Food Program Documents

There have been a few questions regarding the paperwork sent home on Friday. I feel it is my responsibility to explain how the program works because I am in charge of qualifying each family.

About a year ago we found out that we qualify for state assistance for food. We get reimbursed each month for groceries, paper products, meal service and some labor. The program also insures that we are providing adequate meals and sanitary meal preparation for your child. We receive state inspections and are monitored through Indianapolis. It's a fantastic program that provides plenty of opportunities for the school to save on food and milk expenses.

Two weeks ago I received a visit from our state inspector, and I didn't have the correct paperwork on each family. I kept my own personal records and apparently that's a big no no! We were told to get on the ball, and fast. The sponsor told me that each parent had to fill out their financial information and it had to be kept in a private file. This information is completely confidential.

Each income bracket qualifies. We still receive reimbursement for children in the highest income bracket. It isn't quite as much as the reduced and paid categories, but it is something.

I have done my research, and each center in Evansville that qualifies participates. I just enrolled my son Jack in public school, and I had to fill out the same paperwork. Miss Kelly and I will also fill out this paperwork for our children at the Garden School. It is an enormous help with the quality and the cost of food provided.

I understand that this is uncomfortable for parents. If you refuse to fill out the information, I will only request that you give a written reason that I can keep on file. This way I can at least show the inspector that I attempted to collect the appropriate information, and the school won't be sited.

It is not our intention to ostracize anyone. We love our parents. We appreciate your business and your friendship. We respect your privacy 100%! We are all very new at this! We are just trying to do what's best for the school. If you have any questions, I left my home number on the documents. Please feel free to call! We'll see you all on the 7th!!

regards,
Miss Molly

The Garden School Tattler

We had a wonderful time at the lake. The rain stayed off, the kids seemed to love the water and the parents seemed to enjoy the kids. Food was passable. Thanks to Joe, we managed to get ten pounds of hamburger cooked.

I hate goodbyes. I always make a bee line for the kitchen and hide out while everyone leaves. I'd rather not say goodbye to kids and parents even on the last day. I know it's part of it, but it's a part I'd rather just let continue as if "I'll see you next week." Silly, but characteristic. I suppose it has to do with the right kind of change. It speaks of growth and development. It speaks of the thing we are all eager to watch - the child grow up.

We've had a marvelous group of parents this last year. We couldn't thank you enough for all you did for us. We would love to keep in touch, if you are leaving the GS. We love visits.

I'm off to Florida to see #3 and #4 grandchildren. I have never seen Patrick. So Terry and I are off until next Friday. Miss Judy is going to swim in the ocean. I will be in school all day Saturday if you need me.

Pray for our Troops

PRAYER REQUEST According to the weather reports, it is 122 degrees in Iraq right now - and the low will be 111! Our troops need our prayers for strength, endurance, and safety. If it be God's will, give these men and women the strength they need to prevail. I am sorry but I am not breaking this one.....Let us pray. Prayer chain for our Military...please don't break it... Please send this on after a short prayer. Pray for our soldiers... Prayer "Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. I ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Amen." Prayer Request: When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our troops around the world. There is nothing attached.... . Just send this to all the people in your address book. Do not let it stop with you, please.... Of all the gifts you could give a US Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine &others deployed in harm's way, Prayer is the very best one!!!!!

10 Things You Should Know

This is really a good article especially for new parents looking for childcare outside the home.

I would add a few extras.

Medication of any kind should be reported to your child's teacher. If there is an accident of some kind, rescue squads need to know. Some parents are secretive about medication and only after several months will a teacher "discover" that the child is on a mind altering drug.

If a child is too anxious about going to school, two things to explore are 1, there is something going on at home the child just can't bear to be away from, and 2, that someone in the childcare is not nice to him.

Always consider illness as an epidemic starter. Look at other children and ask, "Would I like to share a drinking cup after 'that child?'" Then create a standard for your own family.

Behavior issues begin at home. In order to change a behavior, often it is the parents who have to change their own behaviors in order to change a child.

Most childcares run week by week. If parents don't pay for vacation time, that income is not spendable and often a teacher will not get paid. It's something to think about.

And one more thing: we were asked about our open door policy. Our front door remains unlocked because we are not a prison; we are a school. By order of the Fire Marshall's office, we must keep our front door unlocked. That means parents can come through the door without having to wait. Every parent should have that right.

If a criminal wanted to gain entrance to the school, no matter how many doors and windows were open, they would do it.


Ten things every parent needs to know about day care
By Maria T. Olia
Day Care
Tuesday, July 25, 2006 -

Childcare is a real concern for parents of young children. "Trusting the care of your child to another person is huge" says Reed Donahue, co-director of Little Red Wagon Play School in Sudbury. Whether your child is enrolled in family or center- based day care, communication between the parent and the caregiver is key.

Frequent feedback is vital. High-quality daycare providers will use a variety of methods- bulletin-board postings, newsletters and formal conferences- to communicate with parents. One of the best ways parents can do is allow enough time to talk to the teacher at drop-off and pick-up. Drop-off is the time to tell the teacher that your child had a late night terror or that you started your infant on solids. At pick-up, the teacher will often share information about your child’s day. Roya Touran runs a family day care for 10 children in her Westwood home. Touran provides parents of infants and toddlers a daily "What I did today" form which notes how much was eaten, sleep patterns, and developmental milestones; such as rolling over and new words learned.

Heed your provider’s advice when dealing with your child’s separation anxiety. At the Beverly Hospital Childcare Center, Director Debbie Ago requests that parents visit the classroom with their child. Tangible reminders, a favorite toy, or a picture of the parent can help too. Donahue says that consistency is critical. She suggests that parent make a plan with their child. "For example, tell your child that you will give them 5 kisses and 5 hugs, and then you will leave. Lingering always makes it more difficult for both the parent and the child. I also always tell my parents that they can call after drop-off to hear how their child is doing."

Be aware of early drop-off/late pick-up policies. Most day care providers will charge a fee for early drop-off or late pick-up. If parents are consistently early or late, they should consider changing their child’s day care schedule. Donahue says that her school is generally overstaffed. "If we have the room, we can accommodate a temporary change in a child’s day care schedule. This is life, things do happen."

Respect sick-child policies. For licensed day care providers, Massachusetts has established guidelines for sick children, but day care providers know that for a slightly ill child, the decision whether or not to attend day care is a gray area-especially for working parents. Childcare centers will insist that children be fever-free for 24 hours and able to participate in all activities. However, for children that attend home-based day care, there is often more lee-way. Touran says, "I prefer that a sick child doesn’t come to day care, but I understand that parents have to work. If a child has a runny nose and wants to rest instead of play outside, I try to be flexible."

Work with your day care provider to address any behavioral issues. Whether your child has a behavior issue or there is a problem with another child in your child’s day care, a parent’s first step should be to make an appointment to talk with your child’s teacher. "Often our teachers will work with the whole group and coach the kids through role-playing to empower the children and help teach empathy." For a parent whose child is having a behavior problem, Donahue prefers to brainstorm with the parent about positive reinforcement and redirection strategies for the child. Ago says that accident logs are useful to teachers and parents in isolating behavior trends. "For a child that is a biter, we can look at the report regarding the victim, staffing, or the time of day of the occurrence. We can then make changes such as have one of our high school volunteers shadow that child until the child outgrows the problem."

Know expectations for paying for vacation and sick days. You should expect to pay for childcare if your child is sick for a few days or misses days for a family vacation. After all, your day care provider has reserved a spot for your child. Family day care providers typically close for the day care provider’s vacation. Touran closes her day care for two weeks per year. Families have time to arrange back-up childcare - parents take vacation time, use short-term emergency day care at work, or get day care help from family members.

Share any food allergies or nutrition concerns. Day care providers are increasingly aware of the importance of healthy eating. At the Beverly Hospital Childcare Center, all meals and snacks are provided. Parents are encouraged to meet with the cook and review the day care’s menu. Touran provides all meals at her home day care too, and offers only water and milk as a beverage choice. At Little Red Wagon, children bring their own lunch, but parents are given guidelines regarding nutritious choices. Allergies are a hot topic in education. Day care providers can help manage a child’s food allergy by providing "safe snacks" (raisins, pretzels, etc.), enforcing a "no food sharing" rule, checking each child’s lunch for food allergens, and practicing good hygiene.

Understand inherent differences between day care centers and home-based centers. A home day care provider’s family cat or dog may be a wonderful learning opportunity- or a safety hazard. Some home day care providers may take the children on field trips- you will need to give written permission so that the day care may transport your child by car. And since your family day care provider is sharing her home with your child, you should be comfortable with her other family members as well.

Be familiar (and comfortable) with the provider’s discipline strategies. Children behave very differently in a classroom than at home. A common discipline difference between day care and home is the use of time-outs. Ago says "A time-out may be an appropriate discipline technique in the home, but we prefer to redirect a child and not use a time-out in the classroom." Day care providers are often a great resource for parenting advice-especially for first-time parents. Some childcare centers help "parent the parent" through workshops with staff or local parenting experts.

Act quickly when something doesn’t feel right. Because very young children do not communicate well, a change in your child’s behavior is often a parent’s first clue that there may be a problem at a childcare. Donahue believes that anytime a parent has a concern is a good time to speak with their child’s caregiver. "A parent should never have to go to sleep with a concern about their child." Childcare providers should have an "open door" policy where parents can visit at any time. Also, stay in touch with the other parents at your child’s day care- share your ideas and you will all have a better sense of what is going on in the classroom.


More info
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has developed 10 standards for quality child care programs, preschools, or kindergartens. This list, based on the NAEYC standards, can be a starting point as you look for the best program for your child. For more information please visit http://www.rightchoiceforkids.org/.

Maria Olia is a freelance writer from Newton, who has warm memories of her four children’s nursery school days.

Spider Bites

Some of the parents were talking about spiders yesterday, and when I got home from work I found this in my email. The pictures were sent from my daughter, Katy, who is a safety specialist for a large manufacturing company.

The pictures are graphic, and I apologize for any upset, but it does show how terrible brown recluse spider bites can be. Too often we shake off a spider bite. We tough it out as if we're tough, but after looking at these pictures, I will be more careful about spiders.

The pictures are in order. Notice the spider looks a lot like a common house spider. It has two large fangs at the head. It is not especially large.
You can see from the second picture, taken on the first day, that this si something to worry about. Since pictures have been taken, this bite has been treated which is even more alarming.







The next picture is day three.














The next picture is day 5.


















The last picture is day nine. Notice the string keeping the finger together. I have a close up of this, but I didn't print it.

India

This is really a curious thing and a very interesting article. We did a taste test last spring, and we noticed that the picky eaters were the most sure of tastes.

MedIndia - India

Sensitive Taste Buds Can Be The Blame for Lil'One Not Eating Vegetables

A new study has concluded that preschool children who are sensitive to bitter flavors are very likely to be among those who do not eat vegetables.

The researchers publishing their study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, have explained that their findings suggest that the naturally sensitive taste buds help explain why some children are so staunchly opposed to vegetables.

The researchers had explained that their experiment that was conducted on 65 preschool children had found that among those children who were very sensitive towards bitterness were most likely to eat fewer vegetables. They found that some of them even hesitated for eating not only bitter vegetables, like broccoli and olives, but also those that were sweeter like carrots and red peppers.

It was explained that in recent years, scientists have identified a gene, now known as ‘TAS2R38’, which controls a receptor for bitter flavor.

Reports also showed that a study published last year found that children with a few difference of that gene are particularly sensitive to tastes, and they were able to detect even a very small amount of a bitter-tasting compound when added in water.

The researchers found in their current study, when tested in the same way, 37% of the children said that the water tasted ‘yucky’ or bad, while the remaining claimed not to have tasted anything, and were considered as ‘nontasters’.

The Garden School Tattler

Today is a day of passage, a last day for many of our GS kids. It's always sad to see the children we've taught and love leave the school, but isn't that the whole point?

"Take a child from where ever he is as far as he can go," is the direction we work for. So where was he when he started and where is he on his launching day?

The question the teachers will ask today is how far did I take that child?

I love what Edith said a few days ago, "They walk in like little lambs, and they walk out like the Devil wears Prada."

It's a wonderful and exciting world to live in when a child has a little moxie, a little spirit, some knowledge to back that up, some dignity and some creativity to hold up the rest.

Yesterday Austin felt the loss and he spent the day thanking me for everything we did for him.

The older girls decided to scrub out the dress up section just because they could.

Ty earned lots of treats yesterday buttoning his lip and picking up after the little guys.

And so went the day.

Yesterday we had a lovely young couple come in with a three year old who will start school in September. She's just darling. I always look at where they begin and wonder what they will be like three years later.

Together with the parents, it's a team teaching effort. Discovery and awakening is what every teacher hopes to contribute, but you have to have the place. The GS is small, but it's set up to encourage knowing in small bites and small doses.

This year is beginning unlike a lot of other years. We have a team teaching effort that is going to be spectacular.

So today we launch the ones who have been with us and who are off to new starts, new beginnings, and new places. These children will leave the GS as friends. There have been a lot of words exchanged over the years, lots of laughter, lots of oops, lots of get a grip, "use your brain," and "Miss Judy, you're in time out." How long can I stay there?

It's not a sad time; it's a joyful time. God's speed - He's still in the safety zone.

Cookies

Some of the parents have asked us for the cookie recipe we use at school. It's an old one I got from one of my childhood mentors. Parkie was a Sioux from Minnesota and one of 12 children. She was a trench nurse during WWI and the mother of my oldest friend of 51 years. She was instrumental in letting me believe in myself.

The recipe is:

2 sticks cheap margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp baking SODA
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg

Mix
Add 2.5 cups of flour

Bake at 350 degrees until they puff up and have turned brown on the bottom.

Remember, the more baking soda you put in cookies, the crispier they are. By adding .5 tsp of soda, you will make them cracker like.

If you want a cake like cookie, reduce the soda to 1/2 a teaspoon, and increase your flour by 1/2 - 1 cup.

Always bake cookies in the center of the oven and don't put two cookie sheets together. Cookies burn that way.

Cookies will continue to cook after they have been removed from the oven, so take them out before they really look done.

Don't be afraid to add stuff like coconut, nuts, peanuts, corn flakes, raisins, ground orange peel.

And don't think you have to use the whole batter at once. I keep at least a batter in my fridge at all times so when I know my grand kids are on their way, I can pop a sheet of cookies in the oven and have the house smell great and fresh cookies on a plate when they arrive.

Lots of Fun

This is a fun thing sent to us by Faith's mom. For those unexpected overnights, and for a teen party this would be great! -- Judy

I have lots of friends who make these every weekend, they love them. They are good for camping too! --Stacy

ZIPLOC OMELET

(This works great !!! Good for when all your family is together. The bestpart is that no one has to wait for their special omelet !!!)

Have guests write their name on a quart-size Ziploc freezer bag with permanent marker.

Crack 2 eggs (large or extra-large) into the bag (not more than 2) shake to combine them.

Put out a variety of ingredients such as: cheeses, ham, onion, green pepper, tomato, hash browns, salsa, etc.

Each guest adds prepared ingredients of choice to their bag and shake.

Make sure to get the air out of the bag and zip it up.

Place the bags into rolling, boiling water for exactly 13 minutes. You can usually cook 6-8 omelets in a large pot. For more, make another pot of boiling water.

Open the bags and the omelet will roll out easily. Be prepared for everyone to be amazed.

Nice to serve with fresh fruit and coffee cake; everyone gets involved in the process and a great conversation piece.

The Three Year Old

This is an excellent article out of New Mexico. It's good to remember that play is a part of early education, and without play the education falls flat. More learning will come from a life time of play than a life time of work because people actually learn more from the things they love than the things that they hate.

Our view: Schedule in childhood'
The Current-Argus

A new recommendation from the Foundation for Child Development suggested that children begin attending a full day of preschool by age 3.

The children, according to the foundation, benefit from developed social skills, self-discipline, reading and math.

Voluntary, full-school PK-3, according to the foundation, also reduces the need for special education services, enables parents to build long-term relationships with important adults in their child's life and helps students prepare for the future workforce.

So why does the whole thing feel so wrong?

The concept of full-day preschool for 3- and 4-year-old children calls to mind a more extreme example of a group of pregnant mothers attending the world's first prenatal preschool class so that their unborn children can get an academic head start. And it only seems like a matter of time before infants will be forced to face their own wave of standardized tests.

Our society should look at preparing young children for the future but we should also look at, and pardon this strange idea, actually allowing children to be children. There's nothing wrong with letting kids hold on to a rattle for a few years before handing them a Calculus book.

Playing is an important aspect of development. Forming emotional bonds with adults is absolutely vital to young child development.

In an ideal world, a parent will play the pivotal role in most of this development.

As pointed out in a recent study, however, parents in a working society don't have the time to provide young children with all the developmental skills needed for kindergarten. Many fully responsible parents are simply unable to work 50-hour-a-week jobs without receiving some assistance raising their child. If millions of 3-year-old children are going to be spending
much of the day in someone else's care anyway, why not place them in a similar school environment where trained experts can help them develop?

Our society seems increasingly interested in placing more burdens of child rearing on the school district. Thirty years ago, young children ate breakfast at home. Today, most children eat breakfast at school. That's not because some families cannot afford to provide breakfast as much as it is because studies show the importance of children having a nutritious morning meal and that many families of all economic levels simply don't have the time anymore to provide that.

In the case of education, it is the duty of our society to find a compromise that balances the academic needs of children with the need to allow children to be children. We must find a plan that balances the societal fact that parents need to work but we cannot just use this as an excuse to pass child-rearing responsibilities on to the school system.

With such a difficult issue, St. Edward principal David Gomez seems to offer a good starting point on the debate. Gomez said his school's single requirement is that potential students be potty trained. Potty training before American history seems fairly reasonable.

Beyond that, the topic may still be a matter for debate. Half-day preschool for 3-year-olds and even full-day preschool for 4-year-olds may be possibilities, but a full-day PK-3 certainly seems to be an unreasonable extreme.

Another good article from Babyfit.

Finding time for fitness or anything else today is really difficult. Busy parents just don't have time. Doing small things makes a lot of sense. They say small periods of activity are just as good as the long work outs.

Q: I am a working mom with an 11-year-old daughter. I sit all day at work, get home and help her do her homework, cook dinner, get her in the shower, and then get ready for bed. I feel I have no time to exercise. How can I fit exercise into my day?

Try to add some walking during your lunch break. It doesn't have to be long— even 15 to 20 minutes would help increase your fitness level. You could also add some strength training while your daughter is working on homework, using a resistance band or hand weights. Also, you could try a prenatal fitness video several times a week. Could you work out during a 30-minute break in the evening three times a week? You could even try to add the exercise video on two nights and walk outside on the weekend.

There are lots of great stretches you can do in your chair at work too. Every hour, twist gently side to side. Also, you can bring your arms behind your head with your elbow out to the side and stretch gently side to side or stretch your arms overhead in small circles. To stretch your neck, slowly tip your chin down towards your chest, then tip your chin up and side to side. To stretch your calf, extend one leg out with your heel down and toes pointed up.

Catherine Cram, M.S.Owner for Comprehensive Fitness Consulting LLCAuthor of Fit Pregnancy for Dummies (Wiley Publishing, Inc. 2004)

The Garden School Tattler

One more crazy week before break. It seems like summer just started! We've had a lot of fun and I think the kids who learned to swim, and that's most of them, have learned something really precious they will cherish always.

I'm thinking we could swim this winter as well since most of our kids know how!

Some of the quieter kids, like Justin and Morgan and Madison and Jasmine have been my real delight because they always let the older and louder kids get the limelight, and this time their attempt to swim has been truly a spectacular effort.

Justin's grandparents came to watch and were surprised at how well he did. Flinging one's body into deep water over the head and then continuing to stroke another ten yards into possible danger and then turning around and swimming back is "knowing how to swim."

Wednesday we might go to the Fair. Then it's the big trip on Friday to the lake. Please let us know if you want to cook out or if you want regular summer lunch.

Today is board day. We'll take as many kids to the board as want to go.

New thing! On Thursday we are distributing summer report cards. These were developed by Miss Kelly. We were talking about how important our summer program is, and how our regular report card did not cover it properly, so Kelly developed a summer one. This will be part of a child's official record.

The pictures were taken by Miss Kelly.

Garden School Tattler

Friday was an outstanding pool day. Five more notches in the handle of success.

Morgan passed her swim test with flying, and I do mean flying colors as she flung herself into the water from the edge of the pool.

Madison passed hers with a wash tub steady stroke and an athlete's breathing - huff, huff, huff.

Jasmine was long and graceful as she sped into the water and then in mermaid fashion glided back to the edge of the pool.

MJ struggled a little but made the edge before going down. Then he decided it was fun and he spent the rest of the day jumping in and speeding back to the pool side only to jump in again.

Kaito, like Morgan, flung himself into the pool and then with a proper real stroke made his way back to pool side and then spent a lot of time under the water. He's a real little pro.

That makes 23 swimmers so far.

The pool was really warm and wonderful and we hurried back to school before the storm. By 3:00 it was a tropical hurricane at school. The children all played quietly, and the bigger children were fascinated by the lack of light and the bend of the trees.

This morning the tomato plants were all down and after an hour of pulling weeds and tying up the plants, the garden looks like it was never hit by torrential down pours.

One more week before break. We've been invited to the fair. More about that later.

The Garden School Tattler

This is really a beautiful letter and one I'll treasure always:

I have one of the "not-so-well-behaved" children at the GS who has missed more than one field trip because of his attitude & behavior issues. Tis life! In the words of Pink Floyd... "if you don't eat your meat, you don't get any pudding". Has this caused problems with our work schedules?! You bet it has!!! Has it caused us to get our feathers ruffled?! Guaranteed!!! Have we been more than aggravated over minor changes in policy, discipline, etc?! Darn tooting we have!!! But we got over it & moved on! We love the GS & the teachers! They have meant so much to us & our child.

They have pulled more than a few hairs out over him... but they have never given up on him. Instead they got him reading on a 2nd grade level, doing addition & subtraction that several 2nd graders couldn't do, learning seas & countries of the world, memorizing & delivering lines for plays, teaching him songs that he's done solo in church, etc. That's not to bad for a 5 year old.

Thank God my child is not a "cookie cutter child" & that he's not normal! I'm sure we'll have lots of problems to overcome in his lifetime, but hopefully the individuals working with him at that time will be like Mrs. Judy, Mrs. St. Louis, Mrs. Kelly, Mrs. Molly & Mr. Tom... & find a way to work with him. I don't know what he'll be someday or what he'll do, but it gives me great pleasure knowing that Einstein was a "problem child" who hit his sister often & bothered his teachers immensely. You see... there is hope for "problem children".

BTW... Ty will be leaving the Garden School next week to start "big school". He'll be going in the first grade. His little brother, Ian, will be 3 the end of September & we're sending him to the GS as soon as he master's the potty. :-)

Having had a difficult boy child as well, I understand the problems, the worry, the grief a poorly behaved child can cause at home, but there is a difference, and the home is the difference.

My son and this little boy come from loving and caring homes. This child like my own need to hit the age of reason to mend their ways.

My son is now 34 and as a chosen profession builds machines that treat otherwise untreatable cancers. The machines are called Proton Therapy Units. Last night he told me that the one his team has just finished building in Jacksonville is treating a lot of prostate cancers. I asked him what was wrong with that, and he said there is only so much time on the machine, and when prostate cancers are treated the really important illnesses, like pediatric cancers, have to wait, and that is a moral issue.

I'm really proud of my son, and the family who so kindly wrote this letter will be proud of their child as well. Loving families do have loving children even if it takes a while.

Their child is brilliant. He's bored most of the time and that's his problem. He needs constant stimulation, but he doesn't always have the facility to use the information he gains through observation, or innate intelligence. It's like dancing. He appreciates the dance steps, but he can't quite move to the music. That intellectual coordination takes time.

No matter what field he decides to tackle, he will do it with a difference and a joy that will make him great. He's as bold as they come; now let's think about who was bold: Columbus, Lewis and Clark, Beethoven, Picasso, George Washington, Lincoln, Mother Theresa...

Looking forward to #2. We will finish the training, so bring him on.

The Garden School Tattler

A reader thoughtfully writes:

I had considered enrolling my child in the Garden School, but I am now having second thoughts. You continually put down children who, though aren't the "cookie cutter" perfection that you're looking for, are very bright and teachable. I don't believe that my child will have behavior issues when enrolled in school. I don't, however, want them ridiculed if they don't fit your plan.

Another parent writes:

Anonymous...I disagree with your thought that kids must fit into the "cookie cutter" model to go to GS. The exact opposite is true. My daughter did not fit into "the box". We took to 3 of the "top" places in Evansville and Newburgh. Each place said that she did not fit into there place. We then tried the Garden School because a close friend was taking their child there as well. We are SO thankful for this. Our daughter has now discovered her potential and she continuously strives to learn more and more each day.

After just a few weeks at GS, we discovered why she did not "fit in" at the other places. She wants to learn and do more, not just be there. The other places were correct that she did not "fit into" their programs, because they did not want to do anything extra that might cause them more work or to challenge a child to meet their potential your child is eager to learn and have a blast while doing it, and you do not take them to the garden school, you will punish the child without reason.

Also, not everyday is always the dream day for your kid (is your’s). But I would say that 18 of the average 20 days will be wonderful at the GS. But this will decrease if your child is not ready to succeed everyday. And as a parent, your child will get more of the GS if you personally put effort into the school. If you notice in the name and most of what I have been typing, “school” is used. Nowhere is daycare used. If you’re looking for a daycare, do the others kids at the GS a favor and not bring your child. But if you are looking for a learning environment for your child to build and succeed from, your child should be at the Garden School.

If you would like to talk in more detail, contact Judy and ask her for P.S.’s father’s phone number.

What a lovely tribute. Truthfully, we don't believe there are cookie kids. Every child is like a full meal. Sometimes it's pate, Cesar Salad, and Rack of Lamb Indonesia with peanut butter sauce and a conclusion of peaches flambe. Sometimes it's franks and beans with a dessert of Hostess cupcake. For the most part the menu changes every few weeks. Today we're bologna, tomorrow cordon bleu.

The child who didn't fit into 3 other places is a remarkably bright child with a personality comparable to the Devil wears Prada. Edith and I saw that movie and we came away liking the character of Merel Streep very much. She was demanding, aggressive and creative.

The whole point of early childhood is to discover the child as he discovers his world. But sometimes a child who "doesn't fit in" doesn't fit in because there are desperate problems.

Here are some of the behaviors we've worked with over the years: one child tried to burn the school down. One child pulled a knife on is mother and tried to stab her on the way to school. One child spread poop all over the school. One child urinated all over the school. We've had children who have stolen money, food, other children's personal effects. We've had children who swore profusely during prayer time. About ten years ago we had a sexual predator child. We had a child who, we were told by two psychologists, would never normalize and would have to be institutionalized. She entered second grade normally, but the work to get her there was incredible PBTG.

At one time there was no help for kids like these, so we took them in. And some of these children became our favorite kids. One desperately needy child stood in the kitchen and like DH Lawrence told me in such beautiful description what it was like to be on anti psychotic drugs.

The student body at the Garden School have always been bright children, eager and ready to learn, each one a delight, a separate special individual lovable to his toenails! Why should a desperate problem in the classroom take their teachers away hours out of the day when there are better and more successful places to give the special needs child the special needs he deserves?

This year at the GS, we have some budding engineers, some interested musicians, some lyricists, some poets, some fine artists, some entertainers, some dancers and some social butterflies. That's where we want to put our efforts - not into the same basic bottom line discipline ad infinitum ad nauseum.

Today we took 30 children to the pool. It was a calm peaceful day with an ordered lunch, and a nice stay at the park. Here's the difference: A really difficult child spends his day running into the deep end and then fighting and kicking the life guards who have to pull him out. He tries to bolt out of the pool and into the street. He pushes the little children under the water, and will disappear only to return having stolen other people's toys. Is this what we want at the GS?

The Garden School does not ridicule children. We remind children what it means to operate in a manner that leads to leadership. Leadership is not cut from a cutter. It's learned and taught in a loving SAFE and caring place. We hope we're that.

The Garden School Tattler

Yesterday was a real eye opening day for us. For years the GS has had its share of poorly behaved children. We've taken them in course like everyone else. In fact it came to be a kind of rep we had - "Take the child to the Garden School; they will turn him around."

Last year we had perhaps the worst child we've ever had. We tried everything. The child came to love us, but still would not cooperate. Not wanting to give up, we fought like tigers for the child and then realized that because all the work we did for the child at school went down the drain after 5:00, there was nothing real we could do for him. He came in every morning freshly ready to assault the day, and although we got a lot of lip service, we didn't get any results.

On Monday, on the spur of the moment, we took two beautiful, sad little kids in. We took them to the pool, to the playground, and to a birthday party. At the end of the day, the energy and time given to these children was so disproportionate, every teacher reported the next day that they had failed to sleep over the care that would be expected the next day.

"How fair is that to the good kids?" I asked. Everyone just stared at the next teacher. "If it were a week of struggle, perhaps it would be worth it, but I see a whole school year spent in formation," I said to myself. "If we had the staff, it would be worth doing, but suppose it goes like most of these situations," I mused, "And the support from home becomes a liability as well?"

So often with problem children the problem begins and remains with the parents. Nearly everyone can care for an infant, but the skill to handle a toddler is absent, and the preschooler suffers dramatically because of it. The parent looses heart by the time a child is five, and the behavior is way out of line.

The Garden School is a place where children learn. Learning involves early character, discipline and a desire to listen. We can't build that after the fact especially if there is no back up, no home life that steers a child in the same direction. If we're struggling to get a child into the starting position too long, what's the point?

We could turn the GS into a place for the terribly behaved, the lost, the lonely, the abused, but at what cost and with what assistance? We've turned plenty of kids around, and Milestones got the grant. We organized and developed a whole different early childhood order and the Joshua Academy got all the attention.

The Garden School has its own direction. We're a place where children build the kind of independent study habits that leads them to be leaders and builders of the next generation. Sometimes a child who got off to a poor start will fit in and change, but those who don't are too much of a liability.

This year, we have not a single poorly behaved child enrolled at the school and I'd like to keep it that way. It will be an exciting year for us.

The pictures are taken by Miss Kelly. She is a fabulous photographer. See how close we were!!

Garden School Tattler

Here's a letter from a concerned parent. There have been a lot lately and that is very encouraging. It means so much to us. It's VERY important to us to know what's in the heart of our most caring parents.

A commentor a few days ago suggested that leaving a staff memeber behind on long field trip days would also help those parents who don't want to send their child on a field trip through 2 states, over 3 hours one way. I notice this post did not address that issue, other than to say it is "punishing" a staff member to leave them behind. Hmmmm....... More than just the 3 poorly behaved children did not attend the major field trip. My child didn't go, and my child earned the trip. I feel that the education (classroom teaching) program at GS is first class. It's the long field trip that bothers me. GS staff know of my reservation and I have gotten the impression that I'm the only person to speak up.

To leave two teachers - liability demands it - and three poorly behaved children and a couple of really good children whose parents are not keen on the long trip would never bode will with the well behaved. It creates a stigma.

When my girls were in sixth grade, they suddenly had to shower in gym with all the other girls. I have never been in favor of communal showering. I hate it. I think it's degrading and I told my children at the time that they did not have to participate, but I gave them the choice and all of them happily showered with the others. Giving them the choice allowed me to let go. It allowed them to make a decision based on a social order imposed by others. I would never have allowed someone else including the state to make this decision for any of us. But at the same time, if my children decided not to shower with the rest of them for privacy or modesty sake, I would not have wanted them to be alienated either - body odor put aside.

Children stigmatize easily. I wouldn't want that to happen. So I still maintain that a private solution to the field trip problem is still the best one.

The Garden School Tattler

Now about the trip! Our trip to St. Louis was probably the nicest trip we've taken in a long time. It was peaceful on the bus, the kids were great, the little guys were happy as clams, and the big children excited about seeing new and exciting things. We passed snacks and drinks and books and toys and chatted and laughed. It was real R&R for a lot of us. I didn't see a lot of restlessness on the bus which was encouraging.

We stopped at the rest stop on the way and then took off for St. Louis making a record time of 3 hours. We saw the arch which everyone craned their neck to see as the bus traveled the spider web highways. We landed just outside the zoo at a really nice picnic area with a real bathroom. We had a quick lunch and then started off to the zoo.

We saw quite a bit. The zoo is planned around several circular paths designs. There is a cat section and a plains section and a bird house and a money house and a penguin zone and several other areas. The penguin zone was inside and outside. I thought Liz our most abbreviated dressed adult in her size 10 children's shorts and top was hilarious as she tried to shiver herself warm in the 30 degree temps!

The kids all loved to watch the penguins and then we saw the polar bears. It was not as hot at the zoo as we anticipated. It was actually rather nice with a good breeze. We hiked and hiked and at about 2:00 made a mad dash for the bus.

The children stayed together very well. John led the group and Edith was the the rear gate. We found enough bathrooms along the way, and we spaced food so that we were fairly sure everyone was fed and hydrated as possible. I think the comfort zone was in the A B range. The temperature stayed about 82 degrees and there was a nice breeze.

We each had a whole soda and then got on the bus to go home. We hit some traffic for about 30 minutes and then it was clear sailing back across Illinois and into Indiana.

Thanks to all the parents who came, and especially to Frances who was 77 on Friday.

Thanks to all the parents who so thoughtfully sent drinks and snacks.

It was Peyton's sister's birthday. We sang Happy Birthday to Rylee.

The trip back was uneventful. Miss Kelly will send some pictures later and we will post again.

The Garden School Tattler

There has been some discussion about the long field trip and behavior and some suggestions concerning some children going and staying at the school in the comments section at the bottom of some of the blog stories.

Here are some things to consider:

The educational plan of the school not only includes but focuses on field trips. Rarely if ever have we taken a "non educational" field trip. In other words, they are a part of our curriculum. These trips help to educate our children by an extra means. Children are fully immersed in going and doing. Sometimes what the non observant parent doesn't see is how much children actually learn from going and doing.

In addition to field trips are student activities like the Thanksgiving play, the St. Patrick's Day play, the parties, the visit from Santa, Halloween, The Valentine's Day Dance, Spring Sing and the Awards Day activities.

Over the years, many parents have not been interested in these activities and have either not attended or they have kept their child home. When a parent neglects to come to one of these events, a child is crestfallen. Often parents don't see that either because "work" is the focus of some parents' life, and in dialogue we hear this.

The Garden School bends over backwards in planning school activities, scheduling field trips in advance, posting as much information as often as we can. We send out letters, post on the blog, and notify parents by word about upcoming events as regularly as we can. We are always genuinely sorry about oversights and misprints, and they do happen.

At the same time, we are always delighted to welcome parents who want to come along on our field trips so they can enjoy the adventure with their child. There is never a charge.

But to take it one more step - splitting our curriculum - having an alternative activity because of a few children says two things: we are not sure about what we are doing, and what we are doing is not really important.

That's not how the Garden School is set up.

We are a very small place because we want to know each child as a separate individual person at the primary learning time in their life. Teaching children to swim, being there as they fall down, bolstering up bad days, teaching a concept like addition, geography or science allows a kind of individual knowledge of another person that can't be made with a larger and impersonal agenda. At the same time, we can go on long trips and do exciting things other places can't because we do know each and every child.

Three children did not attend our major field trip this year. The actual reasons were: violence toward another child, chronic hysterical performances through the week, and a general refusal to cooperate with any single request. Now the idea of taking these children across two state lines three hours from home is called negligence.

Is this a surprise to parents of desperately poorly behaved children? If a parent does not know his child is in serious daily error, there is a root problem that does not need to be challenged three states away. Every day a child's behavior is posted. Rarely do some parents even look.

During the year we have what we call the "breaking point." When a child misbehaves to the point where he is violent toward others, hysterical and unapproachable, and generally refuses to cooperate on any level, we send him home. We put him back into the control of the parent - where he should be. Parents are the primary educators of their children. When chronic bad behavior is not curbed by the parent, teachers have no choice but to send a child home.

This is actually a relief to the exceptional 95% of the students. We can take our 95% anywhere to do anything and it's a tribute to them, to their choices of behavior and to their parents who teach them at home how to enter the world. Good children will always have to wait for the others. It's a fact of life, and one they will encounter all the way through school.

As far as a regular school day goes on field trip and party days, the Garden School does not offer a regular school day as part of its curriculum. Every good parent should have a back up situation for ill days, for school holidays and for days when a child can't go to school - like oral surgery days and sleep deprived days. School is a place to learn; it is not a place to be punished.

As far as teachers go, our staff treasures our out of school learning days. To punish two staff members to stay with poorly behaved children is the kind of thing that causes teacher turnover.

Behavior begins in the home. If a child does not know how to behave, that's where he should return to learn it. If he needs to return there on field trip days, that's probably not a bad plan.

The Garden School Tattler

It was an interesting day at school. We stayed in most of the day because it was so horribly hot and our teachers felt it was best to make the day as easy as we could because tomorrow will be a long one.

We want to thank Miss Susie for holding down the fort with Edith this morning while Miss Kelly and I went to the new United Way Coalition meeting concerning childcare in Evansville this morning. It was surprising to note how many organizations touch the world of children and how many people showed up this morning interested and concerned with childcare today.

Miss Kelly and I were the only teachers there. I've always thought there has always been a division between the powers that run childcare locally and those of us who work in it. It's like the aristocrats and the serfs. I have always wondered about the division.

The kinds of things these people want to implement in the next twenty years are: a concentration on nutrition and health, a foreign language, a consistency in care, better teachers, better programs, better communication, and a lot of childcare services. Sound familiar?

****

Today was our marker day for the trip tomorrow. Anyone going home today with a third green face took a letter home saying they could not come tomorrow.

Every year we fold on behaviors and end up taking some desperately ill behaved children just because we care. This year we are caring for those who have earned a really nice trip without the trailer of disruptive, disobedient children on the bus. Four children did not make the trip.

As I told one parent, this is not a trip we can easily turn around. If we were going an hour up the road, we could return if we had to, but not three hours away. Besides, I told her, some children earned this trip and your child didn't. Every child was told that his behavior would determine his going, and he had to make the choice. We spend most of our day guiding children away from poor choices, and when a child knows better than all the good will in the world, he is going to take a big fall.

A parent of one poorly behaved child told me she had to work. The focus of the Garden School is on the child, not the parent. When parents go to work, they can know for sure our first thought is the child in our care. Formation of the child is our first priority. Rewarding terrible behavior is not formative; it's destructive.

Tomorrow will be HOT. Please dress briefly. If there is a better than 60% chance of rain, we may cancel because of the possibility of dramatic storm and the danger of traveling in such a situation. It's 50% right now. If we do cancel, we'll do something else locally - something different and fun.

Philippines

Even in the Philippines multiple intelligence is regarded as a significant tool to educate children. Tomorrow Miss Kelly and I go to a meeting about the problems with childcare locally. It will be interesting to see if Evansville is as open to real education for young children as the Philippines.

PIA Press Release

Tagbilaran School Reform Program Begins at Day-care Centers

by Rey Anthony Chiu

Tagbilaran City
(5 July)

This city has found another wise way to break the chains of poverty in its people: equipping their children with the right tools, said Mayor Dan Neri Lim, during the launching of Tagbilaran City's comprehensive school reform project last week.

Known for its aggressive investing in the future, Tagbilaran City puts innovation here with the out-of-the-box educational framework that experts believe would be ideal for the Philippine environment.

The school reform program, an innovation in preschool education envisions to fully develop the child's potential in all aspects of learning. This can be through the full realization of the multiple intelligences (MI) each child possesses.

It looks two areas of concern: competence in skill and discipline of work, two skills that equips students to be active learners, said Joy Abaquin, Multiple Intelligence international school directress, during the program launching, Friday at Saya's Restaurant.

And because a child's potential can be evoked by the crucial role of teachers, the program also takes a look at them.

Billed as the "MI Smart Start," the project is an 18-month initiative that addresses the needs and goals of the city Day Care Centers, making them centers for early childhood development.

Set in two pronged approach, the MI program starts with pre-school teacher's training component to transform them into effective teachers. This is done by improving their beliefs and understanding about pupils intelligence, classroom instruction and achievement.

On the other hand, the trained teachers also aim to evoke in preschoolers the opportunities for experiences that not only develops the whole child but also the child's unique intelligence profiles.

This is over and above another equally envying step to help alleviate parent's concern on elementary education.

The city government has earlier allocated some P8.6M for coming up with the real essence of free education. School children here in 16 elementary schools get free uniforms, shoes, bags, notebooks, papers pencils and crayons to the city's almost 9 thousand pupils in 15 barangays.

All of these however is "merely scratching the surface." Mayor Lim, together with the city sanggunian said they want to encourage the children to go to school and reassure the parents that the city government is doing its part to relieve them of the expenses for the basic educational needs.

If the city government can not fully spend its meager resources to beat poverty, the mayor hinted that giving the children the right skills to work for it is what it sees as noble, he explained.
With the investment on children to generally take a long time, Mayor Lim said "if we want our children to be competitive in their time, we have to equip them now.

"It is no just showing them that we care, it is giving them hope," he said.

Armenia

Thought it was interesting:

ARKA News Service

ARMENIAN NEEDS SMOOTH TRANSITION FROM PRESCHOOL TO SCHOOL EDUCATION YEREVAN

July 4.

Smooth transition from preschool to school education should be ensured in Armenia without mere observance of international standards, RA Deputy Minister of Science and Education Bagrat Yesayan stated in Yerevan. "Since only 20% of Armenian children attend kindergartens now, this transition is often very difficult," he said.

In this context, Yesayan pointed out that 6-year-old children will get accustomed to the school regime in the first form in playing conditions, after which they will start learning the school syllabus.

"This mechanism of phased education will allow us to ensure a smooth transition to the school syllabus for all children," he said.

According to Yesayan, the children that went to school before 2000 will learn ten years, and those that were admitted in 2001-2005 will learn 11 years. Children who will be six in 2006 will go to school in 2006. Children born before June 30, 2000 will go to the first form to learn 11 years. Children born from July 1, 2000, will go to lower school to learn 12 years, Yesayan said. Thus, two first forms will be in Armenia's school in 2006.

Malaysia

Thought this was interesting. It seems no matter how much work one does, it's always just beginning.

Government May Introduce Early Childhood Education

KUALA LUMPUR
July 1 (Bernama)

The government is studying the benefits of introducing a system of early childhood education for two-and-a-half-year olds, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

He said if the study found early childhood education beneficial to children, a ministry would be assigned the task to implement the concept.

The study was being made by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, he told reporters after taking part in the Malaysia Charity Gold Championship 2006 for the Prime Minister's Trophy at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club here Saturday.

The competition was organised by the Overseas Umno Clubs Alumni to raise funds for the Malaysian Pengasih Association and Malaysian Hope Foundation for Children.

"Early childhood education is based on the scientific view that human brain development should begin from age two-and-a-half years," said Najib.

He said the study would involve finding an appropriate formula to prepare children psychologically and emotionally to become better students when they enter primary school.

A pilot project might begin at the end of the year, following which the Cabinet's approval would be needed to train teachers and draw up the curriculum, he said.

Childhood education, if implemented, would be offered to parents on a voluntary basis, he added.

Asked about recent cases of bullying and fighting in schools, Najib said they were few in number and did not reflect any serious problems in the education system.

He said cases of student indiscipline occurred everywhere in the world and would be dealt with by the authorities concerned.-- BERNAMA

The Garden School Tattler

Monday was an exciting day at the pool. I've been going round and round with Abby about taking the swim test. She's avoided me all summer, but on Monday I coaxed her over to the deep end and had her jump to me. She was a little reluctant, but when Faith did it, she tried it out and loved it. As I moved back and created a bigger and bigger distance between the edge of the pool and me, Abby kept jumping and kept swimming until I caught her and smiled and said, "Guess what? You passed your swim test. You can go anywhere you want in the pool." She was so excited her smile just added about 100,000 candle watt hours to the natural lighting.

She was prouder than a peacock to return after lunch to the pool as a "swimmer," and she didn't hesitate to jump right into the deep end and swim back to the wall. I wouldn't be surprised to see her flinging herself off the board soon.

Caleb passed his test as well, and that makes 18 swimmers. We are sooooo delighted. We have some real young guys like Bilbo and Jay, and a few kids still timid, but nearly every child is dunking and loving it.

Today was a school day and we were more or less trapped indoors by the weather, but the kids made the most of it. They've been in the mood for building, and we've had all kinds of really interesting structures pop up around the school.

E and I have condemned the dress up area and are determined to make some new dress up clothes. If you have any fabric you don't want of questionable taste and even more questionable compatibility, we'd love to have it. The pattern is a long piece folded over, stitched, and a ribbon run through the casing and sewn in the middle so it won't come out. This way the children can make skirts, dresses, and capes.

Kids should get to be early on Thursday. We leave for St. Louis at 7:30.

2.5 Hour Kindergarten

Here's a brief article that claims half day kindergarten holds back children.

Perhaps the problem doesn't start with kindergarten but with day cares that refuse to teach.

There is quite a conflict going on right now in early childhood.

A letter from Bob Mills in the paper a few weeks ago stated that more money should be given to early education, and at the same time a nasty gram was sent to WFIE about a column I wrote about the failure of day cares to teach very young children.

Apparently more money should be given to early education but at the same time they shouldn't have the responsibility of teaching because teaching is not age appropriate.

So what do they need more money to do? Keeping qualified staff who are gagged from teaching is not a solution.

Bob mentioned the Reggio Emilia program. That's a teaching scheme and according to the "beings that know everything" not age appropriate.

So it's Solomon's plight. Two mothers wanting the same child. One wants to teach and the other wants to - I can't quite figure that one out.

Kindergarten works in a 2.5 hour scheme when there has been a good introduction to learning in preschool and 4K.

But we'll let them fight that one out while we teach our guys. Today is swimming. We'll touch on our animal study today. I expect the kids to know where at least 40 animals come from. Let's see if they can combine their knowledge of geography with zoology. Let's see what they remember.

Half Day Kindergarten Holds Back Children

Teachers say children who attend only a half day of kindergarten are less prepared for first grade.

The Evansville-Vanderburgh School system, which had offered full day kindergarten for 17 years, eliminated the program during a 2003 budget crisis.

Now, educators say students aren't as academically prepared and are slower to adjust to a full day schedule.

Restoring full day kindergarten at all schools will cost up to $3 million.

Shopping for Childcare?

Here's a review of what parents should look for when shopping for childcare.

At 3, in preschool, children should learn to listen, to recognize their names, to count to ten and then twenty, to recognize their colors and shapes, be able to play and do a puzzle to completion. They should begin to use crayons, glue, scissors, clay and paint.

At four, in pre-K, a child should learn to count to 50 or 100, write his or her name properly, recognize all the upper and lower case letters and know the sounds. They should be able to listen to a chapter book, work a free piece puzzle, and color and draw just about anything and find glue, paint, clay and scissors a tool not a hurdle.

At five, or in kindergarten, a child should begin to put it all together and begin to add and subtract, write sentences, sound out words and ask intelligent questions about the world.

Can a child do all this in kindergarten?

Children actually want to do this. There is rarely a push to get children who are in the habit of learning to learn. Just sitting in front of a group of children with something new will quiet the whole group. "Look what I have," and every eye is on you. But when the habit is not learning because the attitude of childcare governors is "don't teach" they will have to do age 3 and 4 while they are doing age 5.

The view from the cave represents how a child who is not taught early looks at the world.

Garden School Tattler

I wish we could trade these last few days for this Friday weather wise. It's supposed to be in the 90s for our trip to St. Louis.

This past Friday we went to Hemlock Cliffs. It was incredible - very primordial and very cool and beautiful in that primitive sort of "Are there still dinosaurs?" kind of natural beauty.

The picture is of our two summer helpers: Devon and Mateo. They are excellent young men and we are proud to have them.

When we arrived at the start of the Hemlock Cliffs trail, we discovered, after a very long bus ride, that there were no facilities. And after dividing our group into the obvious, we took off in two directions!!!

Finally ready for hiking, we discovered quickly that the trail either went down sharply across large boulders to the base of the stream bank, or up to the edge of a cliff. Prudence had us climb down to the bank and we took the trail for about 25 minutes and it was just gorgeous.

We ate a really good lunch and then decided that facilities were in order so we left the park for St. Meinrad and their facilities. Lots of our folks had not been there, so we took a brief tour of the church. This is Bill playing Archabbot.

The trip home was uneventful. It seemed long, but country traveling always seems long. I think the kids had a good time.

This Friday, we will be leaving early - 7:30. We will be stopping at a rest stop for 30 minutes and we hope to be at the park by 11:00. We will break into groups depending on who wants to see what, and then meet back at the entrance at 2:00 and try to be home by 5:30 with a 30 minute potty break along the way.

I've heard parents say, "Why all the rush rush rush to another city for only 3 hours?" What a lot of parents don't realize is this will be the only summer adventure some of our children will have this year or for years to come. Kids love to travel, and some families simply don't have the finances to do it, so we're combining a day at school with a trip to remember.

Is this something a school should do? It depends on the school and it depends on the families who support the school. Some schools couldn't do it because of staffing. Some couldn't do it because of the board of overseers, and some wouldn't do it because they wouldn't know where to begin to put it into their curriculum. It's not a regular part of most very young child places simply because it never has been, and that's a shame.

Over the years, Edith and I have wondered what the limits are. They seem to be 3 hours in any direction. It's what the children can bear. That means the places in Indy are out of range. It means Chattanooga is out of range. It means Nashville is a possible. We'll pray about it.

There is such a drive to put more money into childcare, and yet you will never ever hear a single word that in anyway says "do" with the kids. Field trips are expensive, but what children see now as their minds are developing is what will help a child to understand the world as "their place" more than a long nap in the afternoon in a stuffy windowless room.

We are still trying to fill the following week's adventure. Any ideas? The sheep sheering place didn't have a program, so they backed out. We're thinking of New Harmony. Does someone have a map of the Hoosier National Forest?

The Garden School Tattler

As I sit here at 1:30 in the morning and think about the week before and the week ahead, I realize just how good things are and how much we are enjoying what we do and what we are doing. There is a difference.

Some of the old kids have returned for the summer, and it's a joy to see how much they've grown and realize how much they have given us as teachers and people. They are more than students; they are old friends now, and important in our lives.

The children who are enrolled now for next year - especially those in Miss Kelly's class are developing that friendship quality as we speak. I think that's why Miss Rachel used to cry when she lost a class who was graduating. It always took her so long to grieve over one and then fall in love with the next.

Every class has a dynamic. I'm really looking forward to moving my kids up and seeing them in that role as the "big kids" and assuming the next ones from Mrs. St. Louis's class. It means going from sentence writing and math games to "this is the way we sit at the table, and this is called a pencil." It's always such a return to basics. The game for me is how quickly I can get them from point zero to 100.

It's a bit like a car. I drive an eight. Yes, it costs me billions at the gas station, but there is actual room in the car like yesteryear and I don't feel like a sardine; I feel like a person. If it makes some people feel better, I don't use air conditioning. I use real air, and yes I have to turn up the radio because I can't hear it over the breeze, but the acceleration is wonderful in an eight. When you put on the gas, the car actually moves quickly, and that's what I want in my classroom - quick acceleration from point, "I don't know where I am" to "I understand everything."

Can they do it? You bet. Does it take effort? You bet. A classroom is always a work in progress, and that's the key word here, progress. Progress is not a freezer commodity. It's never "inert." Progress is never parked in the lot; progress is the eight at the light. Progress may be in a holding pattern, but when we accelerate, we have launch. It costs billions in gas, and brains are expensive to run, but when you think of the outcome, the fact that children are learning at lightning speed, no price for gas is a luxury; it's all the bottom line.

This year I am thrilled to begin our year with Miss Kelly. She is first rate- a joy to be around and an exceptional member of the team. It's going to be interesting to see where she takes my graduates. She has the really tough job because her polishing is what puts us on the map. Yesterday she did some testing again for school purposes and the results were exactly what we thought. Most of our children are where they are supposed to be. Some are advanced, and none are behind. That's truly exceptional and I attribute it to her. Miss Kelly works extremely hard with every child and has a perfectly wonderful grasp on personality. She often makes me laugh when she says the bulls eye thing.

Tomorrow we are going up to Hemlock Cliffs. We have not been there before. The sheep farm canceled, so we're going hiking. If it's a bust, we'll probably go up to Spring Mill. There are so many treasure points tucked away into Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky, it's hard to be disappointed. The weather is supposed to cooperate.

Next week is the trip to St. Louis. It's our big adventure. We will probably leave at 7:30. We need to know how many parents are going for the sake of having enough food.

And so goes the world at the GS.

The picture is one of Beve Pietrowsky's. She's a spectacular photographer.

Diet Soda

This is a really interesting article about a topic that I find intriguing. I find it interesting not because I think too many people are addicted to something as worthless as soda pop, but because of what soda pop seems to be doing to the national health-scape.

I've always believed that the natural sweetness of food is constantly being discounted because of soda pop. Things like orange juice, berries and grapes, melons, nuts, some vegetables like carrots and squash are not considered sweet anymore - especially by children and that's a shame. Children consider these natural sweets bitter or sour. When I eat orange and grapefruit with the skin on the children all laugh. I tell them I like the balance of the exceptionally sweet orange and the skin, but when the children try; it's otherworldly bitter and they turn up their noses. But I tell the kids that I don't drink soda pop because I think it's so egregiously sweet; it makes me gag. They think it's funny and will try Miss Judy's strange preferences like cooking chocolate and ground cinnamon.

When you think about what is considered sweet today - nearly everything - and what was once considered sweet is revolutionary and I think we can thank soda pop.

I got this article from Women to Women - it's about the best women's health web site I've ever seen.

Here's the article:

Diet soda — how healthy is it?
by Marcelle Pick, OB/GYN NP

It’s hot, and you’re thirsty, and if you are like most Americans the first drink you reach for will be a soda pop — a carbonated soft drink. If you’re worried about your sugar or caloric intake, your choice will likely be a diet soda. Companies have spent billions of dollars convincing all of us that diet soda is the healthier, lighter choice — that all we have to lose is the calories, ergo the weight. And since so many of us are struggling with weight gain, who can blame us if diet soda seems like a dream come true.

But in my experience, it’s actually a wolf in sheep’s clothing, fooling women into thinking they are doing something good for their bodies when they are actually sabotaging their own best efforts.

Diet soda may not have the sugar or calories of regular soda, but it’s chock-full of other health-draining chemicals, like caffeine, artificial sweeteners, sodium and phosphoric acid. This is even more concerning when parents give their growing —and chemically vulnerable — children diet soda in a noble effort to avoid sugar.

And while I admit that diet soda may have its uses in the short term — particularly if you are dealing with a sugar addiction — I encourage you to resist it as your default beverage, especially if you are trying to lose weight. Different studies have been flying around on this subject, but a majority show that diet soda may actually set you up to gain even more weight.

If you really want to do something good for your body and your BMI, exchange that can of diet soda for a cool glass of filtered water. If this sounds like deprivation to you, I can sympathize. Let’s discuss diet soda and how you can begin to give it less of a starring role in your nutrition.

America’s love of soda

Americans buy and consume a tremendous amount of soda. According to Beverage Digest, overall sales of soda (sugar and diet) were 10.2 billion cases in 2005; that rounds out to be about 828 eight-ounce servings a year (or 2–½ servings per day) for every man woman and child.

And that number is actually down from 849 last year, mostly due to the rise in energy drinks — which come with their own concerns. As a population, soda is our mainstay: caloric, non-caloric and “reduced”–calorie. Stand in the soda aisle of the supermarket and just try to count all the varieties — it’s staggering.

A regular 12-ounce soda contains the equivalent of nine teaspoons of sugar, usually in the form of high-fructose corn syrup. Imagine drinking a 12-ounce glass of iced tea with nine teaspoons of sugar stirred into it, or eating nine teaspoons of sugar, one after another? That’s essentially what people do when they drink a sugared soda. It is liquid candy, ruthlessly advertised and manufactured to give our jaded tastebuds an even sweeter sensation.

Is it any wonder that we are gaining unprecedented amounts of weight and even our children are developing type 2 diabetes? We have the dubious distinction of being the most overweight of all economically developed nations. With statistics like these, who wouldn’t believe that choosing a diet soda is the healthier choice? But consider this: we are also the number–one consumer of artificial sweeteners in the world.

No one can deny that a diet soda has fewer calories than a regular soda. If you get a disproportionate amount of your daily caloric intake from soda and then you switch to diet soda, you may lose weight. But I emphasize the word may, because it appears that artificial sweeteners can actually set us up to gain more weight.

The myth of artificial sweeteners and weight loss

There are many different views in this matter, but a host of scientists agree that artificial sweeteners may interact with our body’s sense of sugar satisfaction.

Some experts are now exploring the possibility that artificial sweeteners confuse our taste buds and all those brain measures of satiety upon which we base what we eat. Specifically, Sharon P. Fowler, MPH, and colleagues at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio have recently completed compilations of data that provided surprising results.Fowler and her team studied more than 1500 people between the ages of 25 and 64, looking at whether each consumed regular or diet soft drinks. It was no surprise to find a correlation between the daily consumption of multiple cans of all soft drinks and obesity — which they did. But, as Fowler noted, “What was surprising was when we looked at people only drinking diet soft drinks; their risk of obesity was even higher [than that of those drinking regular soft drinks].” In fact, Fowler found that for each can of diet soft drink consumed per day, the risk of obesity went up by 41 percent.

Other studies have found different variations, but a distinct pattern is emerging. Certain data indicate that the body learns to predict caloric intake by the taste and texture of certain foods. When artificial sweeteners are introduced into the mix, our body sends the appropriate sweet signals to the brain but never delivers the sugar punch.

The diet soda trade-off game

No expert is presuming that the diet sodas themselves are making people gain weight. But there does seem to be some connection, and what is being further explored is the idea that by offering our tastes buds something that seems sweet, and seems to signal other parts of our bodies that glucose sugars are on the way, we set ourselves up for cravings — to which we eventually and often unknowingly, give in. In other words, consuming artificial sweeteners that seem real just might be setting us up to eat more later on.

This supposition has been borne out in a study conducted on rats at Purdue University. Professors Terry Davidson and Susan Swithers found that rats that were fed artificial sweeteners consistently ate more than the group fed high-calorie sweeteners.

Of course, there’s also the possibility of our complicity in this trade-off, something Fowler and other researchers readily acknowledge. If we cut 150 calories here by opting for the diet soda instead of the sugared one, we may give ourselves permission for a little splurge along the way. (Think about how many times you’ve witnessed someone putting Sweet’n’Low in their coffee while tucking into an extravagant dessert.)

What’s more, the 150 calories and nine teaspoons of sugar you forego in a diet soda are replaced with a host of other additives enlisted to make the beverage taste good and still provide a boost.

The extras you get — and really don’t want

With diet drinks, not only do you miss out on any nutrients provided by the real sugars your body might find useful if consumed in reasonable quantities, you also get a laundry list of suspicious ingredients that work against your body’s effort to maintain healthy balance.

Foremost among these is caffeine. Many of the diet drinks are cola-based or otherwise have caffeine added. It’s part of the mix created by manufacturers to make soft drinks — particularly diet soft drinks — seem more substantial. Yes, it gives you a sugar-like “boost,” or seems to, but that caffeine buzz really isn’t giving your body anything it needs. And the complications of caffeine consumption and addiction are legion, with fatigue, chronic anxiety, insomnia, and worsening symptoms of hormonal imbalance topping the list.

Additionally, caffeine is a diuretic, so while you may be thinking that a diet soda quenches your thirst and helps keep you hydrated, the opposite is true. Diet soda often contains sodium, which exacerbates thirst, while the caffeine causes you to lose fluid.

All carbonated sodas also contain calcium-leaching phosphoric acid, and so much acid in your system can tilt your pH balance to an unhealthy level. Healthy detoxification takes place in a slightly alkaline environment. Too much acidity will sabotage the detox process.

If you think I’m being an alarmist, try this experiment: Fill a glass with soda, diet or regular, and drop a nail into the glass. Watch it over the course of an hour or two. You’ll find that the soda eats away at the nail in a surprisingly short amount of time. Now think of what it can do to living stomach tissue!

In Eastern medicine, overconsumption of soda — particularly diet soda — is considered to be highly corrosive to the GI tract and the root of many digestive disorders. This is particularly troubling to me when it comes to children, because their bodies are still maturing.

When is diet soda okay?

At my practice, I sanction the short-term consumption of diet soda when a patient is used to drinking several sugared sodas a day and has a real sugar addiction. The only other scenarios in which I find soda drinking to be the lesser of two evils is when you are traveling in areas where the drinking water is unsafe or when you are sick to your stomach. The old wives’ tale rings true for some: Coke and ginger ale do help soothe nausea.

In the case of sugar addiction, weaning off of sugar with the help of diet soda and other artificial sweeteners can really help — but you may still have to deal with an addiction to caffeine. This is a short-term solution; my ultimate goal is to switch all my patients over to water and decaffeinated herbal teas as their go-to beverages of choice.

Another useful substitute, particularly for children, is to dilute 1–2 ounces of fruit juice with carbonated mineral water, slowly decreasing the amount of fruit juice. Weaning yourself and your family from soda is really weaning them from the taste of sweet. No one is discounting how difficult this can be…but substituting diet soda won’t do the trick. It actually encourages the taste for sweet! Sugar itself is a fact of life — it runs all living things. But just as I recommend eating foods that closely resemble their original form, I also encourage you to drink naturally sweetened beverages — and always in moderation.

Xylitol — a good alternative

My medical experience shows without a doubt that naturally occurring sugars are better choices than refined sugar and artificial sweeteners because they are metabolized. I am very enthusiastic about the polyalcohol sugar xylitol, also called wood sugar or birch sugar. It has long been used in Europe and Asia as a popular sweetener, and is popular with diabetics. Many sugarless gums are sweetened with xylitol because it helps prevent tooth decay and, perhaps, bone loss (There is a study in Finland looking at xylitol as a preventative for osteoporosis).

Xylitol has about half the calories of sugar (3 calories per teaspoon) but it tastes sweeter, so you’ll use less. However, it doesn’t tweak the insulin receptors and contains some nutritive qualities — much like maple syrup.

I also use stevia, but many of my patients have found they don’t like the taste. The point is, there are other healthy alternatives out there. Opt for a natural sweetener and you may find you have fewer cravings!

On the other hand, if you are like so many women and you simply can’t live without diet soda, have you thought of asking yourself why?

Breaking the diet soda habit

If you hardly ever drink soda or sweeten your beverages, I think it is fine —even preferable — to use real sugar or drink the occasional Coke. This can even be therapeutic if you have an upset stomach. If you must allow your children to have the occasional soda, I think the “real thing” is best here, too.

But, if you find you have a habit of reaching for a diet drink, you could be driven by the caffeine, or it could be a behavioral habit, the sort of thing where grabbing that soda is what you do when you stop to gas-up the car or take a break from work. But the physiological addiction to caffeine is very real, and habits can feed one another.

I encourage you to see your choice of beverages as an opportunity to tune in to your body. Chances are, if you have any degree of dependency on sugared or diet drinks, your body is sending you mixed signals and you react with mixed responses. So, the next time you reach for a soda, take a moment and think first: What can I drink to best serve my body’s needs?

It may be time to make a transition to the best of all possible drinks: water. With the hectic schedule so many of us keep, it’s possible that when you think you want a diet soda or sugary drink (or for that matter, an alcoholic beverage), you are simply thirsty.

Sometimes we forget how refreshing and satisfying a glass of cool water can be, particularly if your system is accustomed to drinks with all sorts of other ingredients. Water is also the key to weight loss. It not only hydrates all of the body’s systems, but it cleanses the body of toxins. (In fact, it’s probably flushing out some of the things left over from processing ingested artificial sweeteners!)

Water may not be all your body’s asking for when you reach for that diet drink. Are you hungry? Hungry is okay — we all need to eat. Even if you are trying to lose weight or otherwise monitoring your calorie intake, when you are hungry a healthy body will tell you so, and you should not be afraid to listen. Many of my patients are surprised to find that when they eat more of the right foods, they lose weight.

The bad, the better, the best — and balance

Here are a few strategies toward more healthful choices:

One of the most fundamental strategies you can take to help your body deal with the demands placed on it by diet soda is to take a daily multivitamin, enriched with calcium, magnesium and essential fatty acids. Recognize that if you are trying to lose weight and eat a balanced diet, a multivitamin will serve you tremendously in your efforts. In modern life it is practically impossible to eat sufficient food to get the nutrients you need without overloading on calories — unless you happen to be a long-distance runner by profession or avocation. Most important, any weight loss you do achieve will cause you to release toxins stored in body fat, so you need to be sure to get the balancing vitamins and stay well-hydrated to wash those toxins away.

Look for products sweetened with what are called sugar alcohols, particularly xylitol.

Don’t skip meals and substitute a diet soda. It just doesn’t make any sense. You run the risk of eating more later on, and you really haven’t given your body any of the nutrients it needs.

Consider delving further into when and why you turn to diet or caffeinated drinks. What else is going on in your life? Are there factors driving your dietary choices that have nothing to do with what you eat? Are you tired or stressed out? Do you habitually pair drinking soda with some other activity? Are you eating or drinking sodas because you’re bored? For purely social reasons? One sure way to find answers to these questions is to try going without diet drinks and caffeine for a couple weeks, while tracking how you feel.

Drink at least eight 8–oz glasses of filtered water per day — sparkling or “still,” but at least half should be still. Try drinking half your body weight in pounds, but in ounces of water (if you aren’t extremely overweight). A 140–pound woman would drink 70 ounces of filtered water per day for weight loss. After a few days, you may find that with more water on board your craving for diet soda softens and slips away.

Consider what diet really means

The word “diet” means what constitutes the usual food and drink of a person or animal. For me, the most important part of that sentence is “usual” — not “diet.” To sustain a healthy weight and a healthy body, you need to support your body’s natural balance. Chemicals and caffeine don’t do this, no matter what the soda manufacturers tell you.

If you find that you like the occasional sugared or diet soda, don’t be too hard on yourself. Try following the 80/20 rule: if you’re healthy and making smart choices most of the time, the occasional indulgence is perfectly fine. We all do the best we can for ourselves and families; the key is to make the “best” the “usual” — and avoid sodas as part of your daily routine. So take a few steps away from the habit of diet soda and see how you feel. Have a glass of cool clear water, then see if you really want that soda. Your vibrant health may be all the reward you need.