tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79139360412169080642024-03-05T00:22:55.479-08:00Red Mountain Community SchoolMelanie Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10502267371040670966noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913936041216908064.post-72977919394503499912010-01-25T20:35:00.000-08:002010-01-25T21:01:17.415-08:00Wheeler Wildlife Preserve<div>Here was nature study at its best...</div><div>We went to the Wheeler Wildlife Preserve in Decatur today. Though we saw a short film about the 500 or so wildlife preserves in the U.S., and met a red-tailed hawk named "Hawkeye" (ask your children what Hawkeye taught them!), most of the time was spent...</div><div><br /></div><div>...out of doors...</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlzFjABppWFu0DOcjrZtslFJFs8FGXfsbe3Vb3MfslJWAa7H4OkYvdSHUFp99-P7LMHAzOq35QBMtqRGD3sS1sHT8vpWoBvLPn73QAK_1LIl8lg5MpZINhEA0BySe5CmVHwQCV1e_EQ9c/s1600-h/IMG_2247.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlzFjABppWFu0DOcjrZtslFJFs8FGXfsbe3Vb3MfslJWAa7H4OkYvdSHUFp99-P7LMHAzOq35QBMtqRGD3sS1sHT8vpWoBvLPn73QAK_1LIl8lg5MpZINhEA0BySe5CmVHwQCV1e_EQ9c/s320/IMG_2247.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430908916396185298" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmm9aHIjCvtgyPuoo43Z4XzQ_fDcIJVxL6PaivuRkx0juCZDnPlU9rnto_9lAYFF4Qd364EhNjtDKDO8KLukvGdWC65l_d3f6KqVYVPlQcYSMDbua-zFQeuExLXNKPvScXQWJANEXIIZ4/s1600-h/IMG_2242.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmm9aHIjCvtgyPuoo43Z4XzQ_fDcIJVxL6PaivuRkx0juCZDnPlU9rnto_9lAYFF4Qd364EhNjtDKDO8KLukvGdWC65l_d3f6KqVYVPlQcYSMDbua-zFQeuExLXNKPvScXQWJANEXIIZ4/s320/IMG_2242.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430906343066282962" /></a><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmm9aHIjCvtgyPuoo43Z4XzQ_fDcIJVxL6PaivuRkx0juCZDnPlU9rnto_9lAYFF4Qd364EhNjtDKDO8KLukvGdWC65l_d3f6KqVYVPlQcYSMDbua-zFQeuExLXNKPvScXQWJANEXIIZ4/s1600-h/IMG_2242.JPG"></a>and in quiet and careful observation... </div><div>(During the winter, Wheeler is home to 1000's of migratory waterfowl.)</div><div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmm9aHIjCvtgyPuoo43Z4XzQ_fDcIJVxL6PaivuRkx0juCZDnPlU9rnto_9lAYFF4Qd364EhNjtDKDO8KLukvGdWC65l_d3f6KqVYVPlQcYSMDbua-zFQeuExLXNKPvScXQWJANEXIIZ4/s1600-h/IMG_2242.JPG"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiThOBAukmbKYV-H6yes5WqtoOw9r9nUN8w8wFaAxEG9b2oQKPkkljg16J7sTtHWiTDzsawisgM5m1ApHtxFJJ8M00O2oBEEg4BzV1HBq7j8OxblHnHL6aJjvqWoV3WKMron52naYmRl1M/s1600-h/IMG_2240.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; 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cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Aw2KH4ruaC2lldZRp2293vZ2BCi0iFRY0kq-x4M6rgRRg7GV1HIFDem_k50iwy1KXvCNtetAM9E_4shF_ipQ1myMz1bx2UwHOF3B1RD1kK0iSy9PEcbf56NCAmEMh5DTgMagt0X54r8/s320/IMG_2250.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430905363270930434" /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Aw2KH4ruaC2lldZRp2293vZ2BCi0iFRY0kq-x4M6rgRRg7GV1HIFDem_k50iwy1KXvCNtetAM9E_4shF_ipQ1myMz1bx2UwHOF3B1RD1kK0iSy9PEcbf56NCAmEMh5DTgMagt0X54r8/s1600-h/IMG_2250.JPG"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpMe2Rg2MqhI9RJ1W0TE-E84eaVwiOWMkKMiKiFH_awWGoS80LhFYxe3Ug9hUMdHA8EutCGU9my5wXQcHjDBY3r5XQ2rzIeLVX-GntNPuKebKxRiQpmRA7FLhXGWu6l34tVI8_C4i5pM0/s1600-h/IMG_2253.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpMe2Rg2MqhI9RJ1W0TE-E84eaVwiOWMkKMiKiFH_awWGoS80LhFYxe3Ug9hUMdHA8EutCGU9my5wXQcHjDBY3r5XQ2rzIeLVX-GntNPuKebKxRiQpmRA7FLhXGWu6l34tVI8_C4i5pM0/s320/IMG_2253.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430905356394863698" /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpMe2Rg2MqhI9RJ1W0TE-E84eaVwiOWMkKMiKiFH_awWGoS80LhFYxe3Ug9hUMdHA8EutCGU9my5wXQcHjDBY3r5XQ2rzIeLVX-GntNPuKebKxRiQpmRA7FLhXGWu6l34tVI8_C4i5pM0/s1600-h/IMG_2253.JPG"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2LXSsCTNag8DrOKh4prhnmenQdt15_taXPqN3cV7UuZmQ1W2yloGZcnPL8ObtM8lGmdlaqg8lWDHS2TAEjw5AAErSIKT2a62ZPfMWXMGIkvRzC5TsGNWD4lpAlCXUIEoi0MIqU5RX6g/s1600-h/IMG_2256.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2LXSsCTNag8DrOKh4prhnmenQdt15_taXPqN3cV7UuZmQ1W2yloGZcnPL8ObtM8lGmdlaqg8lWDHS2TAEjw5AAErSIKT2a62ZPfMWXMGIkvRzC5TsGNWD4lpAlCXUIEoi0MIqU5RX6g/s320/IMG_2256.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430905350122600962" /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2LXSsCTNag8DrOKh4prhnmenQdt15_taXPqN3cV7UuZmQ1W2yloGZcnPL8ObtM8lGmdlaqg8lWDHS2TAEjw5AAErSIKT2a62ZPfMWXMGIkvRzC5TsGNWD4lpAlCXUIEoi0MIqU5RX6g/s1600-h/IMG_2256.JPG"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_V2a18t4w7tEKwWVkKQUJu0tr_x45PPAguTz1WrSPqRJOooEiShYUod1VO84gmlZ6Vf5WoRLqmSEzhjxQDs8dZYUzNG3zVn3_hzSIsQYWjmTBMKfINaOzUe4srMhJc6Fzf4zsXQ9qpY/s1600-h/IMG_2257.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_V2a18t4w7tEKwWVkKQUJu0tr_x45PPAguTz1WrSPqRJOooEiShYUod1VO84gmlZ6Vf5WoRLqmSEzhjxQDs8dZYUzNG3zVn3_hzSIsQYWjmTBMKfINaOzUe4srMhJc6Fzf4zsXQ9qpY/s320/IMG_2257.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430905341157486402" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>And then drawing out those observations in nature journals...</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_V2a18t4w7tEKwWVkKQUJu0tr_x45PPAguTz1WrSPqRJOooEiShYUod1VO84gmlZ6Vf5WoRLqmSEzhjxQDs8dZYUzNG3zVn3_hzSIsQYWjmTBMKfINaOzUe4srMhJc6Fzf4zsXQ9qpY/s1600-h/IMG_2257.JPG"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRG0K6VZ15oYSW43aMTlVEhJf_4_kJcDx9jPhf0SHuJPkAjBZVpeNP6UvU7xOYpgStMkoSrB3XbAgLsnWY7D1RYxm8sBMzGIDICaNaktXOmj56JzjIRt5_r02d9VWMjh_4ke2hWV7-iaE/s1600-h/IMG_2252.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRG0K6VZ15oYSW43aMTlVEhJf_4_kJcDx9jPhf0SHuJPkAjBZVpeNP6UvU7xOYpgStMkoSrB3XbAgLsnWY7D1RYxm8sBMzGIDICaNaktXOmj56JzjIRt5_r02d9VWMjh_4ke2hWV7-iaE/s320/IMG_2252.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430903733053919442" /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRG0K6VZ15oYSW43aMTlVEhJf_4_kJcDx9jPhf0SHuJPkAjBZVpeNP6UvU7xOYpgStMkoSrB3XbAgLsnWY7D1RYxm8sBMzGIDICaNaktXOmj56JzjIRt5_r02d9VWMjh_4ke2hWV7-iaE/s1600-h/IMG_2252.JPG"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSsEmotwdQXIEQYqT2qSBpwAP2nKTtrdQM5rzWKZrapcUxLxuSSHzMhV9PV834wIMvWshgUmMo3BiNlm-Df6lNZcpXPRN8Atdq8_krw7pCl7LJ8TJ_Rx8FEZ6UfdWITRCJNlLel85zV1w/s1600-h/IMG_2254.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSsEmotwdQXIEQYqT2qSBpwAP2nKTtrdQM5rzWKZrapcUxLxuSSHzMhV9PV834wIMvWshgUmMo3BiNlm-Df6lNZcpXPRN8Atdq8_krw7pCl7LJ8TJ_Rx8FEZ6UfdWITRCJNlLel85zV1w/s320/IMG_2254.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430903727410744706" /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSsEmotwdQXIEQYqT2qSBpwAP2nKTtrdQM5rzWKZrapcUxLxuSSHzMhV9PV834wIMvWshgUmMo3BiNlm-Df6lNZcpXPRN8Atdq8_krw7pCl7LJ8TJ_Rx8FEZ6UfdWITRCJNlLel85zV1w/s1600-h/IMG_2254.JPG"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCLZCVF8vpwhvthHouOPto7045KoSJ3G5osdkX8hmL-xZ9O1O3svEkbqKDm0xVktIMK5x8fCymKYAbqaqkhe1HFFMQSgCAkkKGmZj_IfijhQAcw97Q35CJ7z7-HRIp6JSHngZ5zbb2yPQ/s1600-h/IMG_2258.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCLZCVF8vpwhvthHouOPto7045KoSJ3G5osdkX8hmL-xZ9O1O3svEkbqKDm0xVktIMK5x8fCymKYAbqaqkhe1HFFMQSgCAkkKGmZj_IfijhQAcw97Q35CJ7z7-HRIp6JSHngZ5zbb2yPQ/s320/IMG_2258.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430903724299083042" /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCLZCVF8vpwhvthHouOPto7045KoSJ3G5osdkX8hmL-xZ9O1O3svEkbqKDm0xVktIMK5x8fCymKYAbqaqkhe1HFFMQSgCAkkKGmZj_IfijhQAcw97Q35CJ7z7-HRIp6JSHngZ5zbb2yPQ/s1600-h/IMG_2258.JPG"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4f8UwT26XxleKUsF_vwRTYUqbIHTjJwVAswH6RjrmcSk5CJw042WZdG3cVY5AG1IXQpMhqdyewcWksaPpzGHabf4vPJwZasOAyVqk4_OTOHrFg9xHZWoniwwQkuL6apPwaTjXMF83-0U/s1600-h/IMG_2259.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4f8UwT26XxleKUsF_vwRTYUqbIHTjJwVAswH6RjrmcSk5CJw042WZdG3cVY5AG1IXQpMhqdyewcWksaPpzGHabf4vPJwZasOAyVqk4_OTOHrFg9xHZWoniwwQkuL6apPwaTjXMF83-0U/s320/IMG_2259.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430903716494818578" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /></div></div></div>Melanie Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10502267371040670966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913936041216908064.post-92021779783693946742010-01-21T08:49:00.000-08:002010-01-21T09:04:08.040-08:00An Evening of Light...<div>We captured some images from our school celebration on January 6th. The feast of Epiphany is one of the oldest Christian remembrances, even pre-dating Christmas traditions. The children are dressed in royal robes as they lead our guests in readings and songs.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidJoyo3o9tatl1hbA6G48UEvAJz1uLmSWyJ4kQcFnbJzkBZZBhF_lqXhjbyAfkEipfu3mVTaNCUnK95JqP2bb0Wm7V-qYTIb-kqQZEVQeEd8LBUqtFooxmNqWojZ725xVfoXwKezRuu3w/s1600-h/IMG_7648.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidJoyo3o9tatl1hbA6G48UEvAJz1uLmSWyJ4kQcFnbJzkBZZBhF_lqXhjbyAfkEipfu3mVTaNCUnK95JqP2bb0Wm7V-qYTIb-kqQZEVQeEd8LBUqtFooxmNqWojZ725xVfoXwKezRuu3w/s320/IMG_7648.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429239090367471282" style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjosMjqLtOKIYe-1VyMkdeQfMl2yKbmeWE1Jh9V3datKrWiri_dyNVE4vx98onwjkVaw66w5XMaUjITRTSvHweRtOaAVRQo3NNkoCVzqn_Iph4RcQf7bnBqF_jvrPYZOcOr2M_gFiTSXh8/s1600-h/IMG_7666.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjosMjqLtOKIYe-1VyMkdeQfMl2yKbmeWE1Jh9V3datKrWiri_dyNVE4vx98onwjkVaw66w5XMaUjITRTSvHweRtOaAVRQo3NNkoCVzqn_Iph4RcQf7bnBqF_jvrPYZOcOr2M_gFiTSXh8/s320/IMG_7666.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429239091793539554" style="cursor: pointer; 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cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtdPieiW3d1x_G_udKbTfYEnxVqkedVCYKggu9AQpBc0UFR2DDhwVcl0Ika-vXLKisti_zeGQLKomUga5RamrhPz6YpPk-SJ9tNBW0zBtUOMviccZc1_fosREWjfEvDWiihOHKvWvTNDw/s320/IMG_7636.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429238778907752018" /></a><br /><br /></div>Melanie Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10502267371040670966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913936041216908064.post-43370964934533293932009-12-21T06:32:00.001-08:002010-01-15T07:53:45.757-08:00The Creche<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh53VKIIqyzNXgNrm-jlVGPjH5im0PZrakDtHwZjHDf_rqCXRcVMa142qdlBtdWZt_Qt_a19QtIiwHkeyNYldbWtMIQxzJHhoaRwJqr287RbeFQGrxjms89bgRuYc75ncDoxialkq47R70/s1600-h/photo_5(2).jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh53VKIIqyzNXgNrm-jlVGPjH5im0PZrakDtHwZjHDf_rqCXRcVMa142qdlBtdWZt_Qt_a19QtIiwHkeyNYldbWtMIQxzJHhoaRwJqr287RbeFQGrxjms89bgRuYc75ncDoxialkq47R70/s320/photo_5(2).jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426995170759099410" /></a><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh53VKIIqyzNXgNrm-jlVGPjH5im0PZrakDtHwZjHDf_rqCXRcVMa142qdlBtdWZt_Qt_a19QtIiwHkeyNYldbWtMIQxzJHhoaRwJqr287RbeFQGrxjms89bgRuYc75ncDoxialkq47R70/s1600-h/photo_5(2).jpg"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilgjPIRopplorycoeh7XitPWyR4rmQvGqfvb84skwj6CzzLWfrcDOamAQfy0auOeTTM9INE76vogeeNoBQ09_9m_0GCO3yje3sRDhZAlI6R4LkxQ5_R5wUjCSssVroxHRAJBsDeXGGHKI/s1600-h/photo_5.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilgjPIRopplorycoeh7XitPWyR4rmQvGqfvb84skwj6CzzLWfrcDOamAQfy0auOeTTM9INE76vogeeNoBQ09_9m_0GCO3yje3sRDhZAlI6R4LkxQ5_R5wUjCSssVroxHRAJBsDeXGGHKI/s320/photo_5.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426995167531380258" /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilgjPIRopplorycoeh7XitPWyR4rmQvGqfvb84skwj6CzzLWfrcDOamAQfy0auOeTTM9INE76vogeeNoBQ09_9m_0GCO3yje3sRDhZAlI6R4LkxQ5_R5wUjCSssVroxHRAJBsDeXGGHKI/s1600-h/photo_5.jpg"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLawRuSGg1JdUeOMnEe8ZL4JOoaaMA8nantYzrRNnDGxwORhNAiDCa55cOZjNPk4V3zMfWF9NzL-4POgX4OyfFyd3yIn4RQXrT_aJkpmHlY5Jjlc7orR3x8n0A8zN88p9NwvQldOP3qyY/s1600-h/photo_4.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLawRuSGg1JdUeOMnEe8ZL4JOoaaMA8nantYzrRNnDGxwORhNAiDCa55cOZjNPk4V3zMfWF9NzL-4POgX4OyfFyd3yIn4RQXrT_aJkpmHlY5Jjlc7orR3x8n0A8zN88p9NwvQldOP3qyY/s320/photo_4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426995159622164738" /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLawRuSGg1JdUeOMnEe8ZL4JOoaaMA8nantYzrRNnDGxwORhNAiDCa55cOZjNPk4V3zMfWF9NzL-4POgX4OyfFyd3yIn4RQXrT_aJkpmHlY5Jjlc7orR3x8n0A8zN88p9NwvQldOP3qyY/s1600-h/photo_4.jpg"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj59kOzqL62hIX2gv-PymYSwgKcSIY0uLUXiwRvtbq0V4EPiS5HlSalJj0ZSZwk7WyzcXjpa53ZifoJOOJNds_xHKYaqVn_Cx_iqteBPFrdDM58Qad_n_FLt9kx5KHG_Xo1cb_nJhpJ8So/s1600-h/photo_2.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj59kOzqL62hIX2gv-PymYSwgKcSIY0uLUXiwRvtbq0V4EPiS5HlSalJj0ZSZwk7WyzcXjpa53ZifoJOOJNds_xHKYaqVn_Cx_iqteBPFrdDM58Qad_n_FLt9kx5KHG_Xo1cb_nJhpJ8So/s320/photo_2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426995157978468178" /></a><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 2em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; "><i>What can I give him,</i></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 2em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; "><i>Poor as I am?</i></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 2em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; "><i>If I were a shepherd</i></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 2em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; "><i>I would bring a lamb,</i></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 2em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; "><i>If I were a wise man</i></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 2em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; "><i>I would do my part,</i></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 2em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; "><i>Yet what I can I give Him —</i></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 2em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; "><i>Give my heart.</i></dd><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 2em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; "><i><br /></i></dd></span></div><div>Another tradition for the school is to make a pilgrimage out to the Young's (where we do outdoor classroom) for our own living nativity. We began by reading the story of St. Francis and singing carols.</div><div><br /></div><div>We walked by candlelight to the lake. </div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXN3RbcalMuC4CnAWIpuxxdK4dbSGFibl368d-OrvzFL4r8bfFRwMt8558Aw1kQ3sMLhs_9lIp5io_uIj-mN_1ryh8PiFSMSnJ7pBRkzLx-5WWYjLwbxw-f8Bd9Yk6E5AZeFiK3ZERHhU/s1600-h/IMG_9727.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXN3RbcalMuC4CnAWIpuxxdK4dbSGFibl368d-OrvzFL4r8bfFRwMt8558Aw1kQ3sMLhs_9lIp5io_uIj-mN_1ryh8PiFSMSnJ7pBRkzLx-5WWYjLwbxw-f8Bd9Yk6E5AZeFiK3ZERHhU/s320/IMG_9727.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417697883101304338" /></a><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXN3RbcalMuC4CnAWIpuxxdK4dbSGFibl368d-OrvzFL4r8bfFRwMt8558Aw1kQ3sMLhs_9lIp5io_uIj-mN_1ryh8PiFSMSnJ7pBRkzLx-5WWYjLwbxw-f8Bd9Yk6E5AZeFiK3ZERHhU/s1600-h/IMG_9727.JPG"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6vDxXjffQlh6eLCxYALyGyMh2JgrfvA-WXX1kw8r57jWJ44LrW4EbB4dmCfF-ctO4fYblqhQO5nhpIJUOk2kj5twl9oUFa7hug7Io6P90tgS655Pl1uqQoCrJZx1CCIp6H4EGS59GjIg/s1600-h/IMG_9724.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6vDxXjffQlh6eLCxYALyGyMh2JgrfvA-WXX1kw8r57jWJ44LrW4EbB4dmCfF-ctO4fYblqhQO5nhpIJUOk2kj5twl9oUFa7hug7Io6P90tgS655Pl1uqQoCrJZx1CCIp6H4EGS59GjIg/s320/IMG_9724.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417697881566905058" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6vDxXjffQlh6eLCxYALyGyMh2JgrfvA-WXX1kw8r57jWJ44LrW4EbB4dmCfF-ctO4fYblqhQO5nhpIJUOk2kj5twl9oUFa7hug7Io6P90tgS655Pl1uqQoCrJZx1CCIp6H4EGS59GjIg/s1600-h/IMG_9724.JPG"></a>Gavin read the Nativity story, and our shepherds and angels acted out their parts.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4AQ_jQzCM4_iGuD7h1kiXZPVGJwqDWWhkN4OVUg4XwNNYU1ZtCpn9HwOlFOsn-ea4K1vRa0pjyU9mX0HZV-mK1egcMeI8LYOoZaYBfkhustb8CyR6lRmtt0Q0E35ucTU-Gy328eXFNds/s1600-h/IMG_9720.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4AQ_jQzCM4_iGuD7h1kiXZPVGJwqDWWhkN4OVUg4XwNNYU1ZtCpn9HwOlFOsn-ea4K1vRa0pjyU9mX0HZV-mK1egcMeI8LYOoZaYBfkhustb8CyR6lRmtt0Q0E35ucTU-Gy328eXFNds/s320/IMG_9720.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417697875028368226" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4AQ_jQzCM4_iGuD7h1kiXZPVGJwqDWWhkN4OVUg4XwNNYU1ZtCpn9HwOlFOsn-ea4K1vRa0pjyU9mX0HZV-mK1egcMeI8LYOoZaYBfkhustb8CyR6lRmtt0Q0E35ucTU-Gy328eXFNds/s1600-h/IMG_9720.JPG"></a>Even a fall in the lake could not dampen the joy...</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk43Vbw7tEVRGHpI5QEovKG_A31AhjeTqz6Waauhv3lL7qMCw62j7o56QOWhbeTst9Ex4FBjHT5Na21iNRZBGwmKAHS5ce2c-UnweA4BzTAxz-czUxFQDjbtsn8-lVaja5AoH7AidupE8/s1600-h/IMG_9719.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk43Vbw7tEVRGHpI5QEovKG_A31AhjeTqz6Waauhv3lL7qMCw62j7o56QOWhbeTst9Ex4FBjHT5Na21iNRZBGwmKAHS5ce2c-UnweA4BzTAxz-czUxFQDjbtsn8-lVaja5AoH7AidupE8/s320/IMG_9719.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417697867747328738" /></a><br /></div></div>Melanie Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10502267371040670966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913936041216908064.post-9187319417991373932009-12-21T06:20:00.001-08:002009-12-21T06:52:16.048-08:00Advent<div>We honor the Advent season as the ending of one year and the beginning of another. Each afternoon during the season, we celebrate "Advent Hour" by reading stories and making crafts. The favorite craft this year was felting (although the gum drop trees ran a close second).</div><div><br /></div><div>On the last day of school, Mrs. Walker's class celebrated the approach of Christmas at her house.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ11edPWMY1p8hLwQYLffU61sb7FKAf2oTNhrnatEo3mhJK17SzURS_NbK5WhSTLQcLT3qxbQDYOqDJ7GYUP60x8BCxSCfVxMg0LFUOdlFu7ZK2QEP7Wl6Cql9CI8_QXVThhdkVyS6zRs/s1600-h/IMG_2081.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 282px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ11edPWMY1p8hLwQYLffU61sb7FKAf2oTNhrnatEo3mhJK17SzURS_NbK5WhSTLQcLT3qxbQDYOqDJ7GYUP60x8BCxSCfVxMg0LFUOdlFu7ZK2QEP7Wl6Cql9CI8_QXVThhdkVyS6zRs/s320/IMG_2081.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417695002273428050" /></a><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ11edPWMY1p8hLwQYLffU61sb7FKAf2oTNhrnatEo3mhJK17SzURS_NbK5WhSTLQcLT3qxbQDYOqDJ7GYUP60x8BCxSCfVxMg0LFUOdlFu7ZK2QEP7Wl6Cql9CI8_QXVThhdkVyS6zRs/s1600-h/IMG_2081.JPG"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxLJ1erfz_6B9xwU1bgifA5nJG3jVQ7b2NzvBRcuYYKencPyrQQ-6lYbSRtS7JGINr7eIb6BSPwz3qFixQaInpk6ZpCsYhm8gRFwCHqtVcAbEKk8ssrTWA3_Qn9004J8scKUVLlONmX00/s1600-h/IMG_2077.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxLJ1erfz_6B9xwU1bgifA5nJG3jVQ7b2NzvBRcuYYKencPyrQQ-6lYbSRtS7JGINr7eIb6BSPwz3qFixQaInpk6ZpCsYhm8gRFwCHqtVcAbEKk8ssrTWA3_Qn9004J8scKUVLlONmX00/s320/IMG_2077.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417694998859979650" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxLJ1erfz_6B9xwU1bgifA5nJG3jVQ7b2NzvBRcuYYKencPyrQQ-6lYbSRtS7JGINr7eIb6BSPwz3qFixQaInpk6ZpCsYhm8gRFwCHqtVcAbEKk8ssrTWA3_Qn9004J8scKUVLlONmX00/s1600-h/IMG_2077.JPG"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgilIQF0rs259SFH5VgLuclu71W-zRWG3cI5bPoyiG7aea66DUv-lSkMaluOwGTFx5SLzsTJsVTy28p15aTOl1NSunua74fFuaIJggKf72FIlJDYAPGJvJ3bCiP_wKBXhlq9UMcUIiWcEg/s1600-h/IMG_2073.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgilIQF0rs259SFH5VgLuclu71W-zRWG3cI5bPoyiG7aea66DUv-lSkMaluOwGTFx5SLzsTJsVTy28p15aTOl1NSunua74fFuaIJggKf72FIlJDYAPGJvJ3bCiP_wKBXhlq9UMcUIiWcEg/s320/IMG_2073.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417694989681780178" /></a><br /></div>Melanie Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10502267371040670966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913936041216908064.post-2707673805942752062009-11-24T14:20:00.000-08:002009-11-24T20:38:37.369-08:00Of the People, For the People<div>This year's folk song program included songs from everyday life and songs of protest. We had a big, happy crowd, who sang along with the students and watched the children demonstrate square dancing (accompanied by the Yahoos).</div><div><br /></div><div>Below you can see five of the students who have been at the school since year one. They are singing "Hard Times". </div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT0GTv16_xmOfuqYw8wyzaaJFFOXipOWQU2TI770UH0_LEj3_ADgp5U_nQq1MUQNBikjdI7mb2TaMynRb4nXm_umaXRnDRrF5AVkhbWuigOJfZB67JFilw3nkA4VJ59DvOCXnaKrZuPAM/s1600/IMG_0343.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT0GTv16_xmOfuqYw8wyzaaJFFOXipOWQU2TI770UH0_LEj3_ADgp5U_nQq1MUQNBikjdI7mb2TaMynRb4nXm_umaXRnDRrF5AVkhbWuigOJfZB67JFilw3nkA4VJ59DvOCXnaKrZuPAM/s320/IMG_0343.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407804044072523730" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>There was a silent auction and student bazaar as well. Many friends of the school donated items for the auction, and the children made and sold any number of sweets and wares. Here's Chloe and her pumpkin pies...</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvghKuctEJ6MLqo_YfDhG9cjhxKNJceibWsU_YUGGR3Zp12vH8jhtbFaJg9Orka4ngmQx767t33m2xDRjvcc22e9hSN0jAEJ5egNr1AGpHzHQwRGEy9IFBBlygwzh1GSE4Sr-jwdTvYqw/s1600/IMG_0357.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvghKuctEJ6MLqo_YfDhG9cjhxKNJceibWsU_YUGGR3Zp12vH8jhtbFaJg9Orka4ngmQx767t33m2xDRjvcc22e9hSN0jAEJ5egNr1AGpHzHQwRGEy9IFBBlygwzh1GSE4Sr-jwdTvYqw/s320/IMG_0357.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407804071816939538" /></a><div><br /></div><div>Several children encouraging our guests to empty their pockets at their booths...</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvghKuctEJ6MLqo_YfDhG9cjhxKNJceibWsU_YUGGR3Zp12vH8jhtbFaJg9Orka4ngmQx767t33m2xDRjvcc22e9hSN0jAEJ5egNr1AGpHzHQwRGEy9IFBBlygwzh1GSE4Sr-jwdTvYqw/s1600/IMG_0357.JPG"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_7fCwFBtJpEVNFyufLiI9PSC-R0EZpLgw2_VP8I0xXUnEPttqA_YpTL2S4DF7GmK8DRn7_P1pSsNj6kNBcrloo7GGAq7AAWEH8QpKgfAVwlgQt97tugasXx27RnYs9D28jQzrjBJIft8/s1600/IMG_0354.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_7fCwFBtJpEVNFyufLiI9PSC-R0EZpLgw2_VP8I0xXUnEPttqA_YpTL2S4DF7GmK8DRn7_P1pSsNj6kNBcrloo7GGAq7AAWEH8QpKgfAVwlgQt97tugasXx27RnYs9D28jQzrjBJIft8/s320/IMG_0354.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407804066333666850" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj9Ihp-WNlgX5B0mySpxKa-cVNIfKY2019IS_OTUqynwMzbPJ7BITy8ZbME6N62KauD2nopjqT92qoioM4Re6gf1uLtr275nodwsB9umwwOvO2g_RNTHNKpVV5TitqyjCCkFqVtXG23FY/s1600/IMG_0322.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj9Ihp-WNlgX5B0mySpxKa-cVNIfKY2019IS_OTUqynwMzbPJ7BITy8ZbME6N62KauD2nopjqT92qoioM4Re6gf1uLtr275nodwsB9umwwOvO2g_RNTHNKpVV5TitqyjCCkFqVtXG23FY/s320/IMG_0322.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407800472637640914" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Soup...lots of soup...</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_7fCwFBtJpEVNFyufLiI9PSC-R0EZpLgw2_VP8I0xXUnEPttqA_YpTL2S4DF7GmK8DRn7_P1pSsNj6kNBcrloo7GGAq7AAWEH8QpKgfAVwlgQt97tugasXx27RnYs9D28jQzrjBJIft8/s1600/IMG_0354.JPG"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7RR0fcMV3-UG1WBsCDBiiwEmHGJ8oCcxigtFe_Qur3UYX3N8A9prBMPejlSl3ZZRyX5xRXsoe5WTENdk9iStO256uSyAnN4NF7qKAi03QGuav83VeF4UcWMbpxGykw60yWA7TuTU2DM/s1600/IMG_0351.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7RR0fcMV3-UG1WBsCDBiiwEmHGJ8oCcxigtFe_Qur3UYX3N8A9prBMPejlSl3ZZRyX5xRXsoe5WTENdk9iStO256uSyAnN4NF7qKAi03QGuav83VeF4UcWMbpxGykw60yWA7TuTU2DM/s320/IMG_0351.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407804056716558418" /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7RR0fcMV3-UG1WBsCDBiiwEmHGJ8oCcxigtFe_Qur3UYX3N8A9prBMPejlSl3ZZRyX5xRXsoe5WTENdk9iStO256uSyAnN4NF7qKAi03QGuav83VeF4UcWMbpxGykw60yWA7TuTU2DM/s1600/IMG_0351.JPG"></a><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeppDY_-QTXTHc7N8u6_ZgNPPA9AL1hbPI-S2xnV-rp67brEytWLk86tOxTGQIkOLY2tq1e3-MjI0VMW4W7Bx6yYQlMRrzPf3fikPM-EThFTSvo07fho3myJH_efFdT2EGfu1-L2MtHu0/s1600/IMG_0349.JPG"></a><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4TkO91myKH4s8iAiVO0ofzUKAi01AnsVqyFDWt6kegK1cZhA8MIezVb4TiWKgcgBF3driPHKxIWMm4m6qv2-7Kt8kT0f6GdgdOpHAzgYTE3OJ5sch7nzE3zvyinDJv5-0UnOeIYTs03c/s1600/IMG_0336.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4TkO91myKH4s8iAiVO0ofzUKAi01AnsVqyFDWt6kegK1cZhA8MIezVb4TiWKgcgBF3driPHKxIWMm4m6qv2-7Kt8kT0f6GdgdOpHAzgYTE3OJ5sch7nzE3zvyinDJv5-0UnOeIYTs03c/s320/IMG_0336.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407800485312961378" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Hendrix explaining his silent auction bidding strategy...</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4TkO91myKH4s8iAiVO0ofzUKAi01AnsVqyFDWt6kegK1cZhA8MIezVb4TiWKgcgBF3driPHKxIWMm4m6qv2-7Kt8kT0f6GdgdOpHAzgYTE3OJ5sch7nzE3zvyinDJv5-0UnOeIYTs03c/s1600/IMG_0336.JPG"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9JioCZzB0-ATXWgsNYeuBtGhf-ZrjWPao66zT_W07v5co4z7Xio2JFC8Me7sPmzTIqWFB_RR0yDJhgGEUfeCW54sSdr6Vx6pniXfVjDb2t2g_Q77jtDeyiJvSWFy7xur5FvEVv-K3P0A/s1600/IMG_0330.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9JioCZzB0-ATXWgsNYeuBtGhf-ZrjWPao66zT_W07v5co4z7Xio2JFC8Me7sPmzTIqWFB_RR0yDJhgGEUfeCW54sSdr6Vx6pniXfVjDb2t2g_Q77jtDeyiJvSWFy7xur5FvEVv-K3P0A/s320/IMG_0330.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407800477310586226" /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9JioCZzB0-ATXWgsNYeuBtGhf-ZrjWPao66zT_W07v5co4z7Xio2JFC8Me7sPmzTIqWFB_RR0yDJhgGEUfeCW54sSdr6Vx6pniXfVjDb2t2g_Q77jtDeyiJvSWFy7xur5FvEVv-K3P0A/s1600/IMG_0330.JPG"></a><br /></div><div>And Pastor Tom from First Lutheran surveying the goods.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIFK1jP9VOn3w-LFmuu7PQG7YHDC0Jh-QcSFJju9-kub497Ea5aEDiTS9CbvxkRNd2zJCAmcRcVxfSHZi-rN4aFkPA5SgfusAoOJyhbWBcLRSZ2OU20gQEktQ_fPNpxJHSYa7hP5RxJBA/s1600/IMG_0319.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIFK1jP9VOn3w-LFmuu7PQG7YHDC0Jh-QcSFJju9-kub497Ea5aEDiTS9CbvxkRNd2zJCAmcRcVxfSHZi-rN4aFkPA5SgfusAoOJyhbWBcLRSZ2OU20gQEktQ_fPNpxJHSYa7hP5RxJBA/s320/IMG_0319.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407800464453632450" /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIFK1jP9VOn3w-LFmuu7PQG7YHDC0Jh-QcSFJju9-kub497Ea5aEDiTS9CbvxkRNd2zJCAmcRcVxfSHZi-rN4aFkPA5SgfusAoOJyhbWBcLRSZ2OU20gQEktQ_fPNpxJHSYa7hP5RxJBA/s1600/IMG_0319.JPG"></a><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Melanie Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10502267371040670966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913936041216908064.post-46796374559419673262009-11-13T14:01:00.000-08:002009-11-13T19:38:06.928-08:00Bridge Closed? No Problem<div><div>This was the sort of Autumn day you dream about, and no better way to spend it than a few hours outside. The school travelled to the longest covered bridge in the state which spans the Warrior River near Cleveland, Al. Upon arriving, we found the road blocked and the bridge closed. Taking a verse to one of our folks songs to heart ("This Land is your Land, This Land is my Land..."), the undaunted students crossed over the bridge with the Warrior rushing by below.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij5_tXsaUjykC8YZkRyP8vWPt7BaAxD7r4GxzmEY1BAfmDAAo6W1UKrzCO7W43hnZ6H4q6RlLdUMTS6AyVPuEkqXBQcn6HbiVF1wsQcckgEdVR9UscppIkSL5bpuBxLNzCCGDChDcvXac/s1600-h/IMG_0275.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij5_tXsaUjykC8YZkRyP8vWPt7BaAxD7r4GxzmEY1BAfmDAAo6W1UKrzCO7W43hnZ6H4q6RlLdUMTS6AyVPuEkqXBQcn6HbiVF1wsQcckgEdVR9UscppIkSL5bpuBxLNzCCGDChDcvXac/s320/IMG_0275.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403721890100798962" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij5_tXsaUjykC8YZkRyP8vWPt7BaAxD7r4GxzmEY1BAfmDAAo6W1UKrzCO7W43hnZ6H4q6RlLdUMTS6AyVPuEkqXBQcn6HbiVF1wsQcckgEdVR9UscppIkSL5bpuBxLNzCCGDChDcvXac/s1600-h/IMG_0275.JPG"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGm6lVNDOtVfanl7KRHf3nIpxKee9NTxSrk4rwNm74y08fN3ry6YZ050938mBsUeo5nI07E_3Zen_Tl9s-i6luRJe9Y_ThT44wWHrYg6DDCTz2qJp3cbxTnXjTKmCrRF02fww6htwo2s/s1600-h/IMG_0279.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGm6lVNDOtVfanl7KRHf3nIpxKee9NTxSrk4rwNm74y08fN3ry6YZ050938mBsUeo5nI07E_3Zen_Tl9s-i6luRJe9Y_ThT44wWHrYg6DDCTz2qJp3cbxTnXjTKmCrRF02fww6htwo2s/s320/IMG_0279.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403721891490571826" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGm6lVNDOtVfanl7KRHf3nIpxKee9NTxSrk4rwNm74y08fN3ry6YZ050938mBsUeo5nI07E_3Zen_Tl9s-i6luRJe9Y_ThT44wWHrYg6DDCTz2qJp3cbxTnXjTKmCrRF02fww6htwo2s/s1600-h/IMG_0279.JPG"></a>After a brief discussion about the pros and cons of falling into the swollen river...<br /><br /></div><div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpeVo1HHf3aE4hcq4zjomdpeF6IXOuYS2B2ZiJAv0aXmzGpktKmIm056UKD5uJyGX8No7dyLwn18GqcqxKGOL8H7MDjFBaY56JcKEGKUj5u-j086WVsCSPz73CAQFuhTmmQH6FqRcQDUE/s1600-h/IMG_0280.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpeVo1HHf3aE4hcq4zjomdpeF6IXOuYS2B2ZiJAv0aXmzGpktKmIm056UKD5uJyGX8No7dyLwn18GqcqxKGOL8H7MDjFBaY56JcKEGKUj5u-j086WVsCSPz73CAQFuhTmmQH6FqRcQDUE/s320/IMG_0280.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403792134607554578" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>...the children were free. There were nature discoveries...</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5PPgotDHsvI19ABRdH31c07sT5dcaPoFRgl1RJd8Il3WhXa4m71S1KHmvTuE5_gLj3jRRHXtugEx_alHyLDDIoAXjUoI-vig_jW5n1UtyhmHX7dca9fpv5U8sqV0AerJZkx7mns1Hitg/s1600-h/IMG_0311.JPG"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1fFKpBUE2V6utPyKCXhZ8jN3MDz6Kg1mDyxHwi6sefp2orDdiXo7DLByRilMcBV43p4CU7ysXn0EoxC1Cpiq03SIZcWDoumrJWtKtYjA4cUZvQ2NKAGO6MlTBiGYsVf8tKoRLu70e4Y/s1600-h/IMG_0303.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1fFKpBUE2V6utPyKCXhZ8jN3MDz6Kg1mDyxHwi6sefp2orDdiXo7DLByRilMcBV43p4CU7ysXn0EoxC1Cpiq03SIZcWDoumrJWtKtYjA4cUZvQ2NKAGO6MlTBiGYsVf8tKoRLu70e4Y/s320/IMG_0303.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403719425110572386" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>"Human" nature discoveries...</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizTUR0g8mrz_-JfDD8l0kVkqR17TGUhwhv7lFBrzj3RY4tMEaglsEUPWYN9IGMtfk4-DvxoB-oxdIdUzwBIZ-blWWXllO33OX7t0dQPXjUiLJcjL05GDXJXsvVzB1BEvh0ZfZG3dFGtm0/s1600-h/IMG_0301.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizTUR0g8mrz_-JfDD8l0kVkqR17TGUhwhv7lFBrzj3RY4tMEaglsEUPWYN9IGMtfk4-DvxoB-oxdIdUzwBIZ-blWWXllO33OX7t0dQPXjUiLJcjL05GDXJXsvVzB1BEvh0ZfZG3dFGtm0/s320/IMG_0301.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403792135867384738" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /> </a></div><div><br /></div><div>And time for a little art.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizTUR0g8mrz_-JfDD8l0kVkqR17TGUhwhv7lFBrzj3RY4tMEaglsEUPWYN9IGMtfk4-DvxoB-oxdIdUzwBIZ-blWWXllO33OX7t0dQPXjUiLJcjL05GDXJXsvVzB1BEvh0ZfZG3dFGtm0/s1600-h/IMG_0301.JPG"></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_zf0oUKH4qcIqYV5cwDBwZuDWzGERncaq-Ijz418cUo7pV3QEKupbOLgHOVGzSDfy83nG6CpAMxXKnVYUiZk4GQ00BWpH_H1lMODoLXJ4eMWUqM1mRpeGN4Tao97s6r4aXtwP8F-a54/s1600-h/IMG_0298.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_zf0oUKH4qcIqYV5cwDBwZuDWzGERncaq-Ijz418cUo7pV3QEKupbOLgHOVGzSDfy83nG6CpAMxXKnVYUiZk4GQ00BWpH_H1lMODoLXJ4eMWUqM1mRpeGN4Tao97s6r4aXtwP8F-a54/s320/IMG_0298.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403792145679590162" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_zf0oUKH4qcIqYV5cwDBwZuDWzGERncaq-Ijz418cUo7pV3QEKupbOLgHOVGzSDfy83nG6CpAMxXKnVYUiZk4GQ00BWpH_H1lMODoLXJ4eMWUqM1mRpeGN4Tao97s6r4aXtwP8F-a54/s1600-h/IMG_0298.JPG"></a><br />It was a rich day of fort building, hiking along the banks, and, of course, eating. We could see why the Native Americans would have called this riverside home.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiOpWON9bVxTZPz0MiVYeNRJ6ui5p57vXRM-UoVTmTFDB04ysuX7CGfWpuzZRCMdw_D2pukQxmFWCPlsASm2mlZ-u7REVwhU8MHemyiOGsYRx_7VYaq0kLw4UrusB85NvMrKiNv-lh9dM/s1600-h/IMG_0317.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiOpWON9bVxTZPz0MiVYeNRJ6ui5p57vXRM-UoVTmTFDB04ysuX7CGfWpuzZRCMdw_D2pukQxmFWCPlsASm2mlZ-u7REVwhU8MHemyiOGsYRx_7VYaq0kLw4UrusB85NvMrKiNv-lh9dM/s320/IMG_0317.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403719437513413106" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiOpWON9bVxTZPz0MiVYeNRJ6ui5p57vXRM-UoVTmTFDB04ysuX7CGfWpuzZRCMdw_D2pukQxmFWCPlsASm2mlZ-u7REVwhU8MHemyiOGsYRx_7VYaq0kLw4UrusB85NvMrKiNv-lh9dM/s1600-h/IMG_0317.JPG"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5PPgotDHsvI19ABRdH31c07sT5dcaPoFRgl1RJd8Il3WhXa4m71S1KHmvTuE5_gLj3jRRHXtugEx_alHyLDDIoAXjUoI-vig_jW5n1UtyhmHX7dca9fpv5U8sqV0AerJZkx7mns1Hitg/s1600-h/IMG_0311.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5PPgotDHsvI19ABRdH31c07sT5dcaPoFRgl1RJd8Il3WhXa4m71S1KHmvTuE5_gLj3jRRHXtugEx_alHyLDDIoAXjUoI-vig_jW5n1UtyhmHX7dca9fpv5U8sqV0AerJZkx7mns1Hitg/s320/IMG_0311.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403719428572993442" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ZfqT04FM9SAUgmGJ9XacNYhY6RGI29BHqjvVCllT471pnhS84NsSOSZl8mkWdb0DFWV4s5n_K8kl_BcBtLuYUDA0OVTswFcaUqS6OUsGKXZ10C1yUXk1Xy6D3j4IcXMPapXf2cuAkbs/s1600-h/IMG_0287.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ZfqT04FM9SAUgmGJ9XacNYhY6RGI29BHqjvVCllT471pnhS84NsSOSZl8mkWdb0DFWV4s5n_K8kl_BcBtLuYUDA0OVTswFcaUqS6OUsGKXZ10C1yUXk1Xy6D3j4IcXMPapXf2cuAkbs/s320/IMG_0287.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403719417546802738" /></a></div><div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ZfqT04FM9SAUgmGJ9XacNYhY6RGI29BHqjvVCllT471pnhS84NsSOSZl8mkWdb0DFWV4s5n_K8kl_BcBtLuYUDA0OVTswFcaUqS6OUsGKXZ10C1yUXk1Xy6D3j4IcXMPapXf2cuAkbs/s1600-h/IMG_0287.JPG"></a><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSNeqyFqgvWmffrsumJco_xszoEAS1BGX1_2SUcm-noogoE-j96TH86nGdYZZ8RS23_m_SWzWLxIV5ncEvp52cxAg_TrD07kCnTj7fOustweMglb_O8uA5FxhmF7ks8OV80s8n78r3NeI/s1600-h/IMG_0286.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSNeqyFqgvWmffrsumJco_xszoEAS1BGX1_2SUcm-noogoE-j96TH86nGdYZZ8RS23_m_SWzWLxIV5ncEvp52cxAg_TrD07kCnTj7fOustweMglb_O8uA5FxhmF7ks8OV80s8n78r3NeI/s320/IMG_0286.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403719412448938690" /></a><br /><div><div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Melanie Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10502267371040670966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913936041216908064.post-13625714382368282462009-11-08T17:48:00.000-08:002009-11-08T18:03:44.309-08:00Friday's Excursion (November 6th)<div>This week we whistled like the Seven Dwarfs, as the children shouldered shovels and hoes and, once again, hiked down to the community garden by Nomad Supply. This week's task was to plant a dozen blueberry bushes. Everyone literally dug in, and made quick work of the planting. This left a little bit of time for some weeding (and romping) in the garden, before heading back to the school for a contra dancing lesson. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXhBR4XCyqJjQ5FXaRFh3n0v1zy9H3F-wH90kIl_s83V9dX1sans6ZkEk_p4lW7Ue3vV9YFDISpPdWUB_7755cnZEwsia_T0Y5cPO_5Dg057wKcYX_wffEQNYLonlQyoLPzlgl6JiyqE/s1600-h/Photo0013.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXhBR4XCyqJjQ5FXaRFh3n0v1zy9H3F-wH90kIl_s83V9dX1sans6ZkEk_p4lW7Ue3vV9YFDISpPdWUB_7755cnZEwsia_T0Y5cPO_5Dg057wKcYX_wffEQNYLonlQyoLPzlgl6JiyqE/s320/Photo0013.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401915377636559458" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRrJk93KvC2s6vKYzZLR3-dot8QUoVcepfWh_R0MQc_tPGxDARx3BA8P8OryoUpyG_09jIbrhn7EkKJK0zZWBq_YK3OnL5tHWjMoT5wFOFIaPZ11LkrXCrMndi3BVdJdZ2p6dzAWinpX0/s1600-h/Photo0012.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRrJk93KvC2s6vKYzZLR3-dot8QUoVcepfWh_R0MQc_tPGxDARx3BA8P8OryoUpyG_09jIbrhn7EkKJK0zZWBq_YK3OnL5tHWjMoT5wFOFIaPZ11LkrXCrMndi3BVdJdZ2p6dzAWinpX0/s320/Photo0012.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401915373833010178" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLFsbK9DcMYKvcDJsO1wFoAFo-_8a1wbXyr6OL0clZcxKINfP-F1sZYp3wE-cAapc_oGbX6bKJuES5kDgnbiJTzmD0wYlIo7h88mw4kuNx7T_t19ODVobamsQDXCE4Zz5rFLlLEUvU0EM/s1600-h/Photo0006.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLFsbK9DcMYKvcDJsO1wFoAFo-_8a1wbXyr6OL0clZcxKINfP-F1sZYp3wE-cAapc_oGbX6bKJuES5kDgnbiJTzmD0wYlIo7h88mw4kuNx7T_t19ODVobamsQDXCE4Zz5rFLlLEUvU0EM/s320/Photo0006.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401915370395449842" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0bzJUphFVXJu1kHZkftO29-lccNMkKSsG843M4Xxi8A1VIJSSeLryUjqqmBGyWDS37J8BnqQu7_7JdzkglL9VmRT2k2qE5vj4b0vMG1G4D6kMSFc6h4aL0HkDpZ8TB1qoeTMFDiBxkF4/s1600-h/ecphoto2.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0bzJUphFVXJu1kHZkftO29-lccNMkKSsG843M4Xxi8A1VIJSSeLryUjqqmBGyWDS37J8BnqQu7_7JdzkglL9VmRT2k2qE5vj4b0vMG1G4D6kMSFc6h4aL0HkDpZ8TB1qoeTMFDiBxkF4/s320/ecphoto2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401915365210947618" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjuyyz-86t3GWn-HjlipwxI2GRbxhRyka6akk_EIiuuyidbe6k3v9UR5kZENGPryhDux-mLI9ErdUv26wFaXr8ioEac15aquAM0MCy4TdfAH1HDfhbeos6YkAdv13yhXy5n8JezIr7wzU/s1600-h/ecphoto1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjuyyz-86t3GWn-HjlipwxI2GRbxhRyka6akk_EIiuuyidbe6k3v9UR5kZENGPryhDux-mLI9ErdUv26wFaXr8ioEac15aquAM0MCy4TdfAH1HDfhbeos6YkAdv13yhXy5n8JezIr7wzU/s320/ecphoto1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401915365816238578" /></a>Melanie Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10502267371040670966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913936041216908064.post-53225400070233951962009-10-29T11:25:00.000-07:002009-11-08T18:01:15.676-08:00All Hallows Eve<div>Since the school started, we have celebrated All Hallows Eve with the motto: "We are not afraid!" The day began with a parade around the neighborhood with everyone in costume.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjojjya-AAfgIum_2P96Z-qUhRbrYeYZsMxkUhdrD073RLmMUI1p2OJHR4jdmcetu_5HLGceSxBlJ3h_MXtUNhVXKBYnHlYS5-Qnr0VPJDFugcqTH7dghoNHaYT6oBeUSZcsMZ8y5L9ul8/s1600-h/IMG_0267.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjojjya-AAfgIum_2P96Z-qUhRbrYeYZsMxkUhdrD073RLmMUI1p2OJHR4jdmcetu_5HLGceSxBlJ3h_MXtUNhVXKBYnHlYS5-Qnr0VPJDFugcqTH7dghoNHaYT6oBeUSZcsMZ8y5L9ul8/s320/IMG_0267.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398098847910665490" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikErvEWhBhvAjQcGBDEBcW7XZYoAFCnjBQZoV2cCGWfuIq9U8CO9GghhZmPD5flE1KR6a9j9eLolDMQu3zwmdNkUPCeKpfnxmgfcymM8hW2BMQqZfgQUIjdCN6CV9Ag_k5if6Bc8sdefI/s1600-h/IMG_0265.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikErvEWhBhvAjQcGBDEBcW7XZYoAFCnjBQZoV2cCGWfuIq9U8CO9GghhZmPD5flE1KR6a9j9eLolDMQu3zwmdNkUPCeKpfnxmgfcymM8hW2BMQqZfgQUIjdCN6CV9Ag_k5if6Bc8sdefI/s320/IMG_0265.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398098839249674562" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin2GZk-emDy3gPYnTqikZpFvnUSgzYRFGn1UQvZOvanyHDc8i0-35SzNN2BQaSVbe8T10aXaREsIZ0TzvFHUwQ1kn7jdRu0TMtNQo6Gf-OJ0OFi0Z9W4vLluhFG2ZAbxLdqYIicOJSYo4/s1600-h/IMG_0260.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin2GZk-emDy3gPYnTqikZpFvnUSgzYRFGn1UQvZOvanyHDc8i0-35SzNN2BQaSVbe8T10aXaREsIZ0TzvFHUwQ1kn7jdRu0TMtNQo6Gf-OJ0OFi0Z9W4vLluhFG2ZAbxLdqYIicOJSYo4/s320/IMG_0260.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398092326478709202" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw8SzVUotnQsV6BdPeeOhnfKuaMK9xOjqyG0yC17xavJ9me26u2Ez2veqpfESzGFs6dMPb4LHsG2Nt2VmWLnH-7HRxc-gACCg9kPuaJYIiIFr6_fwdkvfJo7LaznT8ac8fKAb0Wxe8rZY/s1600-h/IMG_0258.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw8SzVUotnQsV6BdPeeOhnfKuaMK9xOjqyG0yC17xavJ9me26u2Ez2veqpfESzGFs6dMPb4LHsG2Nt2VmWLnH-7HRxc-gACCg9kPuaJYIiIFr6_fwdkvfJo7LaznT8ac8fKAb0Wxe8rZY/s320/IMG_0258.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398092321702234770" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDJi-TrgJrqFp4dfrffMS9-YtPlwhHxv-8LB888LdoxdDv0WqfGj8-keE3H4M0vu-9aaF5d2z32UR2us3rFehAsAnw8pEjBR23aztDFKIu4MbRXb8AKc-MqkTGBrk_KyZApq6mzU-leaA/s1600-h/IMG_0253.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDJi-TrgJrqFp4dfrffMS9-YtPlwhHxv-8LB888LdoxdDv0WqfGj8-keE3H4M0vu-9aaF5d2z32UR2us3rFehAsAnw8pEjBR23aztDFKIu4MbRXb8AKc-MqkTGBrk_KyZApq6mzU-leaA/s320/IMG_0253.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398092309834773314" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrb_OCA0LVSLtm58s8hyphenhyphengZ_rw47rJ8mASfRC43gnNUJHohA_GdHfIK1QzA09SJawNlon5ZlPwEdrs4gROnPuvLnU3vEH-3O1BjCn_kleGWmFU6lypB-ryiAVCaMCVKQfcnBN0zsZrnp6g/s1600-h/IMG_0252.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrb_OCA0LVSLtm58s8hyphenhyphengZ_rw47rJ8mASfRC43gnNUJHohA_GdHfIK1QzA09SJawNlon5ZlPwEdrs4gROnPuvLnU3vEH-3O1BjCn_kleGWmFU6lypB-ryiAVCaMCVKQfcnBN0zsZrnp6g/s320/IMG_0252.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398092307360644066" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuCT3vkIvNbdhy2NM2q3sPzXButzalA3-PEANobp6IlMyJ9brvEOWOeN08QMIFb6iIAKO0TV-F0sy85Xc2ZfonR2rUBf8ouP4ua8WfB8ZYp6miuQ0N4Adez_qpKavjxUHgjKTofyruQXo/s1600-h/IMG_0251.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuCT3vkIvNbdhy2NM2q3sPzXButzalA3-PEANobp6IlMyJ9brvEOWOeN08QMIFb6iIAKO0TV-F0sy85Xc2ZfonR2rUBf8ouP4ua8WfB8ZYp6miuQ0N4Adez_qpKavjxUHgjKTofyruQXo/s320/IMG_0251.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398092305152428370" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /></div>Melanie Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10502267371040670966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913936041216908064.post-34897820726826637172009-10-29T10:20:00.000-07:002009-11-08T18:02:38.110-08:00Irish Kite Making<div>Last Friday (October 23rd), we made an excursion to the International Center downtown for a class on Irish Kite Making. Just as we finished, the breeze kicked up nicely and the kites took flight.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQHjcSKeLZeSeH7Y_U8NLdVlVoV5muMIeV7caxZ3b6pTjoS2EIfQumuYI6jIFJ5tFeZaPB-yatWkSBu1syvVts05ucAGhLVtAdNecqO0-HFJW4HzM6W2gSpgogH0AWJBri6ps7FuGEJqE/s1600-h/IMG_0245.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQHjcSKeLZeSeH7Y_U8NLdVlVoV5muMIeV7caxZ3b6pTjoS2EIfQumuYI6jIFJ5tFeZaPB-yatWkSBu1syvVts05ucAGhLVtAdNecqO0-HFJW4HzM6W2gSpgogH0AWJBri6ps7FuGEJqE/s320/IMG_0245.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398074725567518370" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRyGxL8edwniNolsUQ-5qQPbkoT0fAUir-FbS6IrB_mzDT3jCcqPztHbZOsvT3dJH4Buzhw4sggxil9o2fWQYsU_ea8MUINtOXXqjXCxKz4lSB7t9YGMC3imFEWxckGVTH1g4GGC4fhts/s1600-h/IMG_0237.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRyGxL8edwniNolsUQ-5qQPbkoT0fAUir-FbS6IrB_mzDT3jCcqPztHbZOsvT3dJH4Buzhw4sggxil9o2fWQYsU_ea8MUINtOXXqjXCxKz4lSB7t9YGMC3imFEWxckGVTH1g4GGC4fhts/s320/IMG_0237.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398074718737680386" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKp0vyEUiKDvLtkqwlaEjkODk-2MBFxF9xkc-dOuuozDHEVk7b-60Tl7T-N0EzuVUP8CMJE9hCpWT_4F5j2mrDoAkhqVvH1wZD3H5UuuCiEJy_5NEZHk3nDz4T8nB8wiX_pvQ_jP7MDmE/s1600-h/IMG_0224.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKp0vyEUiKDvLtkqwlaEjkODk-2MBFxF9xkc-dOuuozDHEVk7b-60Tl7T-N0EzuVUP8CMJE9hCpWT_4F5j2mrDoAkhqVvH1wZD3H5UuuCiEJy_5NEZHk3nDz4T8nB8wiX_pvQ_jP7MDmE/s320/IMG_0224.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398074714725272818" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKj-CxVGNiOy2CGnohjaUz1axRYPynISCWPuWN01wryq4A4QWQ0fJm8PGcIPGyuJd5gRnS7_b6Ua0C5wW5a-CPc1qAT0GLq0yn69iM9t-Jes94n6Uut8tAp-ZuvFLlQY4fSmD79Ja0Ec/s1600-h/IMG_0217.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKj-CxVGNiOy2CGnohjaUz1axRYPynISCWPuWN01wryq4A4QWQ0fJm8PGcIPGyuJd5gRnS7_b6Ua0C5wW5a-CPc1qAT0GLq0yn69iM9t-Jes94n6Uut8tAp-ZuvFLlQY4fSmD79Ja0Ec/s320/IMG_0217.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398074710365217778" /></a>Melanie Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10502267371040670966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913936041216908064.post-59584375725633578252009-10-29T10:00:00.001-07:002009-11-08T18:00:08.411-08:00Club DayEach Tuesday this Fall, we have had one afternoon a week for clubs. The children have learned to cook, work in a metal shop, babysit, and drive a nail or two.<div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOXv3IFV0lDWdSBZF0J84lw9bUIfeDkNoPpgGAizWIj39rM7JjCzs_Bez26VCboM_bqOYqKVC1m7lQePPZHJ7XoGDt8s30ODX4s7_72y-V0njr-tFmqd0RYm3KoTk1RWfJ_d-pKljX_w8/s1600-h/IMG_0160.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOXv3IFV0lDWdSBZF0J84lw9bUIfeDkNoPpgGAizWIj39rM7JjCzs_Bez26VCboM_bqOYqKVC1m7lQePPZHJ7XoGDt8s30ODX4s7_72y-V0njr-tFmqd0RYm3KoTk1RWfJ_d-pKljX_w8/s320/IMG_0160.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398072764139169234" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2pyncA4uT1cgfgSm0jYZQ19NZc5k93CLY9HJnlOSSnfvYlprZGjcOLwKw7FnFzHK6i7XgXYymBWhSTyy4BAh5phiOR4uOIK5tdShFSpubxWO2G4B971e7c3FuWGsdj_cucVH9nxCpm9M/s1600-h/IMG_0155.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2pyncA4uT1cgfgSm0jYZQ19NZc5k93CLY9HJnlOSSnfvYlprZGjcOLwKw7FnFzHK6i7XgXYymBWhSTyy4BAh5phiOR4uOIK5tdShFSpubxWO2G4B971e7c3FuWGsdj_cucVH9nxCpm9M/s320/IMG_0155.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398072759743390322" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj26tV8e-PKcEZAQDgrwkV-QCvzIUvjjETPLAazziZJ4C7jehWl5Q15EmaUCKrfqvhf4T7BVNA9SfkHWBwmrn582W693bv5NSGcV4ZOFZG7PJ-si1iElE6AmzxCUHjUuIvxFT7eHb6bW48/s1600-h/IMG_0152.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj26tV8e-PKcEZAQDgrwkV-QCvzIUvjjETPLAazziZJ4C7jehWl5Q15EmaUCKrfqvhf4T7BVNA9SfkHWBwmrn582W693bv5NSGcV4ZOFZG7PJ-si1iElE6AmzxCUHjUuIvxFT7eHb6bW48/s320/IMG_0152.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398069450082419970" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd0QzJj5wp6c7XqLuyqCZS_jkvdg6Td-tpqiSuaNB4oFwJQ51q_eFmTI0WGYMCWSMvHwWv9-TQFi5pTFFn1YJZLKrEMdPLPCJ56tAJoA9560UxX6uh0OaUIsYWQJyz9jachI4Tr3loWrw/s1600-h/IMG_0148.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd0QzJj5wp6c7XqLuyqCZS_jkvdg6Td-tpqiSuaNB4oFwJQ51q_eFmTI0WGYMCWSMvHwWv9-TQFi5pTFFn1YJZLKrEMdPLPCJ56tAJoA9560UxX6uh0OaUIsYWQJyz9jachI4Tr3loWrw/s320/IMG_0148.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398069440630226594" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLbhVDkuCEhU0rijzQjLylZj6uKwHx3Ng6SrON423kV9NFr3ykZ9LLI-UJvPQBwOSXdQPoDE7yhHQkLj2MmyCQ4YmNJPZjAQZL7YcS2M-ALGWh39EBoQ77r4GI7dkwiQbOV-sy4CETKZ8/s1600-h/IMG_0146.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLbhVDkuCEhU0rijzQjLylZj6uKwHx3Ng6SrON423kV9NFr3ykZ9LLI-UJvPQBwOSXdQPoDE7yhHQkLj2MmyCQ4YmNJPZjAQZL7YcS2M-ALGWh39EBoQ77r4GI7dkwiQbOV-sy4CETKZ8/s320/IMG_0146.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398069437048432018" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF84dJ_UMzTpX5lno7QXBR1M4ew4d-IpQEU_JehOhK3FvnZHgVEhqYgnc4kluc3Ij7F0kgY2s72YeVV3YityLDtWwbovBjHIkbBCF0elodh_X7ksQhjuIVtXSA5qo72ttL_9od9iZu72Y/s1600-h/IMG_0142.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF84dJ_UMzTpX5lno7QXBR1M4ew4d-IpQEU_JehOhK3FvnZHgVEhqYgnc4kluc3Ij7F0kgY2s72YeVV3YityLDtWwbovBjHIkbBCF0elodh_X7ksQhjuIVtXSA5qo72ttL_9od9iZu72Y/s320/IMG_0142.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398069433454734786" /></a><br /><br /></div>Melanie Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10502267371040670966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913936041216908064.post-1406022134467933072009-09-18T05:00:00.000-07:002009-09-18T05:01:31.439-07:00Perception<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">A Most Interesting Story</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> Three minutes went by and a middle-aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule. A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk. A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats average $100.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">Source:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Weingarten, Gene.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>"Pearls Before Breakfast." The Washington Post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>8 April 2007<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>(p. W10).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Melanie Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10502267371040670966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913936041216908064.post-91453702679884513412009-09-14T21:19:00.000-07:002009-09-14T22:35:09.848-07:00Excursion- Birdsong Community Farm<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg74PKxa9if2uO_s9s6x2rxAaDU6qa2U0sQ89gECdfmUVbis_7wIY9xJ7tOtbwCJMz0FsLFHsiEiJvpKEi97mQc-jM2ww-6vm-8yUnWNOzKFMj_DHr94enJugi9aZUy8CVbQnfqEMwRRJg/s1600-h/IMG_0059.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg74PKxa9if2uO_s9s6x2rxAaDU6qa2U0sQ89gECdfmUVbis_7wIY9xJ7tOtbwCJMz0FsLFHsiEiJvpKEi97mQc-jM2ww-6vm-8yUnWNOzKFMj_DHr94enJugi9aZUy8CVbQnfqEMwRRJg/s200/IMG_0059.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381552392386926226" /></a><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi91qGffrWvoO5-RQtlXrCjUzUBbJYva59JYZS_dTFMN9vOlNi6OoVIK_OJAiCMKfGKDWEGbqJ1S7IY5Pf0Avc2FDVxPFJwR9xZaR1qcTdVwhy7wV3WVP2f42ml4nUf4fhhDR6MAdOchF0/s200/IMG_0004.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381547164934434834" /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Monaco;font-size:10px;"><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Monaco"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Traveling east, then north out of Cullman, through the blinking yellow light that marks the town of Fairview, Al., down the hill and left before the bridge, and we came upon the home and farm of Joshua and Beth Haynes. We turned into the drive and were greeted by a large hand-painted sign that welcomed Red Mountain Community School.</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Monaco; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Monaco"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Joshua grew up farming this property with his parents, and he a</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Monaco;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">nd Beth, who met at Wheaton College, decided to move back three years ago to experiment with organic and sustainable farming. (You can read more about them at www.birdsongcommunityfarm.com. <</span></span><span style="text-decoration: underline ; color:#0000ff;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">http://www.birdsongcommunityfarm.com</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">> </span></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Monaco"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Monaco;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">This was the first </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Monaco;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">year that Joshua and Beth were growing and harvesting mushrooms, and because of our Head of School’s deep affection for all things “fungi”, we jumped at the chance to participate. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Monaco; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></p><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPS5L9M5t4SXeXNSDlSpC_W8UuDZ72InDpCdARiH1xX2ZIkDDbKFaCufx8bAHSxdXTqyU5zZJOFIkZ-BmWL-iMWJ2JAI8DRXDnG2YBX77NiPR6pL8SKKWEUO0jMd01cwrVLr4M6Q-_5LA/s200/IMG_0032.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381547200654673010" /> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Monaco"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The entire school walked down into the woods for a lesson in how several varieties of shiitake mushrooms are cultivated. We divided into teams to pitch in with the work. One group harvested a basket of ripe mushrooms and helped soak and stack a number of logs that had been implanted with spores. These will start producing in the next few weeks. The other group followed Beth up to the garden to pick a bucket of cherry tomatoes. All of the day’s harvest was being readied for the Cullman Farmer’s Market this weekend.</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Monaco; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7hW9ic7aPlDBd0XKu07YX1wj-cGpm4vVU-kfjn4QE5daIjVIIE7wTVwIKSouOudJmULMwKWungnfMotARs5mJYnTF3pUXbs8KsTDuJc-f8-kItL5T812I75TrYQa5DsmHZDDzWm9DDS0/s200/IMG_0049.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381552383508624050" /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Monaco;font-size:10px;"> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Monaco"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Monaco"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Following a hay ride through the woods, we were introduced to over 100 “happy chickens”. The Haynes lovingly tend these chickens who freely roam a three acre patch and generously provide large quantities of wonderful eggs for the farm to sell. We were invited to sow oats for the chickens in one of the pastures by grabbing handfuls of oat seed from a bucket and casting them all around. The scattering was a chaotic and fun chore for the children and will provide plenty of food for the birds this fall. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Monaco;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Monaco"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Monaco"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">We are thankful to Joshua and Beth for a rich and full outdoor day. Look for them on Saturdays at the Cullman Farmer’s Market.</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Monaco; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Monaco; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Monaco; min-height: 14.0px"> </p><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhat2dKFYmHu4rbBgkf6oahYpUMcLPbH8kZWucBOXGL47LKwbttvl6prK83Xs7RPkURg9DQgbVfzTM9RDWmez9lDZyGitOzEJAsNiQWiVQY_BLMe7Vm1uiuOtSJ4RJiXTSVfr2qav8APfc/s200/IMG_0036.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381548358514256658" /> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Monaco; min-height: 14.0px"> </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Monaco; min-height: 14.0px"> </p><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvAxD2QoOqHAvZRAkfhyphenhyphenSRGkiyxsuUN8f_61eKwC0s0WHPAzI0f774Uv4bq3iqCK-ipQCw4u5TEHzx3L70C50wmRAIhyErmDbdMChcrvU9gtVvJgx7GQot92VRWubXObQZupVnOX_8BIg/s200/IMG_0031.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381547189895553298" /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Monaco; min-height: 14.0px"> </p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div>Melanie Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10502267371040670966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913936041216908064.post-22746921734944825792009-09-14T20:26:00.000-07:002009-09-15T05:47:21.765-07:00Excursion- Exploring the Neighborhood<div>As you know, the school takes frequent excursions on fridays, and for the first jaunt this year they were determined to explore the new neighborhood.<div>There is a garden here called the Jones Valley Urban Farm. They have moved to a larger patch downtown now, but they started out on a half acre lot just off 23rd Street, and behind Alabama Art Supply. One of the school's parents runs Nomad Supply, just across from the now fallow abandoned garden. He is a very compassionate and generous man, and this summer he undertook bringing that lot back to life as a community garden. (The Southtown Urban Housing Community borders the lot, and he want the residents to have a place to put their hands in the dirt, and help grow and harvest organic produce.)</div><div>So, first stop on the excursion was an hour pulling weeds in the newly defined beds. </div><div> There was a complaint or two ("I would rather be doing math sheets!") because it is August and this is Alabama. But the majority dug right in. They are used to hands on exploration of the local geography. As often as not you will find the different classes outside, walking down the block or all the way downtown.</div><div>The next stop, after a long trek to the other side of Highland, was Rojo, the local latin/american watering hole. Rojo is packed 365 days a year because the food is great, it's inexpensive, and you can sit outside. But they had no trouble absorbing thirty something students for corn dogs and quesadillas.</div><div>Back down the avenue to the Highland Store where everybody got candy or an ice cream, then a slow stroll home to First Lutheran.</div><div>That, my friends, is a good day at school.</div><div><br /></div><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuuGiPLiFcqd4nj4Hc8i_DvcKEkgBnCo3ihK2uY_2L2TbbrflSXXOfae6H_wi-ca-fWMbH9tDJkaQsouLUxqcPFVeIT2RC6jPKNxRZcQyuqXgHmNJ2T-4A01iWmvSzP2U3MuIggjZjZdI/s200/IMG_0116.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381542235787493122" border="0" /><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4NVVy-zMCcprU_l70F4sJTp7R-rpeYeZHM1UpBz6k42e_29BEW8lBOtplzBKP4gXRAiV2jAG_EEK0fRXsMm0aZCPp_57rHAHrbJ9Fkn3fVxiDgFzjiI3FlvQylgcP613Sb379lRe_zok/s200/IMG_0114.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381540488409867042" border="0" /></div>Melanie Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10502267371040670966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913936041216908064.post-29465846116903102072009-09-14T20:21:00.000-07:002009-09-14T20:23:26.654-07:00New School YearWe are off to a wonderful start to the 2009/2010 school year, and all settled in our new home at First Lutheran Church on Highland Ave.<div>This year on the blog, look for stories and pictures about life at Red Mountain Community School.</div>Melanie Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10502267371040670966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913936041216908064.post-63715969659401006432008-10-05T10:05:00.000-07:002008-10-05T10:11:21.530-07:00Poems in our Pockets<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">The woods and pastures are joyous<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:21.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">in their abundance now<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:21.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">in a season of warmth and much rain. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:21.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">We walk amidst foliage, amidst <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:21.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">song. The sheep and cattle graze <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:21.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">like souls in bliss (except for flies) <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:21.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">and lie down satisfied. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:21.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">Who now can believe in winter? In winter <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:21.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">who could have hoped for this? — Wendell Berry</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">Just this fall my eighteen-year old daughter Madeleine started college.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Early in September, she called to say, “Mama, guess what happened in my English class?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The teacher asked us who was afraid of Poetry?!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And Mama!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>All but two of us raised our hands.!”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">Afraid of poetry are we.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">Ranier Marie Rilke, a German poet of the early 20<sup>th</sup> Century, writes “</span><span style="Times New Roman"font-family:";">works of art are always the result of ones having been in danger, of having gone through an experience all the way to the end, to where no one can go any further.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The further one goes, the more private, the more personal, the more singular an experience becomes and the thing one is making is, finally, the necessary, irrepressible, and as nearly as possible, definitive utterance of this singularity."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>(Rilke in <u>Letters On Cezanne</u>)</span><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">This could hint at our fear of poetry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>All art can be a little disconcerting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>And no wonder!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In attending to it, and opening our self up to it, we are taken to the depths of another’s delights and sorrows and are often even then left hanging.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:21.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">In seasons of deprivation, I have often found myself gifted with an unexpected providence; a sense of abundance internally in the midst of something restrictive or even devastating on the outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Our days seem laced with expressions of this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Have you noticed?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>People tell us some horrific story of life’s relentless blows and then describe the deep inner gifts that were given in time so that at the end of the day, they are grateful for the trial.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:21.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">But rarely do we ask for the catastrophe, and surely it would be ridiculous to do so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>My mother had a cross-stitched quote in our bathroom that I read many days while growing up:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>“If all of our troubles were hung on a line, you would take yours and I would take mine”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This quip was beyond me and I could not say it honestly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>But now I see that our troubles are particularized and each, when received instead of only endured, creates gaps and incertitude that finally make me soft and supple enough to hear the tender voice of the Other, and put me into a posture to be tended by the Good Shepherd.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:21.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">I have found that listening to poetry has a similar effect on me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Listening to poetry extracts stillness from my ‘working breast’, as George Herbert calls it, and quiets my soul like a weaned child. I find that to keep in time with poetry, I must take deeper breaths and move my inner feet at a more deliberate pace. It is all a slowing down, a settling in; the preparation as significant as the hearing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>To rush off after hearing a poem read is incongruent with the form, and so I pause afterwards, like a comma or a Selah, and reflect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>To resume the activity or thinking that was going on before the insertion of the poem is to reenter changed by only a degree, but still, I enter more attentive and calmer, and might I say, truer?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:21.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">At the end of the day, we will be grateful for anyone and anything that was given to make us more thoughtful, hospitable, restful, kinder; more receptive to Truth and Beauty and Life.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Could it be that in gifting our children and ourselves with poetry of all kinds that we are tasting of the very more of Eternity?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:21.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";"><b>Some essential thoughts about poetry:</b></span><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>(What do you think?)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:21.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">Poetry is meant to be read aloud.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>What is not said is as meaningful as what is said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Lyrical language (words thoughtfully chosen to ‘get at’ the idea of the writer) is the tool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In listening, we are better able to take in the meaning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Voice and pace and word all in one reading.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:21.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">In poetry, the form rises out of content.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The inspiration to write comes from an experience or thought first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This is the rhythm of the Gospel:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>First the gift, then the living.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>First the grace, then the response.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Poets hear a cadence and wait for words that fit the meaning.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:21.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">Poetry is related to poverty, often rising from being stripped down to essentials.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The idea is that much can be said with fewer words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It is the beggar’s garment in the world of literature, where less is more and to be impoverished is to be enriched.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:21.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">It doesn’t take long to read a poem.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But it does take fierce attention. Stillness and presence are fruits of our attending to our current poet/friend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In an age when most of us are exhausted with our ever doing, attending to poetry relieves and soothes us into remembering that we are human beings, not human doings, and that our glory lies in what is given to us not in what we earn.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:21.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";"><b>Poetry Practices</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:21.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">Practice sitting still and quiet for a minute at a time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This is a meaningful exercise for children as well as adults!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It becomes a game to see if you can ‘feel a minute.’</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:21.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">Let your resonance with one poet lead you to another….How the Holy Spirit must delight in luring us this way.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Madeleine L’Engle led me to<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Lucy Shaw who led me to Jane Kenyon who led me to Donald Hall who led me to…</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:21.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">Many novelists or memoirists publish poetry as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Reading their poetry makes an internal conversation with them even more layered and personal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This is how I have come to know Wendell Berry and Kathleen Norris.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:21.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";"><b>Finally…</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">Just days ago, my daughter relayed an’ uncorking’’ that occurred upon the reading of a poem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>While reading it she was surprised to find tears and clarity, stirring and rest, joy and the release of a latent sorrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>All in one place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>All at the same time.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">It seems that a childhood steeped in<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>‘How I love to go up in the swing, up in the sky so blue.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Oh, I do think it the grandest of things ever a child can do’, and ‘’Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full.” created capacities to hold the likes of Rainer Rilke or Wendell Berry or George Herbert.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">When my children were young we learned this poem by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers: </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">Keep a poem in your pocket<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">And a picture in your head<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">And you’ll never feel lonely<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">At night when you’re in bed.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">The little poem will sing to you<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">The little picture bring to you<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">A dozen dreams to dance to you<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">At night when you’re in bed.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">So - -<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">Keep a picture in your pocket<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">And a poem in your head<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">And you’ll never feel lonely<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:21.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">At night when you’re in bed</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";">May we each taste the gifts that come from being still and open to another in the garb of a poem? <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:21.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Book Antiqua"font-family:";"> </span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Melanie Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10502267371040670966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913936041216908064.post-38839326585345319832008-06-30T08:08:00.000-07:002008-07-13T07:00:17.680-07:00On Time- an Unhurried EducationThe idea of time and the way it shapes my teaching and learning has been rolling around in my head for quite a while now. Aware of an internal rushing that I was always managing, I have longed to silence it. This sinister voice, ‘get going, seize the moment, multi-task’ seemed cloaked as a virtue, but somewhere deep down I could hear, though the signal was weak, that it was really a vice.<br /><br />We live in two time zones. We’re all familiar with Greenwich Mean Time and it’s ticking clocks, blinking digital numerals, various chronometers and alarms. But there is also what older voices might have dubbed “real time”.<br /><br />There are four clocks or timekeepers that mark real time:<br /><br />The body’s clock that measures when I am hungry or satisfied, weary or energized, sad, lonely, or content.<br />The day’s clock which is marked by the movement of the sun and moon, from sunset to sunrise, to noon. The waxing and waning of the day.<br />The season’s clock with spring, summer, autumn and winter.<br />The church’s clock which measures time with the liturgical calendar. While it is a way to pay attention to movements in the soul, it does so by paying attention to the other clocks, especially the rhythm of a day (vespers, compline, matins, dawn…), and of the seasons (advent, epiphany, lent, easter…).<br /><br />Our view of time flows into the other postures we hope to cultivate. By adding attention to our senses we find that we are now gazing, scenting, savoring, listening and stroking…not just seeing, smelling, tasting, hearing and touching Mindful presence adds so much more. No attending can be done in a hurry.<br /><br />An Unhurried Education<br /><br />From the inception of our school three years ago, I have been haunted by an idea I heard from Chip Denton of Trinity School , of an “unhurried education.” What an intriguing thought! Not knowing why, but in the true spirit of our impulsive response to being seized by an idea, we rushed out to put this quote under all of our clocks:<br /><br />“He who is in a hurry delays the work of God.” (St. Vincent)<br /><br />I think that each teacher knew it was an indictment rather than a description. There was something compelling about this thought and now, a few years in, we keep seeing ways that the mystery of this truth holds water and shapes our community of learners.<br /><br />In paying more attention to GMT than to our other real time clocks, we have perhaps read the Scriptures words about time in a false way. Solomon had no watch on when he said that there is a time for every purpose under heaven. We feel that time is running from us, slipping away, and therefore read words like “redeem the time” and “teach us to number our days”, as a call to hurry up. We buy more elaborate calendars with bible verses on them while ignoring baby’s cries on our “Ezzo-esque” hyper-schedules. “Redeem the time” has come to mean “fill in every second of the day or you will miss opportunities”, often losing the gifts of the moment by either regretting how we missed the last one or dreading the oncoming one.<br /><br />The idea of real time calls us to pay attention to each part of the day or year as it comes…in its own sweet time.<br /><br /><br />“Slow Movements”<br /><br />Two organizations, awake to the frenzied, chaotic pace of current living, have added mindfulness to the areas of food production and travel. Carl Honore’, an Italian, conceived the idea of the Slow Food Movement one day while he was walking by the Spanish Steps in Rome, and saw the construction of a McDonalds across the street. (Frank and Pardis Stitt in my own community are part of this movement). Listen to some of their comments:<br /><br />“Slow is not about doing everything at a snail’s pace; it’s about working, playing and living better by doing everything at the right speed.” (I can cook eggs in the microwave, but have you ever eaten them that way?)<br /><br />“The Slow Food Movement was an organization that was founded to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interests in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes, and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.”<br /><br />The Slow Travel Movement pays attention to the journey, not just the destination.<br /><br /><br />Antidotes for a Hurried Education<br /><br />Waiting<br /><br /><br />Not long after the school year began I remember sitting with a child, aware that the math concept was not attaching. I felt the inner angst, but knew that the habit needed in this scenario was not math propensity in the child, but an ability to wait in me.<br /><br />Unhurried. Waiting. An ability to be inactive while expecting something.<br /><br />The natural world waits with such grace. The quiet cocoon, the simple bud, the tiny seed…all beautiful in their silent, fallow forms. Each embody Job’s words, “waiting for my change to come.”<br /><br />Jan Comenius was a Moravian Bishop who lived in an age of violence and exile. Born in what is now the Czech Republic in 1592, his own schooling was rigid, full of rote learning and harsh discipline. Writing about education and teaching filled his days. Themes including ‘a liberal education for all,’ an emphasis on atmosphere, the need for personal motivation in learning and direct experience were his directives. He wrote that Nature spoke to education in these ways:<br /><br />1. Nature observes a suitable time.<br /><br />2. Nature prepares the material, before she begins to give it form.<br /><br />3. Nature chooses a fit subject to act upon, or first submits one to a suitable treatment in order to make it fit.<br /><br />4. Nature is not confused in its operations, but in its forward progress advances distinctly from one point to another.<br /><br />5. In all the operations of nature, development is from within.<br /><br />6. Nature, in its formative processes, begins with the universal and ends with the particular.<br /><br />7. Nature makes no leaps, but proceeds step by step.<br /><br />8. If nature commences anything, it does not leave off until the operation is completed.<br /><br />9. Nature carefully avoids obstacles and things likely to cause hurt.[3]<br /><br /><br />One can only imagine how deeply Charlotte Mason was informed Comenius. He was a champion of cultivating the inner landscape, and although he lived with many sufferings and deprivations in his lifetime, he was a man of expanded spirit and a gentle, compelling person. It was Comenius who said to “start with local, then branch out”, themes found in these slow, time-conscious movements.<br /><br />Proportion and Rhythm<br /><br />A richer view of time will help us live more proportionally- to work, live, and play at the “right speed”. Charlotte Mason said “we allow no separation to grow up between the intellectual and the spiritual life of children, but teach them to that the Divine Spirit has constant access to their spirits, and is their Continual Helper in all the interests, duties and joys of life.” This idea allows us to see the value of every dimension of life and pay attention to each. We can become full participants in life, instead of amputating sections of our being to make up more time.<br /><br />The Rule of St. Benedict survives to this day primarily because its adherents find a view of life there that helps them live in proper proportion. Prayer, community, work, rest, food are all attended to in a rhythm that attends to each without neglecting the others. He was able to keep the dialectic between silence and community, leisure and work, being and doing, resting and waking, listening and responding. A large part of that was knowing that each has its due season, but also that each must be set aside to attend to others arenas. There is a time to take my work up, but there is also a time to set it down. “That’s enough for today.”<br /><br />Presence<br />Hospitality, Openness, Lack of self consciousness<br /><br />The ultimate hope is not so much seizing the day or enjoying the moment, as being present in the day and in the moment. This is the way to hospitality- to becoming open to others (people and ideas). This rhythm fosters the ability to say of any interruption, any suffering, “who knows what God has brought me in this child, this event, this thought, this moment?”, and to then give it my full attention.<br /><br />The work of giving time to each person, idea or moment yields the fruit of increasing humility, a lack of self-consciousness, which Charlotte Mason says is the distinct “goal” of a life of abundance. How freeing to be so present to you that I forget myself? Then you are not burdened by pride and fear, and neither am I.<br /><br />Listen to Jean Louis Servan-Schreiber in The Art of Time: “It is in our early years that we are most profoundly, naturally and intimately involved with time. Never again will we be as open as the child for whom everything is new and who can dream, and be surprised and forget everything else to benefit from the moment. Without the burden of a past, without a care for the future we live our childhood happily in the present, before our memories and our projects gnaw it down from both ends. The fundamental experience of the present, of the fullness of the moment, the intensity of feeling (joy/pain, pleasure/suffering) here and now is not that difficult to acquire since it is with the reach of every child. What is harder is to not forget it.” He is simply talking about recapturing what was once natural to us, a child-like view of the world.<br /><br /><br />So,….<br /><br />So, in thinking about life ( i.e. education), perhaps I might pay more attention to time. The life of the soul and the life of community are deeply connected to waiting and to a steady, restful, yet attentive pace. My lesson plan says that we should be at a certain point, but what are all these young faces telling me? Why am I still working when the sun has gone down hours ago? Was it back in the fall when I last had coffee with my colleague? What do I learn from the long, bright days of summer and the shorter, darker days of winter? Does this season of the year call me to pay attention to ideas that I have neglected? What is my eight year old saying about my calendar, especially now that it has merged with my cell phone? Shall we take time this week to think about time?<br /><br />Here is one final thought from Pierre Teillhard de Chardin:<br /><br />“Above all, trust in the slow work of God. We are all, quiet naturally, impatient in everything to reach the end without delay. We should like to skip the intermediate stages. We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new, and yet it is the law of all progress that is made by passing through some stages of instability – and that it may take a very long time.<br /><br />And so I think it is with you. Your ideas mature gradually – let them grow, let them shape themselves, without undue haste. Don’t try to force them on, as though you could be today what time (that is to say, grace and circumstances acting on your own good will) will make you tomorrow.<br /><br />Only God could say what this new spirit gradually forming within you will be. Give our Lord the benefit of believing that his hand is leading you and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself in suspense and incomplete.”<br /><br />So, tell me dear comrade, what thoughts do you have about all of this?Melanie Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10502267371040670966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913936041216908064.post-35254268993524757862008-06-05T12:35:00.000-07:002008-06-05T12:38:07.671-07:00Sampling from Our BookshelfOur Bookshelf<br /><br /><br />Education<br />When Children Love to Learn<br />Teaching Children<br />Books Children Love<br />For the Children’s Sake<br />Educating for Life – Wolterstoff<br />Brain Based Learning<br />Alfie Kohn<br />Eric Jensen<br /><br /><br /><br />Spiritual Formation<br />The Bible<br />The Book of Common Prayer<br />Offering the Gospel to Children<br />Godly Play<br />The Religious Potential of the Child<br />Sharing our Biblical Story<br />Images of God – Katherine Paterson<br />A Pilgrim People – Westerhoff<br />And You Call Yourself a Christian<br />The Christian Imagination – Ryken<br />Reaching Out – Nouwen<br />Will Our Children Have Faith – Westerhoff<br />Seeking God – De Waal<br />George Macdonald<br /><br /><br /><br />Personhood<br />The Mentored Life - Houston<br />In His Image – Brandt<br />Becoming Human – Jean Vanier<br /><br />Language Arts<br />Reading Reflex<br />Doing Words<br />Teacher<br />On Writing Well - Zinsser<br />Lessons that Change Writers – Nancie Atwell<br /><br /><br /><br />Nature<br />The Handbook of Nature Study – Comstock<br />The Last Child in the Woods<br />Thornton Burgess<br />Christian Liberty Press Nature Readers<br /><br /><br />Handicrafts and Skills<br />Home Comforts<br /><br />Music<br />Kodaly<br /><br />Shaping Stories<br />The Year of Miss Agnes – Kirkpatrick<br />A Passion for the Impossible<br />My Thirteenth WinterMelanie Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10502267371040670966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913936041216908064.post-74186701067873824802008-06-05T12:33:00.001-07:002008-06-05T12:33:49.603-07:00MentorsMen • tors – trusted counselors or guides<br /><br />“<br />“I suggest that the only books that influence us are those for which we are ready and which have gone a little further down our particular path than we have yet gone ourselves. “<br /> E. M. Forster<br /><br /><br /><br />Mentor Books:<br /><br />When Children Love to Learn – edited by Elaine Cooper<br />Redemptive Teaching – Donovan Graham<br />For the Children’s Sake – Susan Schaeffer McCauley<br />Educating for Life – Nicholas Wolterstorff<br />Brain Based Learning – Eric Jensen<br /><br />There are No Children Here –Alex Kotlowitz<br />And You Call Yourself a Christian: Towards Responsible Charity – Robert Lupton<br /><br />Reaching Out – Nouwen<br />The Mentored Life – James Houston<br />Will our Children Have Faith? – John Westerhoff<br />Offering the Gospel to Children – Gretchen Wolff Pritchard<br /><br /><br />Mentor Schools:<br /><br />Perimeter Schools including Parkview, Perimeter, and Intown/ Atlanta, GA<br />Ambleside School/ Fredericksburg, TX<br />Redeemer School/Winston Salem, North Carolina<br /><br /> Carraway Center for Teaching and Learning, LLC (http://www.carrawaycenter.com/aboutus.html) located in Nashville, TN educational consultant dedicated to helping educators/parents understand how learning occurs.<br /><br /><br />We are grateful for the mentor books and schools listed above. These authors and schools counsel, guide and shape us. They are our friends.<br /><br />It is that my friends have made the story of my life. In a thousand ways they have turned my limitations into beautiful privileges, and enabled me to walk serene and happy in the shadow cast by my deprivation.” Helen KellerMelanie Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10502267371040670966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913936041216908064.post-28947587660786462682008-06-05T12:31:00.000-07:002008-06-05T12:34:17.931-07:00Edwin Muir, Alabama NaturalistWhy do I tell you this little boy’s story of medusas, rays and sea monsters, nearly sixty years after the fact? Because it illustrates, I think, how a naturalist is created. A child comes to the edge of deep water with a mind prepared for wonder. He is like a primitive adult of long ago, an acquisitive early arriving at the shore of Lake Malawi, say, or the Mozambique Channel. The experience must have been repeated countless times over thousands of generations, served as sources of food and barriers against enemies. No petty boundaries could split their flat expanse. They could not be burned or eroded into sterile gullies. They were impervious, it seemed, to change of any kind. The waterland was always there, timeless, invulnerable, mostly beyond reach and inexhaustible. The child is ready to grasp this archetype, to explore and learn, but he has few words to describe his guiding emotions. Instead he is given a compelling image that will serve in later life as a talisman, transmitting a powerful energy that directs the growth of experience and knowledge. He will add complicated details and context from his culture as he grows older. But the core image stays intact. When an adult he will find it curious, if he is at all reflective, that he has the urge to travel all day to fish or to watch sunsets on the ocean horizon.<br /><br /> Hands on experience at the critical time, not systematic knowledge is what counts in the making of a naturalist. Better to be an untutored savage for a while, not to know the names or anatomical detail. Better to spend long stretches of time just searching and dreaming. Rachel Carson, who understood this principle well, used different words to the same effect in The Sense of Wonder in 1965: ‘If facts are the seeds that later produce knowledge and wisdom, then the emotions and the impressions of the senses are the fertile soil in which the seeds must grow. The years of childhood are the time to prepare the soil.’ She wisely took children to the edge of the sea.Melanie Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10502267371040670966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913936041216908064.post-6750808889476586132008-06-05T12:30:00.001-07:002008-06-05T12:32:53.061-07:00George MacDonaldThe best thing you can do for your fellow, next to rousing his conscience, is--not to give him things to think about, but to wake things up that are in him; or say to make him think things for himself.Melanie Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10502267371040670966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913936041216908064.post-54357842709703021032008-06-05T12:17:00.001-07:002008-06-05T12:17:47.896-07:00Communion of the Saints“Next to God’s work and His blessing, I believe that Birmingham has taught me that friendship is one of the greatest things in life. It is the sweetest, holiest, and most far-reaching agency on earth. Friendship is based upon unselfishness and a desire to help someone – a trust in others more than in self. I accept the love of my friends not as a gift, but as a sacred trust imposed upon me. My friends keep me healthy, sound, and able with their love. They are my eyes with which I see, my ears with which I hear, my mouth with which I speak, my heart with which I love – they are my inspiration.”<br /><br /> Brother BryanMelanie Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10502267371040670966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913936041216908064.post-73800491448450474412008-06-05T12:14:00.001-07:002008-06-05T12:14:32.537-07:00Gifts ReceivedEsther de Waal includes the following quote in her book Lost in Wonder.<br /><br />“Gift is the principle on which the Creator has based human existence; it is the most pervasive, even if little noticed, reality of our lives. We have life itself by others’ gift of procreation, pregnancy and childbirth. We are sustained in life by the good things of nature and by the labour, generosity and society of other human beings. We are educated by the self giving of our teachers. We are sustained constantly by gifts—love, forgiveness, reconciliation, pleasure. Our whole life is a fabrication of gifts received, and we ourselves contribute our gifts to the lives of others.”Melanie Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10502267371040670966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913936041216908064.post-15841098496998167862008-06-05T12:11:00.001-07:002008-06-05T12:11:39.710-07:00Persons“Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” I John 3:2<br /><br />A Person’s a Person No Matter How Small<br /><br />The chapel at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham calls itself ‘a sermon in stone.’ We took our students there recently on our excursion day and were overwhelmed by the symbols and beauty of its place. The children were invited to explore until a symbol spoke to them and then take time to illustrate it in their museum books. It was like a treasure hunt of sorts and we were all surprised by its effect. The chapel is designed to teach and remind at every turn. There are murals of the church year and shields for each of the apostles. The Trinitarian symbol made with the acacia’s everlasting leaves graces the ceiling. Four foundational preachers are carved into the pulpit. Every detail points to the Christian tradition and holds theological and historical significance. The chapel is designed to retell the beauty and excellence of our true and living faith.<br /><br />I wonder if in a very similar way the Garden of Eden is designed for persons, to tell them who they are and what they are for. Picture a place of exquisite beauty, form and provision. This is a place where rule is by recognition, not dominance; where the atmosphere is infused with a sense of comeliness and aesthetic delight There is a rhythm/cadence/pace of living here that is unrushed and timely. A sense of proportions with variety and repetition, safety and adventure fills the space. Garden life was characterized by sleeping deeply and awaking to fitting work. Male and female were in sync, free of cold distance or clinging togetherness. Solitude and community ran parallel and were the dialectic of this place. <br /><br />At our essence, this Reality is what persons are made to enjoy. We are ever leaning towards this sense of shalom, of suitableness, of wholeness. When we taste this we find deep rest and a sense of satisfaction. Our essences echo, ‘yes, now this is true and sincere.’ Although our days here are broken and full of suffering, we find that we often taste hints of this kind of care. This kind of kindness feeds our hope.<br /><br />The personhood of children is essential to our understanding of education. We have seen that the habit of attention to a child leads to the recognition and particularizing of that child, with the fruitful sense that one is knowing and being known<br /><br /><br />A few months ago I heard James Houston, a dear mentor of our work, describe the four consciousnesses of persons. These would include our Cognitive intelligence where all can be substantiated, our Emotional intelligence where relating and sympathizing with another occurs, our Conative intelligence involving our will with desire and longing and our Spiritual intelligence linking us to the Father, Son, and Spirit and connecting us to others.<br /><br />It is our understanding that when a person is recognized in all four of these arenas he will be most attentive and will feel the most tended to.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />To attend: <br /><br />To be attentive means to bring all four of these consciousnesses to the moment. When we are able to do that freely we retain and remember better. Attention given and attention received has a ripening effect on us. We are living creatures and it seems that when we are well tended we grow and are fruitful; when we are ignored or not recognized we shrivel and shrink. If people tend to us, but do not care for us, we experience it as manipulation. It feels like harshness instead of nurture. Attention must be laced with caring when living with persons.<br /><br />Add attention to glance and you get gaze.<br />Add attention to hear and you get listen.<br />Add attention to taste and you get savor.<br />Add attention to touch and you get stroke.<br />Add attention to smell and you get scent.<br /><br /><br />Charlotte Mason said, ‘It’s not how much a child knows, it’s how much he cares that matters.’ One of our board members once retorted, ‘Well, I want my child to know and care!” I believe that what Miss Mason was saying is that if a child only knows but does not care, the learning will be forgotten or will become a knowledge that is idolatrous leading to pride. Caring and delight in knowing fosters humility and joy.<br /><br /><br />To recognize<br /><br />Childhood is marked by a lack of self-consciousness. This innocence or humility is what Jesus is drawing our attention to when he says, “Unless you become like a little child…” It may seem inefficient to be patient with a child and to protect his freedom to be. But goading, enticing with rewards and comparison are all poisons to a child. It behooves us to recognize the child for who he already is instead of promoting postures and paces that will one day find him wearing a mask, pretending to be someone he is not or infected with hero worship, desiring to promote himself instead of be himself.<br /><br />The seed in fertile soil is a fitting metaphor for recognizing the child. There is only so much effect we have. The essence of the seed, the child, is intact and already has an aim or bent. We offer soil nourishment, virile conditions, attentive waiting and a little weeding, and the child grows into all he is becoming. As we recognize the child we will see his particular weaknesses and fleshly ways. We help the child by fostering habits of attention, kindness, honesty, steady effort, and more. This promotes postures of truth and care where he is free to confess his selfish bents while still hoping and longing for more.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />To particularize<br /><br />C. S. Lewis said, ‘Affection is responsible for nine tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our lives.’<br /><br />Jesus always finds a way to particularize, set apart and convince the follower with a knowing that is past knowing. Think of how Jesus came to His band of men and women after the resurrection. Thomas could have been a real irritant with all those doubts. But when Jesus came to him, he spoke to those specific doubting parts of him. Thomas was convinced internally of the truth of Jesus’ resurrection. Note the way Jesus came to the scholars of the Emmaus road and the women at the tomb as well. All demonstrate particularizing and affection.<br /><br />We want to be a people who wait alongside and enter in while Truth particularizes our children personally. An atmosphere characterized by presence (attention), hospitality (making room for our deprivations as well as our abundances), and care (entering into the reality of where one is) all put us in the way of particularizing to grow. When spending leisurely time with a child reading, listening to music together or taking a long walk one often senses this particularizing taking place. ‘Ah, ha’ moments, a special exchange of tender words, a knowing smile, a blush or sudden rush of tears. All of these and more speak to this wooing of Truth that comes along side of us to name and particularize us.<br /><br />Knowing and being known<br /><br />When attending, recognizing and particularizing with affection are present a deep sense of belonging is formed. Secure in the knowledge that we are seen and cared for, our lives grow in fruitfulness. This is a different word than achievement. Products need management to be productive while persons need grace to be fruitful. The giving and receiving of gifts is our commodity as persons. ‘What does it matter? Grace is everywhere,’ says Bernanos in Diary of a Country Priest. <br /><br />As we see ourselves more in the role as midwives, bringing to the light of day something that already exists and as the farmer, sowing and nurturing a seed that already contains essential life, we will enjoy days of knowing and being known by others. This engaged knowing is the distinctive of Jesus’ pedagogy. This is not dry and dutiful knowledge but one laced with vitality, virility and verdancy. The heart, mind, soul and spirit we are after is one that hears, attends, understands and responds. Now I not only know as with an axiom, but I feel a caring responsibility for all that I have received.<br /><br /> Eugene Peterson said, ‘If we try to understand and form ourselves by ourselves we leave out most of ourselves.’ Pondering the idea of persons can lead to growth in ourselves and our learners, while neglecting these may have a shriveling and deadly effect. May we be persons who are open to God and others in freedom and mindfulness.Melanie Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10502267371040670966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913936041216908064.post-88496171190774869322008-06-05T12:07:00.001-07:002008-10-06T18:23:46.906-07:00Looking Back to the Beginning of the Last YearSpiritual Formation and Celebrations<br /><br />It is our desire to be and to become a community of learners, full participants in all of life. At RMCS we recognize that it is Jesus’ presence, hidden and unseen that brings life, richness and rest.<br /><br />Our last year was shaped by John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, the life of St. Francis, Joan of Arc and Brother Bryan. This coming year we hope to add to our fellowship of saints’ with the lives of St. Martin of Tours, Amy Carmichael, and Fred Shuttlesworth among others.<br /><br />Our year will be steeped in Psalms. This is our primary source for recitation and meditation. We will begin this year with Psalm 8. The practice of reading and responding to the rest of Scripture will be attended to by Bible reading in the classrooms at least twice a week with narrations following.<br /><br />Attention to the Church Year is woven in to our day to day life at RMCS. It’s seasonal rhythms and rituals will undergird our ordinary school days and in time will be traditions of our little work. We want our students to be ever mindful that God is thinking of them and thinks well of them. It is our hope that each of us will find Jesus to be our Shepherd and our Host (Psalm 23). The school sees itself in these roles as well – protecting the sheep/children from harm, leading them to nourishing pastures of learning and refreshing streams of hope, and then offering them a vast and deep ‘feast’ of curricular ideas and skills.<br /><br />We will gather together in excursions, chapels and other times to participate in these historic celebrations. In the fall we celebrate the Jewish feasts of Rosh Hashanah and Sukkoth. In November we will have a Thanksgiving Feast. Advent Chapels take on a distinctive feel as we await our Epiphany Service of Worship in January. We will also offer an outdoor Nativity similar to St. Francis’ first crèche in Italy years ago. We observe Lent by attending an Ash Wednesday service and then wear burlap for 6 weeks of chapel while we wait together for the royal velvet robes of Easter. This year we will participate in a Stations of the Cross in preparation for Good Friday and Holy Week. Our year ends with our St. George and the Dragon Faire in April and finally a ‘Coronation Chapel’ in May. Each child is blessed and prayed over at this tender service while we reflect on our year together and offer prayers of gratitude for God’s presence among us.<br /><br />Singing together is a treasured part of our day. We have a wide selection of hymns that we add to each year. Last year’s signature songs included ‘The Church’s One Foundation,’ ‘How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds,’ “Oh the Deep Deep Love of Jesus,’ Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder,’ ‘Beneath the Cross of Jesus,’ ‘O Love That Will Not Let Me Go,’ ‘Stricken, Smitten and Afflicted,’ and many others. We sense a deep mystery when we sing and have found that it has a strengthening, restorative effect on each of us.<br /><br />”Jesus, we surrender our hands, our heads and our hearts, knowing that your nearness is our only good.”Melanie Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10502267371040670966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7913936041216908064.post-22413314229197334272008-06-05T11:59:00.000-07:002008-06-05T12:01:25.351-07:00Elements of Surprise<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi15EI1X4a6Gcs2DogwPPW1xkh9UzgO9orLLxEVLpE9fcxeyPksudrH3C-sQU8LLz0lJbyhwHNktV_AJKmUk5UqF6tKo7TV8Bwb3MZS1VK3hYBtGYjH5JehqGRChg94u0GzVzY-VkeJBXA/s1600-h/ELEMENTSOFSU-4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi15EI1X4a6Gcs2DogwPPW1xkh9UzgO9orLLxEVLpE9fcxeyPksudrH3C-sQU8LLz0lJbyhwHNktV_AJKmUk5UqF6tKo7TV8Bwb3MZS1VK3hYBtGYjH5JehqGRChg94u0GzVzY-VkeJBXA/s320/ELEMENTSOFSU-4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208474484062934114" border="0" /></a>Melanie Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10502267371040670966noreply@blogger.com