The Garden School Tattler

and so the plot thickens...

I got up this morning late - it was past 7:00, and I began to think about something that's been on my mind this past week namely what the "life of the school" is really all about, so I wrote a long passage about the life of the school this morning and here's a snippet:

I think one's home is very important in the scheme of success. I have always thought that more than anything else the Garden School offers a home away from home to the children it serves. The qualities of real homes are often found at the Garden School, and that’s what gives it “life.” But it’s not just my home; it’s every faculty member’s home; it’s a combination of homes, ideas, love, joy, creation, schemes and events, play, learning, building, growing, developing and doing. The real question of “the life of the school” is created when faculty members bring their homes to school and they each create a nest that blends peacefully with other nests to nurture children comfortably through hours of childcare and learning.

Then my husband, Terry, and I went over to school and cleaned all the floors, and the wheels began to turn again, and I began to think about the party on Monday and how important these parties are to "the life of the school." Not every parent can come to every party, and that's not a bad thing, because there are times when children need to be the helpers rather than the doted upon. But just like home, parties mean a social event, and normally, humans include food as a focal point in any gathering. With more and more schools doing away with parties, I think a greater emphasis needs to be placed on our parties because it's through social recreation that a part of life is recognized brought to life. It's through a sharing of food and time, talent and the treasure of shared things that a certain kind of learning takes place.

The life of the school is a visual thing, a classroom thing, a food thing, a teaching thing, a living thing. I could go on and on about this, but I won't. Instead, I will ask you what you think is the "life of the school?"