Goats Galore!
Baby Goats Galore
Farmer Larry has blessed us with 5 baby goats this month. The babies, named Mia, London, Marty, Star, and Rocky are spending most of their time in classes 3 and 4/5 but are also visiting the EC classes and playing at recess. And today is Farmer Larry's birthday! Happy Birthday, Larry!
Candlemas
This morning the Grades students gathered in the garden with Ms. Liz to acknowledge the festival of Candlemas. Candlemas celebrates the midway point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox and is the precursor to Groundhog Day. The roots of Candlemas align with Imbolc, a feast honoring Brigid who, in Celtic tradition, is a goddess of the dawn, of healing, of fertility. The feast day in her honor marks the beginning of the lambing season, a sign of the earth coming back to life after the fallow time of winter.
The students were given seeds to plant in the garden as we anticipate Spring. We look forward to seeing the wildflower blossoms soon!
Kim John Payne: The Guide
During the teen years the parent has an opportunity to reap the rewards of the previous years of work. By this time the child is ready to make decisions and choices for him or herself. The parent is there to shepherd the young adult in making these decisions, standing behind him or her to help the best decision come to light. We can ask guiding questions, suggest ideas that the teenager might not have thought of, and brainstorm together. We have to be careful about offering our opinions because a child of this age does not want to be told what to do. Thoughts and opinions that are offered with subtlety and care are often welcomed and acted on. Discipline is something that we can work on together. If your teenager is going out with friends you can work together to determine an appropriate curfew. In the process you can discuss what happens if the curfew is broken. The child can be a part of this process and will often determine stricter consequences for his or her actions than the parent might have set. When a poor choice is made we can meet with the child and talk about it. What can we do so that better decisions are made in the future? We can notice these things and create these guidelines together. In this way we are truly preparing our teenagers for adulthood when they'll have to make these choices completely on their own. Kim shares that if children consistently show themselves to struggle with their current phase of development, the parent must take a step back and act out of the guidelines for the previous phase. A child must be able to be a team player before being able to make choices, and basic compliance is the foundation of it all.
Below is a Simplicity Parenting Podcast: Emotionally Resilient Tweens and Teens.
Eurythmy Workshop and Evening Talk With Cynthia Hoven on March 6 and 7
Please mark your calendars for a parent evening, Technology and the Development of the Will, from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. on Friday, March 6 and a Eurythmy Workshop on Saturday, March 7. Both are being co-sponsored by the Helen Hecker Group.
Summer Offerings
Ms. Lowenberg and Mr. Aaron will be offering summer camps this July. Please see the flyers attached to this newsletter and contact Ms. Lowenberg and Mr. Aaron directly.