The end of the 2011-2012 school year at GWT is coming to a close and
there are many events that we want to make sure you all know about.
Note that the Saplings will be on field trips for the first two weeks of
June (June 1 and June 8) and the Seedlings 2 will be on a field trip on
June 1.
*Seedlings 1 will not have class on Thursday, June 14. All classes will
be together on Friday, June 15 from 10 to 1pm at Padilla Bay. We will
be sending out an email with more details in the coming weeks.
Please email if you have any questions. We hope to see you at the many events occurring throughout the next few weeks.
May 24: 12:15-3pm Board Meeting at GWT (new board member nominations)
May 25: 6-8pm Parent Education Form--Quantum Storytelling
June 1: 9-11:30am Seedlings 2 Hike (more information to come from Cassandra)
June 1: 1-4pm Saplings Hike (more information to come from Cassandra)
June 1: 5:45pm Saplings Movie @ Lincoln Theatre
June 1: 6-8pm Potluck and Sorting for Flea Market @ GWT (following Saplings movie)
June 2: 9-3pm GWT Flea Market across the Co-op Deli
June 7: 12:30-3pm Doll Making Workshop @ GWT (RSVP or sign-up @ GWT by Friday)
June 8: TBA Saplings Rope Course
June 15: 10-1pm End of Year Celebration @ Padilla Bay (more information to come from GWT Board)
June 15: $50 Enrollment Fee due to hold a spot for the 2012-13 school year
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Monday, February 6, 2012
Family Social Night
Welcome back to all of our families. Greenwood Tree will be hosting a Family Social Night next Thursday night, February 9 from 6 to 8pm. We will be gathering together for a potluck dinner to commune with all of our families. We hope that you are all able to join us for an opportunity to become more familiar with all of the faces in our community and strengthen those relationships that have already begun.
Following dinner we will gather around and share songs that are commonly heard in your home and some that are being currently being used in the classroom as well. We hope to use this opportunity to share with one another and to go home with a few more songs that we can use with our children throughout our week.
Please join us next Thursday and share your evening with us. Bring a potluck dish, picnic supplies (plates, silverware, etc.) and songs to share.
Warmly,
The GWT Board, Resource Council and Teacher
Following dinner we will gather around and share songs that are commonly heard in your home and some that are being currently being used in the classroom as well. We hope to use this opportunity to share with one another and to go home with a few more songs that we can use with our children throughout our week.
Please join us next Thursday and share your evening with us. Bring a potluck dish, picnic supplies (plates, silverware, etc.) and songs to share.
Warmly,
The GWT Board, Resource Council and Teacher
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Gong Hey Fat Choy!
Happy New Year! in Chinese (Cantonese).
Last week, the children of The Greenwood Tree ushered in the Lunar New Year. Welcome, Year of the Dragon. Seedlings 1 and 2 celebrated by painting a massive dragon in red and gold. The Saplings created a massive feast which included hand stuffed dumplings. Root children decorated a dragon mask, slipped under a piece of red fabric with noisy tambourines to parade the dragon through the halls of the school.
Teacher Maria offered the Root children and accompanying parents special insight into Chinese New Year celebrations and culture. Maria spent two years living and teaching English in China in the 1990s. As Root children teacher, she brings a wealth of early education experience, ease, and fluidity to the weekly Root children class rhythms. Did I mention her gorgeous singing voice?
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Saplings ~ Fall 2011 Activites
In November, the Saplings held a Potlach (a gift-giving festival practiced by indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast) and enjoyed a potluck lunch and exchanged small handmade gifts with each other. See pictures of the event in our school Photo Gallery. Currently, they are hard at work rehearsing a puppet play for the Winter Festival.
The winter season is a time when many cultures and faiths around the world mark this period of seasonal darkness with festivals featuring the power of light. Celebrations such as Advent (four consecutive Sundays beginning Nov. 27), Hanukkah (Dec. 8-16), Santa Lucia Day (Dec. 13), Winter Solstice (Dec. 21), Christmas (Dec. 25), and Kwanzaa (Dec. 26), feature symbols of light - lanterns, candles, fire, sun - and provide us with the reminder to let our lights shine, even in the darkness.
Some of the Waldorf-inspired traditions we mark at Greenwood Tree in December include Advent (recognizing the mineral, plant, animal, and human kingdoms during each of the four weeks), St. Nicholas Day, and St. Lucia Day. The Greenwood Tree community gathering on December 17 celebrates with a Winter Festival and Spiral of Light, with crafts, songs, perfomances, and dining. The Saplings perform their Winter Solstice puppet play written by Maryann and Cassandra.
---
The first Light of Advent, it is the Light of Stones:
The Light that shines in seashells, in crystals and our bones.
The second Light of Advent, it is the Light of Plants:
Plants that reach up to the sun, and in the breezes dance.
The third Light of Advent, it is the Light of Beasts:
The Light of faith that we may see in greatest and in least.
The fourth Light of Advent, it is the Light of Humankind:
The Light of hope, of thoughts and deeds, the Light of hand, heart and mind.
---
Deep Mid-Winter drawing near,
Darkness in our Garden here - -
One small flame yet bravely burns
To show a path which ever turns.
Earth, please bear us as we go,
Seeking Light to send a-glow:
Branches green and moss and fern,
Mark our path to trace each turn.
Brother animals, teach us too
To serve with patience as you do.
We walk with candle toward the Light
While Earth awaits with hope so bright:
In the Light which finds new birth
Love may spread o'er all the Earth.
Deep Mid-Winter drawing near - -
May Light arise in our Garden here.
by Nancy Foster
The winter season is a time when many cultures and faiths around the world mark this period of seasonal darkness with festivals featuring the power of light. Celebrations such as Advent (four consecutive Sundays beginning Nov. 27), Hanukkah (Dec. 8-16), Santa Lucia Day (Dec. 13), Winter Solstice (Dec. 21), Christmas (Dec. 25), and Kwanzaa (Dec. 26), feature symbols of light - lanterns, candles, fire, sun - and provide us with the reminder to let our lights shine, even in the darkness.
Some of the Waldorf-inspired traditions we mark at Greenwood Tree in December include Advent (recognizing the mineral, plant, animal, and human kingdoms during each of the four weeks), St. Nicholas Day, and St. Lucia Day. The Greenwood Tree community gathering on December 17 celebrates with a Winter Festival and Spiral of Light, with crafts, songs, perfomances, and dining. The Saplings perform their Winter Solstice puppet play written by Maryann and Cassandra.
---
The first Light of Advent, it is the Light of Stones:
The Light that shines in seashells, in crystals and our bones.
The second Light of Advent, it is the Light of Plants:
Plants that reach up to the sun, and in the breezes dance.
The third Light of Advent, it is the Light of Beasts:
The Light of faith that we may see in greatest and in least.
The fourth Light of Advent, it is the Light of Humankind:
The Light of hope, of thoughts and deeds, the Light of hand, heart and mind.
---
Deep Mid-Winter drawing near,
Darkness in our Garden here - -
One small flame yet bravely burns
To show a path which ever turns.
Earth, please bear us as we go,
Seeking Light to send a-glow:
Branches green and moss and fern,
Mark our path to trace each turn.
Brother animals, teach us too
To serve with patience as you do.
We walk with candle toward the Light
While Earth awaits with hope so bright:
In the Light which finds new birth
Love may spread o'er all the Earth.
Deep Mid-Winter drawing near - -
May Light arise in our Garden here.
by Nancy Foster
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.
"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."
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
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.
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