Seedlings ~ Fall 2011 Activites

Seedlings 1 ~ a recap from gwt parent Shanna Hawes

"Fall season at the Greenwood tree is almost over. It's been a baking, crafting, story-filled fun couple of months. We've enjoyed making (and eating!) dragon bread and pumpkin wagons, collecting veggies for stone soup at Hedlin's Family Farm, crafting Martinmas lanterns after learning of the kindness behind them, and counting apples as they fall from our pretend tree. The children have warmed up beautifully to the sweet presence of our new teacher and we've gotten into the swing of the school season after what felt like such a short summer. We're looking forward to more playing our way into knowledge and skills this winter season. Joy, Peace, and Happy Holidays to everyone! With Love from all of us in the Seedlings 1 group." ~ Shanna Hawes, Parent

Seedlings 2

The Seedlings 2 have been busy baking, making lanterns, sewing medicine bags, picking up more and more Spanish vocabulary and learning some new seasonal songs & verses. Here is a list of Spanish words from Shelley to learn around the Dia de los Muertos holiday: [A common practice during Day of the Dead is to honor someone who has passed on in your life. There is an altar that the family creates and keeps in their home and sometimes in the cemetery. The following items can be found on the altar:]

papel picado – cut-outs on tissue paper
velas - candles
agua - water
bebida favorita - favorite drink
comida favorita - favorite food
pasatiempos - hobbies
jabón - soap
foto - picture
pan de muerto - day of the dead bread
cempazuchil - marigolds
incienso - sage, copal incense, etc.
calacas - skeletons

The Cobbler
There once was a cobbler who lived by himself,
But he had a helper and she was an elf.
And all day long, they’d sing this song,
Making magic shoes to fit everyone.
Rip, rap. Tip, tap. Tick-a-tack-a-too.
Scarlet leather we sew together,
And this shall make a shoe.
Left, right, pull tight.
In summer days are warm.
Autumn days and Winter,
We’re laughing at the storm.

Number Verse
ONE is the sun who shines above,
TWO is the prince when he finds his love,
The king, the queen, and their child are THREE,
FOUR are the winds that blow at me,
FIVE am I with my limbs and head,
SIX is the honeycomb sweentening my bread,
SEVEN are the planets that cross the sky,
EIGHT are the hours asleep I lie.

Root Children ~ Fall 2011 Activities

A recap from teacher Maria Hanson:

"Well, what do you know? That gnome who kept trying to get that pumpkin off the vine was not only successful, but actually made all of us in the Root Children room pumpkin pie the week before Thanksgiving. It was yummy! We even made our own gnomes to help tell the story at home. We also learned a few Native American chants and songs as well as a few about the rain and naturally, turkeys!

To celebrate Martinmas we discovered how tissue paper and glue can come together into a lovely lantern. And we bid one last "hurrah" to the wonder of harvest by shucking dried bean pods and using the beans to help stuff bean bags. Again, I had to marvel at how much discovery and joy can be found in digging into a bowl of beans, whether it be with your fingers or a spoon.

As we look toward December, snuggle in and ponder and celebrate that which brings light to our lives. We will be learning some songs and rhymes about Advent, light, and a story about Mother Nature tucking her seed babies into bed for the winter. To tickle our senses, we will be making cinnamon spice dough and seeing just how many cloves we can manage to stick into an orange to make pomanders. And, as I know we have all done our very best to be good this year, if we put our shoes out there might just be a special visitor leaving us some goodies on St. Nicholas Day."

Here is the recipe for
Cinnamon Spice Dough:

1 cup cinnamon
3/4 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon oil or white glue

1. Mix all ingredients together and roll out.
2. Use cookie cutters to make shapes, or cut your own.
3. Make a hole for a hanger (if desired) before allowing to air dry.

Hang on your tree ~ or from your car rear view mirror as the "original scented tree."

Join the Root Children

We have two spaces available in our Root Children class.  We meet on Fridays from 9:30 to 11:30 am.  This is a parent/toddler program for children 18 months to about 3 years.  If you'd like more information please contact Nancylee at nancylee.b@gmail.com.

Winter Season Volunteer Schedule

Family Volunteer Schedule

If you are unable to fulfill your day, you must find your own replacement. Much goes on behind the scenes and these jobs are very important. Please use the phone list given out at orientation to find a replacement. Thank you.

Here is a list of what days people have signed up for. For those of you not at class last week your name has been assigned to left over spots. Please email MaryAnn gebhard@fidalgo.net with any questions or concerns.

Sapling sign up
Jan 20 Carrie  
Jan 27 Jamie
Feb 3 MaryAnn
Feb 10 Jenn
Feb 17  Carrie
Feb 24 Lisa
March 2 Lisa
March 9 Nancylee
March 16 Heidi
March 23 Jenn
March 30 Amy

Seedling 2 sign up
Jan 20 Dana
Jan 27 Britt
Feb 3 Tami
Feb 10 Tami
Feb 17 Jenn
Feb 24 Britt
March 2 Jenn
March 9 Pauli
March 16 Sarah
March 23  Lisa
March 30 Lisa

Set up before class: Before 8:30 am on Thursday or Wed eve after 7:00
Jan 19  Dana
Jan 26 Laurel,
Feb 2 MaryAnn
Feb 9  Jamie
Feb 16 Amy
Feb 23 Shanna
March 1 Tami
March 8 Britt
March 15 Shelley
March 22 Pauli
March 29 Lisa Z

Take down of school after 4:00 on Fridays
Jan 20 Maria
Jan 27 Sophie
Feb 3 Jenn
Feb 10 Sarah
Feb 17 Carrie
Feb 24 Lisa L
March 2 Kelly
March 9 MaryAnn
March 16 Heidi
March23 Kristian
March 30 Nancylee

Please also check the job you signed up for if you have forgotten. The
bulletin board will remain up for the season.

Thank you again for your support

You Can't Catch Me ~ Gingerbread Men Tell Their Stories

I brace myself for a certain amount of chaos during the winter holiday season. As I walked up the stairs with my children, ages two and six, I expected to open the door onto a certain amount of flurry -- the flurry that looks like several dozen children and parents gathered in one place. I open the door onto calm and ease, and then I remember: Ah, yes, this is The Greenwood Tree.

Older children are busy in various rooms of our host's house, gathered in small groups, heads bowed over something of interest; or maybe they are leading their siblings (or friends' siblings) around by hand. Parents are busy readying the vast mounds of molasses-colored dough prepared the night before: ovens, baking sheets, cookie cutters, plus potluck food arriving as more families arrive.

Song calls us into community and we gather in one room, on chairs or the warm wood floor. Circle time, and the acknowledgemnt of everyone's presence with the naming of names in song. We are here.

Laurel uncovers wool-felted figurines and unravels a story on sky-blue silk. The story of the Gingerbread Man. Not read from a book but told from the heart, hands making the action. The children draw in closer to the sea of silk as the story unfolds. Quiet, captivated. Chins on knees, eyes on the moving figurines.

The story crescendos. Delighted children now rustling about, smiling. The silk and the figurines now unanimated and back in the basket. The energy in the room moves and the parents who keep Greenwood Tree running smoothly make smooth work once again -- a herd of children and parents in calm transition to the next room, to the unfathonably wide wooden table. Mounds of dark molasses dough for all. Cookie cutters, rolling sticks, and decoration in the form of red cranberries, light brown sunflower seeds, white slivered almonds. Let the baking begin!

Gingerbread Men and Women
Dough Recipe
(shared by gwt parent Shelley Olson -- her family recipe: "I believe it was my grandmother's and my mother has always used it, although she uses shortening and we used butter.")

1 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 c. molasses
2 Tbs. vinegar
Add:
5 c. flour (we used a little over 5c. spelt)
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tsp. (1 Tbs.) ginger

1. Cream together the shortening and sugar.
2. Stir in egg, molasses and vinegar.
3. Add dry ingredients (sift together if you like).
4. Chill 1-3 hours.
5. Roll out to 1/4" and cut (obviously our children didn't follow this one) :)
6. Bake @ 375 for 5-6 minutes.

Enjoy!

Martinmas Celebration

This week on November 11 we will celebrate Martinmas. This Festival honors the generosity of St. Martin of Tours (a patron Saint of France) and is also a harvest festival, when we ready ourselves, heads, hearts and hands, for the coming of winter.

Learn more here if you like: The Parenting Passageway

Greenwood Tree will celebrate the generosity of St Martin by conducting a food drive now until November 11. Please bring non-perishable food items to Greenwood Tree and the Saplings class will deliver them to our local Food Bank on Friday.

Also on Friday, November 11, we will gather as a community to share in a Lantern Walk, shining our own sparks of light into the dark world. All members of the community are welcome to join in this event – the more lights, the merrier!

Details for the Lantern Walk:

Location:

Hillcrest Park in Mt Vernon (1717 S 13^th St).

Please park and meet near the gazebo on the left near the main entrance of the park.

Rhythm:

4:30 pm: Everyone gathers
4:45 pm: Circle time/Importance of Martinmas
5:00 pm:-Lantern Walk with songs
*Popcorn and Tea to follow

Please Bring:

Lanterns: Enrolled children will make a lantern in class. Parents should bring these to the walk. Greenwood Tree will supply tea lights. If you are attending but your child is not enrolled, please bring your own lanterns.

Warm Clothes: It is said St Martin shared his cloak with a cold beggar, but just in case, please dress for the season.

Song Sheet: Enrolled children have been learning songs in class. The key songs to learn are “The Lantern Song” and “Jack-o-Lantern.” Songs have been emailed to enrolled families - please bring your song sheet on Friday.

The following site has some of these recorded so you could hear them before Friday. Songs

As with any festival one of the key aspects is the mood we create. Please help create this mood for this festival, a quieter one, by focusing on holding space for our children. This will help them (and us!) fully embrace the experience of the Lantern Walk – walking through the darkness, carefully holding our flames, and singing rhythmically together.

Please RSVP:

We will have popcorn and hot tea to share. Please RSVP to let us know if you will attend so we can properly prepare the snacks.

Also, if you have extra thermoses you could share for this event, please bring to Greenwood this week with your name on it. Please let Shelley or Britt know and leave them in the kitchen.

We look forward to celebrating with you and your families!

With Light and Love,

Your Greenwood Tree Board Members, Resource Council and Teacher

Laurel, MaryAnn, Britt, Shelley, Nancylee, Shanna, Lara, Jamie & Cassandra

Autumn's First Parent Educational Forum

Greetings to everyone on a beautiful Autumn day!

We are happy to announce our first Parent Educational Forum at Greenwood Tree this next Wednesday, October 5th from 6-8pm.  We will be congregating at the Unitarian Church in Mount Vernon where GWT classes are held. 

Our first forum is a parent panel that will focus on homeschooling and finding the balance in the home.  Amy Cocheba, Lisa Cooper, Carrie Wolcott and Sophie Dobra will be answering questions from the audience regarding their approach to homeschooling, curriculum, multi-age homes, nurturing their family and themselves and other questions related to their homeschooling experience.  Each has been homeschooling for a number of years and has a lot of experience and wisdom to share with our community. 

This is a family-friendly event as there will be childcare available.  We encourage all parents to attend and to invite other families who are homeschooling or who might be interested in homeschooling.  GWT members are free and we are asking for a $5 donation for non-members.

Attached is the flier to advertise this event.  There will be many posted around the community, but please feel free to print some off and spread the word.  If you attend GWT and will be there Thursday or Friday there is a stack of the fliers for you to take and hang around the community. 

Hope to see you all there,

Greenwood Tree Board 
Laurel, MaryAnn, Britt, Shelley, Nancylee, Kathryn, Shanna

& Resource Council
Lara & Jamie