A Christmas Story

Dear Kindergarten Families,

I have a tradition--sometimes honored--of creating a Christmas story every year.  If you wish to read it, follow this link to my blog

http://cottageglen.blogspot.com

May light and joy visit you.

With appreciation,

William

Thanks for anonymous gifts

Dear Families,

Thank you for the physical gifts you have given me, and for the gift of trust and well being you give to me all year long. 

Thanks to the anonymous donor of home-made apple juice, pears, and pickles/relish.

With appreciation,

William

Just Right Timing Friday, Emergent Advent Festivals

JUST RIGHT FRIDAY TIMING -- I love the Advent Spiral.  It is a pleasure to watch the diverse ways in which children walk to the central candle and spread the central light out to wide world spaces.

As I reflect upon what works well to create the vessel for this beautiful creation, it occurs to me that this year in particular it will help if you are neither early nor late.  The Butterfly nursery families will be walking at 4:30.  It would be beyond great if almost no cars pulled into the drive (and hence near Huckleberry Hall) until at least 4:55.  So if you are one who likes to be early, I would appreciate very much if you can find something fun to do in your car while parked at the corner of Cultus Bay and Campbell, or in the private road across the street from Old Pietila, or drag racing around Deer Lake, or (prizes for the best story of what you did).

We also have dancers and others who have other events to attend Friday evening after our Spiral, so I will want to commence our Golden Forest Advent Spiral really close to 5pm as well.  So please accept this spiritual challenge of coming neither early nor late, and being really relaxed about it as well.

EMERGENT ADVENT FESTIVALS  At some point in my path, I heard or pretended I heard someone say that a simple way of bringing peace and light into the season can be incredibly opening and effective.  I heard (or pretended I heard) that one wise kindergarten teacher brought the mood of Advent to her children by turning her rocking chair to look out the window and rocking and waiting expectantly.  I have threatened to have Dyanne sit in the lobby in a rocking chair as our school's Advent Festival for the grades (and will perhaps do that once I am tenured and have a long title in front of my name--The Living Green Endowed Early Childhood Teacher Emeritus William Dolde, or something like that).

It occurs to me that our consistent long walks on Mondays and Tuesdays provide another simple and powerful access point to the world wisdom of Advent.  It was a delight to feel a couple hours of warmth as we walked.  When we heard a bird song and felt a warm breeze, I told of a story (from a collection of stories I've told to my sons from before there were born) of how when Mary was cold one night on her way to Bethlehem, the winds sang her a spring song, with scents of fresh jasmine, to warm her and cheer her on her path (and hence, every year as Christmas approaches and we allow the light to flow to, through, and with us, some days will feel warm like a spring day).  Later, our winds rustled in the most pleasant way as we enjoyed a snack at Grandmother Rock, quite an example of the mineral element for the first light of Advent (stones, plants, animals, humans--over the 4 weeks).  I am very interested in stories of light from many cultures, religions, literatures, spiritual paths, and more.  Please share any gems you might have with me.

With much appreciation,

William

Fwd: Advent Spiral, Friday Dec 7

Kindergarten & Nursery
Advent Spiral Garden
in Huckleberry Hall
December 7th, 2012

At many Waldorf Kindergartens throughout the world, the season of Advent is marked by the ceremony of the Advent Spiral Garden, an experience of moving from darkness into the light.  The garden is a beautiful spiral pathway of evergreen boughs, interspersed with pine cones, crystals, seashells, and shining stars leading to a candle in the center.  In the darkness of the evening, held by reverent music or voice, each child in turn carries an unlit candle held by a rosy apple and walks the spiral path to the center, lights his own small candle from the center candle and embarks on the journey back outward, placing the apple and candle in the spiral boughs alongside the pathway.  Slowly, with each child's journey, the Light glows and grows.  It is an archetypal experience of birth and incarnation which honors the Journey of the (every)Child of Light.

Please bring your warmly dressed child to their respective classrooms at the time designated below for your family. Parents can then make their way to Huckleberry Hall and wait until the children are led down by their teacher. It will be important to be on time, not late, and not too early.  We will be holding the children in a quiet space until all have arrived.  Please let Vanessa, William or Dyanne know if you will not be coming so that we can know whether to wait for you.  This is a Festival which is held in quiet reverence.   To support the children in such an experience, we will be building up to this festival with the children during our mornings at school.  The children will also be supported by your own quiet mood of reverence during the week and during the festival itself. 

 We look forward to sharing this experience with you.

Vanessa, William and Dyanne


4:30                                                              5:00                                                     6:00
*****************************************************************************************************************************
Butterfly Nursery                                                       Golden Forest                                                  Sunflower
(please meet in Huckleberry Hall with your nursery child)               (Please drop your kindergarten child off in their room with their teacher,
                                                                                    then take your seat in Huckleberry Hall)

sun, giants, food, home dismissal, workshop

Hi Folks,

Here are a few quick and hopefully pleasant notes.

SUN -- What a pleasant time we had at the sunny meadow (the 10 acres we use for festival parking) today!  It is so much warmer there than on our playground, and it is warmer in the woods than in our playground.  During these colder months, Molly and I will try to start our Monday and Tuesday walks as soon as possible (9:30ish) to get warm.  When sunny, we will go to the sunny meadow or other place to warm up.  When rainy, we'll appreciate the shelter of Grandmother Rock or Fairy House Grove.  On a rare instance (like the WETTEST DAY WHIDBEY HAS EVER SEEN, now confirmed by people who have lived here longer than me), we will go inside and improvise.

GIANTS -- We walked the upper loop today (our usual Monday trek) and continued past Bumberdeen the Giant's playground to get to the sunny meadow.  This imaginative way of describing the ropes course came to me via Dyanne (who got it from Chris McFee years ago).  I live my life with the pleasant assumption that the creatures of the forest, including giants, are all there to help us, that a stream of well being is always flowing around us if we are just able to notice it.  My Bumberdeen is a super friendly guy that I have never seen.  He lets us walk through the playground.  Out of friendliness, we stay off his giant sized playground (this is the ropes course, which we would participate with trained facilitators).

That said, I also appreciate how children love to explore power and transformation through creating scary stories.  There were a few vivid stories told by children of a mean giant who eats many things, who fortunately lives in another country.  While endorsing the wonderful power of a story such as this, I always reflect back my full confidence in the friendliness of the creatures of the woods towards us.

FOOD  --  We are in pretty good shape with food.  Feel free to bring contributions for our soup by Wednesdays.  While chickens have slowed down, we almost have a dozen eggs for Thursday; if you have a few to spare, that will get us there.  I've switched to scrambled eggs for the winter time; it does not require as many eggs to satisfy the class.

Even though apples are no longer so plentiful on trees, if you can bring a few apples for snacks in the woods and apple sauce, that is wonderful.  Several children are doing incredible work and growth through cutting apples in conscientious and artistic ways.

DISMISSAL ON WEDNESDAYS AND THURSDAYS  -- Because it might alternate between being relatively nice at 12:20ish to being fairly wet and/or cold, I've decided to switch Wednesday and Thursday mid-day dismissal to in the hallway.  I will do my best to have children ready to trickle into the hallway beginning at 12:20 so that you can gather your child and her or his possessions before extended care children from the Sunflower Class move into the hallway.  Monday and Tuesday dismissals will remain the same.

CLOTHES BAGS HOME THIS THURSDAY OR FRIDAY  --  I think it will bring the most peace of mind to everyone if you bring your child's spare clothes bag and anything and everything from your child's cubby home on Thursday or Friday, leaving the space clear for the Holiday Workshop, and helping you to know with confidence where your child's gear is for next Monday.  The little ones who have already come to us will be heading to their own festival and will like to depart on Thursday.  Perhaps they'll meet up with little ones yet to manifest in our classroom and tell us stories of them.

With appreciation,

William

Real invitation

Friday, November 9

Lantern Walk

 The Lantern Walk is a festival that marks the threshold time of year between longer summer days and longer winter nights.

From Nature herself we can witness the in breath of the Earth as she pulls the plants back toward her.  The leaves begin to fall and cover the ground with a blanket of protection and quietude.  During this time, we humans also find ourselves pulling inward.  Yet, it is at this very inward-pulling time that we rekindle our connection to our own inner most self.  While all of Nature is falling asleep, we are called to "wake up" and take note of our own inner flame.  Festivals are a way of marking these poignant occasions in community with one another; and some would add, in collaboration with the Earth and the Heavens.  

The early childhood community of WIWS would like to celebrate and honor this time together with a Lantern Walk at Maxwelton Beach on Friday, November 9th, 4:30-5:30in the evening.  We have timed this event so that we can gather in the light, walk in the dusk and finish in the dark.  In this way, we can move together through this threshold, shining our little lights with one another in a community of love and good will.   And a large community we will be....Butterfly, Golden Forest and Sunflower classes, plus any interested Rosebud families.  We are making our lanterns at school for this occasion while singing lantern songs both familiar and unfamiliar.  Of course, the preparation is almost as important as the festival itself! (Below is a more detailed schedule of the hour)   

4:30---early bird arrivals:  play at the beach/playground for short time.  Warm cider available

4:50 Light lanterns and gather to commence our beach walk

4:55 Begin our walk together

5:20  Return to public beach area, Adults sing "Oh How Lovely Is the Evening" for the children

5:30 Say goodnight to one another with a shared experience of darkness and candle light

Remember!  We will be at a beach in November.  Please dress accordingly!!

The public park at Maxwelton Beach is called Dave Mackie Park.  Take Maxwelton Road (away from Langley) all the way until you come to the end.  There you will find Dave Mackie park.  There is parking on both sides of the big field.  Please ask a teacher or another parent if you need further instructions.

  

  

lantern walk invitation