― s
we all gathered inside
close together
to talk, eat, laugh, cry, listen to music, tell stories, remember
celebrate a life
the children from 4-10
all played together
went outside
chalk in hand
wrote a beautiful welcome to all who would come
and loving tributes to the one who had left.
“tears are words that need to be written.”
-paul coelho
the kinder discovered a pathway on a hill
covered in beautiful, kind, and encouraging stones
created by the older children
left behind for them to find
“what sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity.
these are but trifles, to be sure;
but scattered along life’s pathway, the good they do is inconceivable.”
-joseph addision
this is the kind of note that we sometimes see at arrival
pinned to a child’s school bag
giving us a heads up about how things are going so far.
i think adults should also be able to wear these as needed
in our lanyards or clipped to our clothing or bags
a simple statement of fact
a quiet warning
when we arrive somewhere
no questions need be asked
just a smile and a nod will do.
—
“i really should come with a warning label.”
-tom upton, american author
when playing outside
the kinder found a dead bird
they called out to everyone to come over to see it
they said goodbye to the bird and told her that they were sad that she had died
we put a circle of pretty leaves around her to keep her safe on her journey.
—
“teach them to be kind to animals and they will grow up to be kind to people too.”
-rumi
while on our recent visit to the farm
one of the 3-year old kinder
asked the farmers why the windmill wasn’t spinning
after a short discussion about the wind and movement
he put it all together and was happy to know the answer.
when we sat next to each other on the bus for our return to school
he turned to me with a big smile and said,
“you know, i just love, love, love learning.”
and it almost brought me to tears.
—
“the capacity to learn is a gift; the ability to learn is a skill; the willingness to learn is a choice.”
-brian herbert
—
image credit: kobi yamada, apg sales and distribution,
the kinder visited the farm today
met farmers megan and amy
said hello to the animals
had a tractor ride
saw the community garden
walked into the pumpkin patch
said thank you to the land and the plants
for making and sharing the pumpkins with us
they’ll give back
by planting the seeds from a pumpkin
to make new pumpkins at school
said thank you to the farmers
who taught us so much
who day in and day out
make all of the magic happen.
—
“we have neglected the truth that a good farmer is a craftsman of the highest order, a kind of artist.”
-wendell berry