Kicking through the leaves while walking with Spencer on Sunday I was reminded of the many years that I would go out, paper bag in hand, and collect leaves for my classroom. We used them for art, book making, displays, and science, and just about everything we could think of. One year I even sent some fine specimens to my friend Paul, in Ireland, to remind him of the falls he spent with us in Minnesota. How beautiful everything looks these days. I have resolved to look more closely at nature this year and wonder at the beauty of every day, even these dark and dreary ones.
Last night I spent some time in Minneapolis with a group of quite diverse Junior High children. One of them spoke very compellingly about the racial injustice she feels every day at her public school and I found myself deeply saddened as she spoke about how the partner she works with every day makes her feel dirty and of no value. Earlier that evening one of the adults present had asked me what makes our school unique, adding that he knew all charter schools had something unique to them. My response was to speak about our Social Curriculum.
I know we do not face anything like the challenges schools in big cities face, but social justice has to begin at home. I’m proud of the care our teachers take with this and the time we spend with children helping them care for each other and accept each other’s differences. Are you aware that we have daily Peer Mediation on the playground? On Monday two children came running over to me asking if I knew where the Peer Mediators were. Obviously they had a problem to solve! The Peer Mediation program was initiated by Michelle and Simon, who provided the training and support for the children who have chosen to be mediators during their recess. I’m grateful to work with educators who value working with children on this level.
Thank you to those who acted as chaperones for the field trip yesterday. I understand that, to everyone’s surprise, there was lots of fighting in the play. Who would have thought that The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe would focus so heavily on that? What happened to Turkish Delight, a strange but wise professor, friendly giants, a kind lion, busy beavers and four very brave children? We were surprised and disappointed that there was so much fighting. I have not checked in with all the teachers about this, but my suspicion is that they all have addressed this with the children. We usually take time to process the plays we see and this would be a good opportunity to talk it over with them. This morning I happened to read this poem and thought I would share it with you. I have given a copy of it to Simon and Michelle as I know their children will catch the play on words and ideas. Just to assure you, this is the only kind of violence we will tolerate at Prairie Creek!
Daily Violence by Lillian Morrison.
Dawn cracked;
the sun broke though.
Day broke;
the sun climbed over the rooftops.
Clouds chased the sun,
then burst.
Night fell.
The clock struck midnight.
It was great to see such a good group of parents at the Volunteer training. If you missed it and would like a copy of the handouts please let me know. I have seen many parents in classrooms and the library and around the school. Our surveys showed us that you feel very welcome at the school. That’s good. Please let us know how your volunteering goes. We welcome your feedback as it helps us to get better at what we do. So, come in, share your talents, interests or just share your support for your child’s teacher. We are delighted to have you here!
And, while you are at it, kick around a few leaves this weekend. It will be cold but should still be beautiful.