• Curriculum Overview
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Dear Families,

We have had a peaceful and productive school year. It has been a rewarding time of high spirit and remarkable calm, of happy beginnings and strong endings. This year students have worked through some challenges, tested relationships and explored concepts and ideas in depth. Central America, GeoMAYnia, families, communities, Shakespeare, poetry, operas and the garden are just some of the areas investigated this year. Thousands of books have been read, hundreds of nails hammered, multiple songs sung, math concepts studied, social skills developed, costumes designed, new sheep welcomed and forts built. Along the way the children have blossomed into graceful leaders, thoughtful mentors, expressive artists, compassionate friends and contributing community members. It's amazing what remarkable children and thoughtful adults can do in respectful collaboration over nine short months.

The ending of a school year is a very bittersweet time of pulling together one last time before closing a chapter of one's life. Each minute has been held as precious and used to its fullest. The classrooms have been abuzz with plays, mysteries, kite flying, camping trips, creek walks, potlucks and author celebrations. The groups have been busy deconstructing their rooms, reminiscing and reflecting on the shared experiences and ties that bind them together. All these routines and rituals help the children bring closure to their year and ready them for the transition to the summer.

Summer is such a sacred time for children. It holds endless possibilities that are limited only by time and imaginations. As adults we can add to the richness of their summer landscape by keeping it simple. By honoring a slower, less hurried pace and giving our children fewer scheduled options we give them the opportunity to dig deep inside to harness their creativity and become the captains of their own ships. Having time to muck around the neighborhood, create a magical secret hide away, read an entire series from beginning to end or plant a seed that will grow into a tomato are those simple things that help children reconnect with themselves, their imaginations and their surroundings. Knowing how to play, how to manage their own time and how to be resourceful and self-directed are gifts that will last your child a lifetime.

Thank you for sharing your children; it's been a memorable year. Rest, relax and enjoy the slower pace of the summer. I'll be thinking of you all as I keep it simple by having leisurely candlelit dinners with my family, hiking in the woods with my dogs and reading the growing stack of novels on my bedside table.

Have an abundant and happy summer.

In partnership,
Carlye

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Past Principal's Page Articles

• End of the 05-06 School Year
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• Time is a valuable resource for all of us...
• Tsunami Assistance
• Children As Builders
• Celebrating Snow
• Candle Making
• Seasons
• First Day 04
• Renaissance Revelry

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Articles by Carlye

• An opportunity for reflection
• Dear Families...
• On Learning
• Time is a valuable resource for all of us...