Dear Rosebud Parents,
You are invited to gather with other early childhood families tomorrow night in the Butterfly Room at 6pm. Among other topics about next year, we will be introducing more and expanded enrollment options for our school's youngest children. We will also try to make a review of the new information available for and perhaps even in Friday's class.
With appreciation,
William
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Challenge as Strength
Dear Families,
Here I digress. If you seek long peregrinations through my mind on matters related to Waldorf education and child development, consider visiting butterflynursery.blogspot.com and/or dewdroprosebud.blogspot.com. Both blogs have a search feature. You can type in, for example, "sleep" or "conflict" to uncover and dust off posts from past years that address these topics.
My present intent it to present a series of shorter essays that present one topic at a time.
Steiner extolled the lively child, the active child, the defiant child. In the fire of early childhood, Steiner foresaw the strength that would aid the child in work and life as an adult. Steiner did not, however, exhort us to give children free reign while we stood around, helpless, wondering when the angels drop down to tell us what to do. It be can be quizzical to maddening to liberating to read Steiner and notice the times he recommends intervention when I would not have thought of one and when he advises us to let things be when one might have thought of intervening. There is no exact formula. No exact recipe. Each child is unique. Again and again we are told to observe without judgment, and the inspiration will come to us.
I propose the following: for the next days or weeks, seek out a behavior of your child that seems annoying or upsetting. With as much fun as possible, create a scenario in your mind of your child as an adult, with this perhaps disturbing seed of early childhood serving as a strength. You may find it best to start with an easy one. You may find it easy to start with a difficult one and spin out a far-fetched fantasy (the world will change a lot in 20 years). Perhaps you will imagine or intuit things that can help guide the child's challenge into strength. Perhaps not. But even the gesture of making peace with the Now, the suchness of the moment, may bring pleasure, contentment, radiance, a winged chariot pulled by 2 pegasus (keep it fun and imaginative), and the like. This may be easy. It may not. Have fun either way.
Here I defy my inclination to compare this to multifarious processes from other educational and spiritual streams. Tell me how you fare. Expect more later.
With appreciation of your willingness to play,
William
Here I digress. If you seek long peregrinations through my mind on matters related to Waldorf education and child development, consider visiting butterflynursery.blogspot.com and/or dewdroprosebud.blogspot.com. Both blogs have a search feature. You can type in, for example, "sleep" or "conflict" to uncover and dust off posts from past years that address these topics.
My present intent it to present a series of shorter essays that present one topic at a time.
Steiner extolled the lively child, the active child, the defiant child. In the fire of early childhood, Steiner foresaw the strength that would aid the child in work and life as an adult. Steiner did not, however, exhort us to give children free reign while we stood around, helpless, wondering when the angels drop down to tell us what to do. It be can be quizzical to maddening to liberating to read Steiner and notice the times he recommends intervention when I would not have thought of one and when he advises us to let things be when one might have thought of intervening. There is no exact formula. No exact recipe. Each child is unique. Again and again we are told to observe without judgment, and the inspiration will come to us.
I propose the following: for the next days or weeks, seek out a behavior of your child that seems annoying or upsetting. With as much fun as possible, create a scenario in your mind of your child as an adult, with this perhaps disturbing seed of early childhood serving as a strength. You may find it best to start with an easy one. You may find it easy to start with a difficult one and spin out a far-fetched fantasy (the world will change a lot in 20 years). Perhaps you will imagine or intuit things that can help guide the child's challenge into strength. Perhaps not. But even the gesture of making peace with the Now, the suchness of the moment, may bring pleasure, contentment, radiance, a winged chariot pulled by 2 pegasus (keep it fun and imaginative), and the like. This may be easy. It may not. Have fun either way.
Here I defy my inclination to compare this to multifarious processes from other educational and spiritual streams. Tell me how you fare. Expect more later.
With appreciation of your willingness to play,
William
Maypole Songs
Dear Families,
Happy MayFaire. Below are lyrics to the Maypole songs we have been singing at the conclusion of our Friday classes.
Maypole Songs -- Butterfly Nursery, Dewdrop, and Rosebud
(learned in a folk manner)
(clockwise)
We're dancing, we're dancing
Around the Maypole high.
In colors of the rainbow
Our ribbons do fly.
Dear children, take a ribbon please.
Today May flowers all are we.
Around, around, around,
A garland we do weave.
Tra la la, tra la la, tra la la, la la la.
Tra la la, tra la la, tra la la laa.
(faster)
Hi diddle dee, hi diddle dee, come join me, come join me.
Hi diddle dee, hi diddle dee, come join me please.
(very quickly)
Tralalalalala la la la, tra la la la la la
Tralalalalala la la la, tra la la laa.
(turn around and start with great speed the other way)
Tralalalalala la la la, tra la la la la la
Tralalalalala la la la, tra la la laa.
(more slowly)
Hi diddle dee, hi diddle dee, come join me, come join me.
Hi diddle dee, hi diddle dee, come join me please.
(slowly like a turtle)
Tra la la, tra la la, tra la la, la la la.
Tra la la, tra la la, tra la la laa.
Vive la Vie
(clockwise)
Let every good person join in the song, vive la Compagnie
Success to each other and pass it along, vive la Compagnie
(on the chorus, dancers stop rotating and walk in and out to the center)
(in) Vive la vive la vive la joie
(out) Vive la vive la vive la joie
(in) Vive l'amour, vive la joie
(out) Vive la Compagnie
(clockwise again)
A friend on your left and a friend on your right, vive la Compagnie
In love and good fellowship let us unite, vive la Compagnie.
Chorus (again stop circling and in and out)
Now wider and wider our circle expands, vive la Compagnie.
We sing to our comrades in far away lands, vive la Compagnie.
Chorus
(Repeat the entire song, circling counter-clockwise on the verses)
Here we go Round the Maypole High
Here we go round the Maypole high, Maypole high, Maypole high.
Here we go round the Maypole high, let colored ribbons fly.
See lads and lassies skipping by, skipping by, skipping by.
See lads and lassies skipping by, let colored ribbons fly.
(repeat and allow ribbons to fly at the end).
Happy MayFaire. Below are lyrics to the Maypole songs we have been singing at the conclusion of our Friday classes.
Maypole Songs -- Butterfly Nursery, Dewdrop, and Rosebud
(learned in a folk manner)
(clockwise)
We're dancing, we're dancing
Around the Maypole high.
In colors of the rainbow
Our ribbons do fly.
Dear children, take a ribbon please.
Today May flowers all are we.
Around, around, around,
A garland we do weave.
Tra la la, tra la la, tra la la, la la la.
Tra la la, tra la la, tra la la laa.
(faster)
Hi diddle dee, hi diddle dee, come join me, come join me.
Hi diddle dee, hi diddle dee, come join me please.
(very quickly)
Tralalalalala la la la, tra la la la la la
Tralalalalala la la la, tra la la laa.
(turn around and start with great speed the other way)
Tralalalalala la la la, tra la la la la la
Tralalalalala la la la, tra la la laa.
(more slowly)
Hi diddle dee, hi diddle dee, come join me, come join me.
Hi diddle dee, hi diddle dee, come join me please.
(slowly like a turtle)
Tra la la, tra la la, tra la la, la la la.
Tra la la, tra la la, tra la la laa.
Vive la Vie
(clockwise)
Let every good person join in the song, vive la Compagnie
Success to each other and pass it along, vive la Compagnie
(on the chorus, dancers stop rotating and walk in and out to the center)
(in) Vive la vive la vive la joie
(out) Vive la vive la vive la joie
(in) Vive l'amour, vive la joie
(out) Vive la Compagnie
(clockwise again)
A friend on your left and a friend on your right, vive la Compagnie
In love and good fellowship let us unite, vive la Compagnie.
Chorus (again stop circling and in and out)
Now wider and wider our circle expands, vive la Compagnie.
We sing to our comrades in far away lands, vive la Compagnie.
Chorus
(Repeat the entire song, circling counter-clockwise on the verses)
Here we go Round the Maypole High
Here we go round the Maypole high, Maypole high, Maypole high.
Here we go round the Maypole high, let colored ribbons fly.
See lads and lassies skipping by, skipping by, skipping by.
See lads and lassies skipping by, let colored ribbons fly.
(repeat and allow ribbons to fly at the end).
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Meeting, Wednesday, May 16
Dear Nursery and Parent & Child Families,
You are invited to join all early childhood families on Wednesday, May 16, as teachers describe and answer questions about expanded programming options for the 2012-2013 school year. Please see below for times.
Wednesday May 16th
All Early Childhood Parent Meeting 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Parents of Rising First Grade Students only (Fall 2013) 7:00pm - 7:45pm
Please join us as we look ahead to next years early childhood program.
The early childhood teachers will present an overview of some inspired program
changes in our early childhood department for the fall.
All Early Childhood Parent Meeting 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Parents of Rising First Grade Students only (Fall 2013) 7:00pm - 7:45pm
Please join us as we look ahead to next years early childhood program.
The early childhood teachers will present an overview of some inspired program
changes in our early childhood department for the fall.
Feel free to contact me with any questions,
William
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Requests for help: Compassionate Response, Confident Captain, Library
Dear Families,
Although I am endeavoring to craft short yet helpful letters, I will cheat here and offer links to longer pieces of prose for those interested. This comes upon two separate requests from parents of children of different ages--it seems they were seeking inspiration, courage, support, more for being present with their ever changing child.
Consider attending the Compassionate Response meditation work (from Kim Payne) Wednesday after school (ads in the newsletter). If you cannot attend, a CD of Kim Payne's lecture on this subject is available in the school library. In the past decade, several parents have reported to me that this work has brought light and relief during times of moderate to intense stress.
If you visit my blog at the link below, you will find some of my gathered thoughts on parenting.
http://butterflynursery.blogspot.com/2010/10/parent-evening-confident-captain-zen.html
Finally, the Kathrine Dickerson library has many resources. "Rhythm and Discipline in Home Life" from You Are Your Child's First Teacher can be very helpful. 1, 2, 3 . . . The Toddler Years has short chapters on subjects such as biting, fighting, tantrums, sibling rivalry, and the like and can offer quick relief. If you prefer a longer, more meditative, George Eliot Victorian novel type process (which, to be honest, is more my style), wading through Whole Child/Whole Parent or A New Earth could be quite helpful.
Blessings,
William
Although I am endeavoring to craft short yet helpful letters, I will cheat here and offer links to longer pieces of prose for those interested. This comes upon two separate requests from parents of children of different ages--it seems they were seeking inspiration, courage, support, more for being present with their ever changing child.
Consider attending the Compassionate Response meditation work (from Kim Payne) Wednesday after school (ads in the newsletter). If you cannot attend, a CD of Kim Payne's lecture on this subject is available in the school library. In the past decade, several parents have reported to me that this work has brought light and relief during times of moderate to intense stress.
If you visit my blog at the link below, you will find some of my gathered thoughts on parenting.
http://butterflynursery.blogspot.com/2010/10/parent-evening-confident-captain-zen.html
Finally, the Kathrine Dickerson library has many resources. "Rhythm and Discipline in Home Life" from You Are Your Child's First Teacher can be very helpful. 1, 2, 3 . . . The Toddler Years has short chapters on subjects such as biting, fighting, tantrums, sibling rivalry, and the like and can offer quick relief. If you prefer a longer, more meditative, George Eliot Victorian novel type process (which, to be honest, is more my style), wading through Whole Child/Whole Parent or A New Earth could be quite helpful.
Blessings,
William
Monday, April 30, 2012
Spring fingerplays at the table
Spring 2012 Rosebud verses and songs
(Most of these come from Wilma Ellersiek)
Softly tippytoes,
On his trip the Sandman goes.
Tap tap tap tap tap tap tap,
Slips through garden and the house.
Scatters all his dreams about.
Scatters all his dreams about.
La la la la la la la laa.
Mm mm mm mm mm mm mm mmm.
La la laaa.
Mm mm mmmmm.
Teck teck teck teck teck teck teck.
Hammers here woodpecker small in every bark he pecks.
Teck teck teck teck teck teck teck.
Hammers here woodpecker small a little worm he seeks.
In every bark he pecks.
A little worm he seeks.
T-t-t-t-t-t-t-t teck teck teck.
T-t-t-t-t-t-t-t teck teck teck.
To the woods, the children all take a walk today.
Listen to the birdies' song, joyous tirilay.
Ti-ri ti-ri-li, ti-ri ti-ri ti-ri-liii.
Ti-ri ti-ri-li, ti-ri ti-ri ti-ri-lay.
They stop and listen well.
Teck teck teck, teck teck teck.
Hammers the woodpecker, t-t-t-t-t-t teck.
The mourning dove coos coo-oo coo coo coo, coo-oo coo coo coo.
The chickadee twitters chickadee-dee-dee, chickadee-dee-dee.
The finch sings widgibbet, widgibbet, widgibbet.
The robin chirps tilliwit, tilliwit, tilliwit, tilliwit, tilliwit, tilliwit.
There's a concert in the wood.
Listen, listen, it sounds good.
Teck teck teck, teck teck teck.
T-t-t-t-t-t teck.
Coo-oo, coo coo coo, coo-oo coo coo coo.
Chickadee-dee-dee, chickadee-dee-dee.
Widgibbet, widgibbet, widgibbet.
Tilliwit, tilliwit, tilliwit, tilliwit, tilliwit, tilliwit.
It calls and twitters far and near,
Just as the children like to hear.
The sun to listens as they cheep,
And when he sets and goes to sleep,
The many birdies small
Stop their singing, one and all.
Snuggle in their cosy nest,
From their singing now they rest.
(humming lullaby)
The concert is done.
Children leave now, one by one.
See, but see.
In the green grass, the grass so green,
A million golden suns are seen.
Dandelion, Dandelion
Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la
(repeat)
And then all the blossoms must close
And for a little while repose.
A second time the blossoms open out,
And--see!--a puffy flower looks about.
The wind blows strong -- phhhhh
Into the air the star-child throng.
The seeds hover, high and low, high and low,
Hovering so, high and low.
Gently sink down to the earth below,
That a new crop of dandelions may grow.
Dandelion, Dandelion
Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
(repeat)
The little daisy, small and fine
Is waiting for the sun to shine.
Climbs the sun up to his height,
She opens up her blossoms white.
Goes the sun to sleep at night,
She shuts her petals tight.
Let's see who comes to visit our garden.
In my garden, the flower in bloom is waiting, waiting for whom?
For the beetle child, the beetle child!
She ree ra rocks it, in the breeze mild, the beetle child (repeat).
The flower in bloom is waiting, waiting for whom?
For the butterfly, the flutter child.
She ree ra rocks it, in the breeze mild, the flutter child (repeat).
The flower in bloom is waiting, waiting for whom?
bzzz, bzzz, bzzz, bzzz, for the buzzy bee, the buzzy child--bzzz, bzzz.
She ree ra rocks it, in the breeze mild, the buzzy child (repeat).
Stays the flower now alone?
O no. To her comes down the sunshine bright.
Stroking her so soft and light.
And when the sunshine goes, she falls asleep at night.
(Most of these come from Wilma Ellersiek)
Softly tippytoes,
On his trip the Sandman goes.
Tap tap tap tap tap tap tap,
Slips through garden and the house.
Scatters all his dreams about.
Scatters all his dreams about.
La la la la la la la laa.
Mm mm mm mm mm mm mm mmm.
La la laaa.
Mm mm mmmmm.
Teck teck teck teck teck teck teck.
Hammers here woodpecker small in every bark he pecks.
Teck teck teck teck teck teck teck.
Hammers here woodpecker small a little worm he seeks.
In every bark he pecks.
A little worm he seeks.
T-t-t-t-t-t-t-t teck teck teck.
T-t-t-t-t-t-t-t teck teck teck.
To the woods, the children all take a walk today.
Listen to the birdies' song, joyous tirilay.
Ti-ri ti-ri-li, ti-ri ti-ri ti-ri-liii.
Ti-ri ti-ri-li, ti-ri ti-ri ti-ri-lay.
They stop and listen well.
Teck teck teck, teck teck teck.
Hammers the woodpecker, t-t-t-t-t-t teck.
The mourning dove coos coo-oo coo coo coo, coo-oo coo coo coo.
The chickadee twitters chickadee-dee-dee, chickadee-dee-dee.
The finch sings widgibbet, widgibbet, widgibbet.
The robin chirps tilliwit, tilliwit, tilliwit, tilliwit, tilliwit, tilliwit.
There's a concert in the wood.
Listen, listen, it sounds good.
Teck teck teck, teck teck teck.
T-t-t-t-t-t teck.
Coo-oo, coo coo coo, coo-oo coo coo coo.
Chickadee-dee-dee, chickadee-dee-dee.
Widgibbet, widgibbet, widgibbet.
Tilliwit, tilliwit, tilliwit, tilliwit, tilliwit, tilliwit.
It calls and twitters far and near,
Just as the children like to hear.
The sun to listens as they cheep,
And when he sets and goes to sleep,
The many birdies small
Stop their singing, one and all.
Snuggle in their cosy nest,
From their singing now they rest.
(humming lullaby)
The concert is done.
Children leave now, one by one.
See, but see.
In the green grass, the grass so green,
A million golden suns are seen.
Dandelion, Dandelion
Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la
(repeat)
And then all the blossoms must close
And for a little while repose.
A second time the blossoms open out,
And--see!--a puffy flower looks about.
The wind blows strong -- phhhhh
Into the air the star-child throng.
The seeds hover, high and low, high and low,
Hovering so, high and low.
Gently sink down to the earth below,
That a new crop of dandelions may grow.
Dandelion, Dandelion
Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
(repeat)
The little daisy, small and fine
Is waiting for the sun to shine.
Climbs the sun up to his height,
She opens up her blossoms white.
Goes the sun to sleep at night,
She shuts her petals tight.
Let's see who comes to visit our garden.
In my garden, the flower in bloom is waiting, waiting for whom?
For the beetle child, the beetle child!
She ree ra rocks it, in the breeze mild, the beetle child (repeat).
The flower in bloom is waiting, waiting for whom?
For the butterfly, the flutter child.
She ree ra rocks it, in the breeze mild, the flutter child (repeat).
The flower in bloom is waiting, waiting for whom?
bzzz, bzzz, bzzz, bzzz, for the buzzy bee, the buzzy child--bzzz, bzzz.
She ree ra rocks it, in the breeze mild, the buzzy child (repeat).
Stays the flower now alone?
O no. To her comes down the sunshine bright.
Stroking her so soft and light.
And when the sunshine goes, she falls asleep at night.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
trying something new with the "puppet" show this Friday
Dear Returning Parents,
Although I have tinkered with my method of teaching parent & child classes in minor and significant ways over the past decade, in recent years I have consistently offered what strives to be an age appropriate puppet show after a series of gesture games and right before snack. "The Flower in Bloom," tends to elicit such an enthusiastic response from infants and toddlers that I present it as a spring puppet show year after year. A number of you would have seen this last spring ("The flower in bloom is waiting, is waiting for whom . . . The beetle child . . . and soforth." I will send words to verses and songs once the class roster is settled).
Before its debut as a puppet show in my classes, "The Flower in Bloom" was and is a hand gesture game composed by Wilma Ellersiek. Because my nursery children seem so enchanted and transported and present and delighted by this gesture game presented just as a hand gesture game--that is, with my hands representing the beetle, the butterfly, and the bee--I want to see what is like if for the first two or three weeks, I present this in our Friday class as part of the pre-snack medley without the use of puppets. Perhaps there will be revolution and I will bring the puppets in week 2. Perhaps I will wait 2 or more weeks; I will bring the puppets at some point.
Please help by treating this as a normal part of the routine; no preview or explanation needed. Let's let it be a surprise (hopefully a pleasant one) when the puppets appear as if out of the blue one week. You might observe your child or other children over the coming weeks. I'd be interested if you notice a different affect or expression on their faces with hands or puppets. Thank you for your flexibility.
We will of course share soup and bread. And, it being spring, start dancing the Maypole.
With appreciation,
William
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