April, 2018

Newsletter

Elliot & Cora enjoy a sunny afternoon in the playschool yard, and as is the usaual dynamic between these two, Cora gets Elliot to push them around on the skateboard while they enjoy the ride. 

Greetings playschool friends and families,

Happy Spring!  

I pray that you all have had a chance to sit with the land in a place that is special and sacred to you, and perhaps offer last rites to yer Winter reflections and welcome Spring to yer heart.

Lorax and I rode the tide amongst green hills, valleys blooming with lillies and carpets of delicate wildflowers, oak savannahs, hawks, flooded rivers, ocean surf and sand, shore side rock cliffs, harbor seals, dolphins, sea otters, and human friends too. A gazillion blessings were offered, stories upon stories were woven, and so many sweet memories were shared. Hearts were opened, spells were cast, Love was made.

And I Give Thanks,

to the land that held us, 

to the friends that recieved us,

to the life work that supports us,

and to the compass that guides us.

To the mystery that allows us.

In every day, and in every way, we're following the music Home.

 Post equinox, I'm excited to see my playschool friends, and inspired to integrate all the Winter Solstice to Spring Tide reflections and divinations into my teaching and life practices.

April offers a whole lotta opportunity to set intentions and to sow the seeds of a harvest that will carry us through next year's Winter. In my life's work as well as in my personal practice, I'm tending to and cultivating my crafts (numerous and varied as they are) and have more than a few irons in the fire.

I'm looking forward to finding out what germinates and blooms,

what might burn to ash and what might be called to life,

 and whatever else might take shape for us in these coming seasons

of abundance and ease. 

All Blessings, 

Miz Flow

Mabel and Lucio; public transit immersion day 

Upcoming Adventures & Playschool Socials

Adventures in Portland Town

 Urban Field Study  

Portland Art Museum 

Street Tacos & Spring River Ritual

On Tuesday April 17th Miz Flow is offering a special Tuesday edition of Adventures in Portland Town with a field studies day. Our explorations will include a visit to the Portland Art Museum to view their current exhibit, Animating Life: The Art, Science, and Wonder of LAIKA, and Common Ground, lunch from one of my favorite downtown taco carts, followed by our first playschool ritual of the season with the Willamette. 

Logistics

We'll meet at 10am at the Clinton St. Max Station, and return there at 4pm for pick up. 

Please send kiddos with a: 

*backpack they can comfortably wear through a day of adventuring and exploring

*child sized water bottle

*few snacks for the day

This Portland Town field study is limited to 8 kiddos, and cost is included in playschool tuition if yer kiddo is an enrolled Moonie of ours, or $10-20 sliding scale for our friends and wider circles.  

Lastly, Dear Ones, you must register for this day via this Google Form if yer kiddo(s) plan to join us so I can plan accordingly. Thanks for y'all's help with that!  

Miz Flow and new baby Lorax, Spring 2013

Earth Day Social + Lorax's Solar Return Celebration! 

On Sunday April 22nd we'll host a very special playschool gathering in honor of our love for this beloved land we walk, live, learn, and love on. We'll also be celebrating Lorax and Flow's Birthing Day anniversary, which brings us into Lorax's 5th solar return.  

Day: Sunday April 22nd

TIme: 1pm-4pm

Where: Moon's Nest Playschool

Following in our annual tradition:

We'll gather from 1-3pm at playschool for a fancy unicorn tea party along with a brief musical serenade. Afterwards we'll work as a group to scatter the playschool yards and gardens with a mix of wildflower and sunflower seeds. 

From 3~4 pm we'll caravan just down the hill to Errol Heights Park for a ramble through Lorax and Flow's very~super~sacred~special~backyard forest, where we'll pause for a few moments creekside to offer our blessings and to Give Thanks.

Wondering what to bring to this party? 

A seedling to plant or seeds to sow

Unicorn Tea Party treats to share

A musical instrument and/or a song to offer

No cost gifts of meaning and sentiment

We hope you will join us in this annual playschool celebration of Earth, Birth, and Life!

Below: Last year's tea party

Upcoming Scheduled Playschool Breaks

**Reminder that these dates, along with all the upcoming dates to note, were sent out in the full 2018 Spring & Summer Playschool Schedule. Please take a moment to get the dates plugged into yer calender!**

**March 30 -April 10th**

Miz Flow will be traveling to her Methow Valley Home for a visit with her kinfolk and to gather for the Coyote Cottage Spring Skill Share. (ask Miz Flow for the details about that one if yer interested in comin' up!). From there she'll travel on to Vancouver, BC to visit with friends and attend the East Vancouver Old TIme Social

During this time playschool will be on the following adapted schedule:

Monday 4/2 : No playschool

Tuesday 4/3 : Playschool 11am-5pm w/ Miz Ora

Wednesday 4/4: No playschool

Friday 4/6: Playschool 10am-4pm

w/Miz Ora

Monday 4/9 Playschool 10am-4pm

w/ Miz Ora

May 2-6 Miz Flow will be in Eugene for The Willamette Valley Old Time Social.

If yer able to make yer way down, she'd love to see you there! There will be a ton of opportunities for dancing, socializing, and making music together over the weekend.

And bonus, The Local Honeys (one of Miz Flow's favored bands of late), will be in all the way from Kentucky!!

Hope to see some of you there! Holler if you need a place to stay while in Eugene, and I can help you get hooked up with a host. 

2018 Playschool Summer Camps

Lila & Sibyl Summer 2017, Sellwood Riverfront Park

This summer the Moon's Nest will offer two, week long day camps over our summer break. One in July and one in August. Each camp session will include an overnight campout in the playschool meadow (ages 4+; optional; parents welcome)!

Miz Flow will be working with our Tuesday teacher Miz Ora as well as Miz Sarah Fox (Carmel Valley based) to offer our playschool community two sessions of Summer season adventure and play. In camp session 1 we'll be working with and deepening our relationships with the Elements of Magic (water, fire, air, earth) through summer time play, stories, craft, and adventure. In camp session 2 we'll be tending, cultivating, and nourishing our wild hearts through activities and play that connects us deeply with the land. 

More information about these camps along with our detailed camp schedule to come, but registration is open so go ahead and register and reserve yer spot if you know (as some of you do) that yer kiddo will be joining us for either or both camps.

We will cap regitration for these camps at 12 kiddos to keep our usual low ratio of 1:4 or fewer. 

Camp Tuition

We are offering a sliding scale tuition model for these camps, as well as three partial scholarship awards for single (non-partnered) parents who identify as survivors of Interpersonal Violence (IPV). One of these scholarships will be reserved for single parent survivors of color exclusively, and another for folks who identify as descendants of the indigenous peoples of this land.

Sliding Scale Tuition

(per kiddo, per session)

 $200-$400

*All meals, snacks, and field trip admission fees included in camp tuition

Playschool summer camp session 1 : July 16-20, 10am-4pm

 Elements of Magical Play, ages 0-12

Register for camp session 1 here! 

Playschool summer camp session 2 : August 20-24, 10am-4pm

Cultivating the Wild Heart, ages 0-12

Register for camp session 2 here !

It's Tuition Time! 

**Please be sure to send in your tuition payments by the 5th day of the month.

Easy link to tuition payment:

paypal.me/JessicaElmira

 Lila, Lorax, and Violet, recent OMSI adventure  

That's it for this month friends! 

May our days together be full

of play, adventure, and connection. 

One last reminder:

It's Tuition Time! 

**Please be sure to send in your tuition payments by the 5th day of the month.

Easy link to tuition payment:

paypal.me/JessicaElmira

Sibyl, ever curious and learning about the full spectrum of birth stories