The Garden School Tattler

It was a very cool day yesterday. Our playground plans were squashed because of the wind and the chill. The investment in an hour of "park" was not going to over ride possible illness. I was afraid the children would all catch a chill and then pick up whatever has been lurking with intent to make them sick, so we came back to school after the performance.

The performance was really well done. The orchestra was made up of kettle drums and other percussion instruments, two violins, a viola, a bassoon, a oboe, a clarinet, a flute, a trumpet and a French Horn. They played the Sorcerer's Apprentice in parts and then the whole story. Two of our children were able to answer big questions about the music and the theme - Nikolai and Kanin. We were very proud of them. They were the only children in the audience who knew the answers and they were not afraid to pipe up and be heard!

The children were delightful; one parent commented to Miss Amy that the Garden School was the best behaved group. It's one of our great delights. But even more delightful than that, is the look on the children's faces to see something like this. Their faces were intent on every note that was played. Their mouths were open, their bodies suspended for the work of the mind. I've never seen them sit so still.

Rarely do children get to see a collection of orchestra instruments played close up. This is the kind of thing that leads children to be musicians. This is a great time to start thinking about an instrument your child might like to play. There is a source - Hearth Song - that puts out instruments for young children. It might be a thing to think about for Christmas. You will find Hearth Song in the links.

After the performance, we collected six pizzas from Angelo's and came home to feast. The children ate and ate, and some of them fell asleep. You know, parents, children put to bed before 8:00 p.m. will not crash before lunch. For children like ours who don't nap regularly, bed time should be very very early. If you're in doubt, ask yourself: what is he or she doing after 7:30? If it's TV or making a mess, the child would be better in bed. He will feel better; he will eat better; he will play better all day.

Thank you all for your support for the things the GS does. It makes a whole lot of difference to have parents support our activities.

Next week is Halloween. Children are encouraged to come in costume in the morning. We are trying to organize our activities for that day. There will be a parent party at 3:00. This party is a quick get together and encourages children to "hit the streets" early. We close at 4:00 that day. Children will already have had their dinner at 2:00, so consider the party the launching for your trick or treat.

Then it's on to the play!