts in me in great shape to take a perfect, next logical step now, full of bliss and happiness and well-being and health.
Odd, I know, but really useful. This can translate--as we think of Kim Payne--into other realms. Even, for example, as I redirect exclusive behavior, can I find the logic and appreciation in it before I guide it to something more inclusive?
Thanks for contemplating with me.
With warmth and light,
William
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