The Garden School Tattler

As I sit here after a very pleasant dinner of "turkey balls" which actually turned out better than I thought they would - must be the wine - I read an inspiring email from my wonderful daughter and thought I'd publish it. Miss Molly makes me very proud. She's got her hands FULL and yet her thoughts are divided among "all her children." And that includes her own three and all the kids at school. I congratulate her on being a very special young woman.

Hello Ladies,

I would just like to apologize for mistakes made in the handbook. It is my responsibility to create the handbook and there have been a few minor errors. Usually we schedule our handbook by EVSC and national holidays. EVSC will be closed tomorrow. We originally wrote that we would be closed on Monday; however, as a courtesy to the parents we are staying open. It was written in both handbooks sent home. I also wrote that the handbook is subject to change.

As a professional, I try to get everything right. Sometimes errors come up. We are all apologetic if it inconveniences anyone in any way.

I spoke with a parent today who sent her child to a daycare here in Evansville, and she wasn't happy with the way they treated her little girl. She sent both of her boys to the Garden School previously. She said to me, I wanted my daughter to be in a place that loved her. That's the difference with the Garden School. We are close to all of our parents. We love all of our children. We do our very best to give them a great start in the world. We have our hands full. I want you all to know that our decisions revolve around what all of you think and feel.

I don't want you to think that we're not running the school properly because of these errors. If we are taking time off, if there is a party, special event, or field trip, we do our very best to inform you ahead of time. No news is good news! Please read my notes sent home on Mondays. I try to post all times and activities scheduled for the upcoming week.

Love, Miss Molly


We have had some handbook issues lately and just a gentle reminder that the handbook is written months in advance. It's not the letter of the law; it's not even the spirit of the law; it's a guideline, a reminder of what is coming up. Letters go out every week to update the handbook; the parent board and reminders are the updates for the weekly letter. Sometimes it all goes smoothly, but sometimes circumstances beyond our control and genuine human error happen.

I know how things can go awry. I once worked for Evansville Living Magazine and found writing a calendar to be the most frustrating thing I've ever worked on because it's so fluid. I once wrote about a children's play that was supposed to take place three months later, and the man who I interviewed was fired a week after I did the piece and he left town. By the time the magazine went to print, it all had to be changed, and I was called names. As a hyperactive. I'm a much better contender of the moment.

Producing an absolute schedule kept by the proverbial Angel of Accounts is not what we are about. We are about giving the children the best we can every moment of their day. Today we talked about a pajama party - every school does it - and we thought it would be fun to actually make some pajamas that day so the kids could see what it means to make and sew and produce. Why are extras so important? Because extras say "I love you" loud and clear. That's why field trips and special events, parties, special attention, special days, special treats, contests, praise, etc. are so important. Children need people to say "I love you" a lot.

I've been particularly aware of this this week. Having never been told, "I love you" as a child, I think I missed a lot. I don't want any of our beautiful children to ever wonder if they are loved.

So - off to the orchard tomorrow and then next week it's fire safety week. I'm looking for a rainy day to play nostalgia. I want to play shop and sew and then have the kids learn how to make bread. Please send any good bread making recipes. I think we can tackle home made bread at school.

Right now it's off to England and Brideshead Revisited, an Evelyn Waugh book made into a series for TV. It's been wonderful few weeks of watching. I don't watch regular TV at all, but will watch a good production of something that makes me think. Then I want to share it with the kids.