The Villager... a newsletter of Acorn Village Forest School |
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Issue #3 April 6, 2020 *This is a particularly long newsletter and I noticed it is getting cut off at the end unless you ask to see the entire email. Dont miss the parts at the end!* |
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Sorrow prepares you for joy. It violently sweeps everything out of your house, so that new joy can find space to enter. It shakes the yellow leaves from the bough of your heart, so that fresh, green leaves can grow in their place. ~ Rumi As the Governor made an announcement that the schools would not resume this school year, I felt a strong sense of grief for what our children, our parents, and our teachers were losing. Thinking about the children whose last year it is in the school and feeling like my time with them has vanished before I was ready, before they were ready makes me angry. While I still hold hope that our end of the school year ceremonies will still be able to happen, I am also allowing for the possibility that I will need to accept that they will not, that I will have to find a different less intimate way to honor them, that I will not have the summer camp weeks with the children at the beach, and that our annual family camping trip under the redwoods will not bring my family wonderful memories. And this is just the grief I am experiencing for the school, there is more for my own life as well. I want to encourage you to make a place for the grief you or your child might feel. It is ok to cry and take a plastic bat to a pillow, to scream or to punch that pillow. I want you to recognize that children may tantrum more frequently over little things because of the grief they are feeling. They may need you to hold lovingly stronger boundaries in order to release big feelings. Children and adults may need time alone and in nature. Find ways for this release. Allow yourself to ask for help, we are here for you. Allow them and yourself to be sad, and when your sad, cry! This is a song and a great musician for you to become attached to. Tom Hunter has many albums that you might find online. He has passed, but in his time on earth, he was a strong advocate for parents, teachers, children and keeping song alive in our daily lives. He inspired me and my work with Acorn Village greatly. Enjoy:
Tom Hunter: When I’m sad I cry |
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The following is an excerpt from the book “Listen - Five Simple Tools to Meet Your Everyday Parenting Challenges,” by Patty Wipfler and Tosha Schore, M.A.. (p. 152-153), the teachers are reading this book together this year posted by Tara Trujillo, Saplings assitant GETTING DRESSED When my son was four, he went through a period of great resistance to getting dressed. Over a few weeks I tried all sorts of play to loosen the tension. I’d make his clothes talk to him and hide from him, try to put them on myself, pretend to not know how to help him get dressed, and more. Despite my efforts, getting dressed remained a daily struggle. Finally, one day I told him it was time to put his clothes on. When he tried to run away I pulled him onto my lap and said again, “It’s time to get dressed now.” He started to cry and thrash. I kept him with me, holding his arms so he couldn’t hit or scratch, and listened. When he started to let up, I’d tell him that it was time to put his clothes on, and then listen while he cried some more. After what felt like a very long time he stopped struggling, sat up in my lap, looked right at me and asked if I would still recognize him when he grows up. I reassured him that I’d always know him and always love him, even if he looked different. It was like a switch had been flipped. After offloading that fear, getting dressed was no longer an issue How It Worked: This parent was smart to try to help her son through his resistance by Playlistening. But sometimes Playlistening is simply “Step One.” It builds closeness between you and your child, signals that you’re not desperate to see a certain behavior, and relaxes him. It opens the doors to feelings but not enough to prompt the deep healing the child needs. In these cases, a child often needs “Step Two,” a firm but loving limit. With that clear message of “No,” he’s able to process his upset and return to a cooperative state. Rather than let her son run from her and from the feelings upsetting him, this mom set a limit by holding him on her lap. She had already determined that he was stuck in his helplessness. If she had let him go, the struggles over getting dressed likely would have continued. By holding him close and repeating the limit, “It’s time to put your clothes on,” she created a safe setting for him to show her his fears. What this parent discovered was a surprise. It was also their ticket out of a long-standing struggle. |
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Nature Connection- Make a Nature Table posted by Teacher Tracy Spring is a beautiful time to make a little niche in your home for treasures from nature. It could even be a box covered with a beautiful cloth. These treaures spark memories from outdoor adventures and bring a sense of reverance for the natural world. You can add flowers, branches, and trimmings from outdoors. Children can make nests or draw pictures of birds, animals, or plants for the table. Let your imagination lead you. |
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Bugs you may find in your yard |
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Jumping Rope- posted by Teacher Michelle Studies have demonstrated jumping helps to develop the left and right hemispheres of the brain to further improve awareness, reading skills, increases memory, and mental alertness. ... As a result, jumping improves coordination and dynamic balance. Jumping rope is full of healthy benefits for both the body and mind. When a child begins to learn jumping rope, his or her motor skills and executive functioning will be challenged. This is a good thing because the challenge, when taken bit by bit through play, provokes her development. She practices focusing her attention, thinking flexibility, and regulating her emotions. Each jump gets the heart pumping and lungs breathing deeply so the body can replenish itself with fresh oxygen and bring clarity to the mind. The body and mind practice humming together to the rhythm of each rope’s turn. The impact of the feet on the ground and feeling its rhythm seems to “ground” us. Endorphins flood our systems and built-up stress can be released. A sense of confidence is cultivated in our abilities as we practice. And, almost always, jumping rope seems to bring about laughter! Furthermore, when jumping rope is incorporated into the rhythm of our day, our bodies get this big and fully engaged movement so we are more able to sit calmly during certain parts of our day like project, story, or meal times which may require us to be more composed and collected. Now let’s talk about where to get started and how you could begin jumping rope today with your little one. The following flow of ideas offers a way to introduce jumping rope and ways to play different games as your child gains new skills: 1. Play rattlesnake! This is a fun game to introduce the basic concept of jumping rope. If you have a partner around, each one of you holds an end of the rope, which is extended between you. You both squat down and move the rope with a flick of the wrist back and forth to resemble a slithering snake. Your child then stands on one side to run and practice jumping over it. If it is just you and your child, you can tie one end of the rope around a tree or table leg and then hold the other end of the rope to play the game. Children also love to have the job of making the rattlesnake slither. Once they have jumped awhile and seen you model how to move the rope, you can let them have a try and help them when necessary. Then you can be the one who gets to jump! Note: Keep in mind that we do not jump over rattlesnakes we see in nature but rather stop and slowly back away. Therefore, since we are a forest school and the chance of seeing a rattlesnake is out there, this game gives us the opportunity to talk about what we would actually do if we were ever to meet a real snake out there. 2. With a partner or tying the other end of the rope to a tree, swing the rope back and forth, making the bottom U-shape of a circle. It should swing low enough so that your child can jump over it. Your child then stands on one side to practice running and jumping over the swinging rope. This helps them practice timing. After your child jumps awhile, you can again let or invite her to control the rope. This is great because on the one hand, you can have a turn jumping and on the other hand, your child gets a new understanding and perspective of the turning rope. 3. With a partner or the help of a tree, turn the rope in a complete circle. Your child can then practice running under the rope without it ever touching her. This lets her see that big, complete movement of the rope turning in a circle and further challenges her timing. 4. Invite your child to stand in the middle and try jumping rope! You can tie a knot at the point in the middle of the rope as a reference so it is easier to find where to stand. Simply turn the rope for her to practice jumping. Just keep giving your child more chances with patience because it takes time for the body and mind to process it all together. Here is a great time to bring out those old rhymes and songs you may have from your own childhood days of jumping rope. Songs are sometimes more fun than just counting, they relieve some competitive pressure, and they offer an additional rhythm to help with jumping. Keep it lighthearted and share in your child’s delight! It is so truly magical to see, from one turn to the next, when the skills seem to just all come together in a child. 5. Get creative! Your child will most likely have some ideas of how to continue making it challenging and fun. Some ideas we do in the Sapling class is running in after the rope is already turning to begin jumping, spinning while jumping, singing rhymes and songs with certain movements to do, jumping on one leg, increasing or decreasing the turning speed, counting in another language etc. Your child can also practice turning the rope in complete, controlled circles so that you can jump, too. 6. Your child may be ready to jump rope all on her own. Help your child find a rope appropriate for her height. Your child will have an end of the rope in each hand so she can turn it and jump over it all by herself. She can get creative here too by turning the rope either forward or backward, jumping with two legs or one or switching, running while jumping etc. She can jump as long as she likes! Feel free to join your child and jump, as well! Good news: All the benefits of jumping rope for children also apply to adults, too. I encourage families to give jump roping a try and make their own magic happen together! Below, you will find some fun rhymes you can sing to get started: “Cinderella” Cinderella, dressed in yella— Went upstairs to kiss a fella— Made a mistake And kissed a snake How many doctors Did it take? 1, 2, 3... “Ladybug, ladybug” Ladybug, ladybug turn around Ladybug, ladybug touch the ground Ladybug, ladybug shine your shoes Ladybug, ladybug drink some dew Ladybug, ladybug how old are you? 1, 2, 3... |
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April is National Poetry Month- written by Teacher Phillip which can also be sung to the tune of Big Rock Candy Mountains Do you know this place! I know a place where birds are talking, where twin oak brothers are standing, where deer, frogs and snails are walking, and wasps and bees are landing, I know a place right in the trees, next to sister lake, where I'm in the river up to my knees, eating peanutbutter-ricecake, Do you know what place I'm knowing? Where the sun shines every day, where thunder and wind are blowing and you follow a dirty way, where you play with other children, and the blanket is full of nuts, where you climb up trees and jump in mud, and slide down hills and might get cut, that place is Acorn Village |
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The Oak Tree a poem by Johnny Ray Ryder Jr. A mighty wind blew night and day. It stole the oak tree's leaves away, Then snapped its boughs and pulled its bark Until the oak was tired and stark But still the oak tree held its ground While other trees fell all around. The weary wind gave up and spoke, “How can you still be standing Oak? ”The oak tree said, “I know that you Can break each branch of mine in two, Carry every leaf away, Shake my limbs, and make me sway But I have roots stretched in the earth, Growing stronger since my birth, You'll never touch them, for you see, They are the deepest part of me. Until today, I wasn't sure Of just how much I could endure. But now I've found, with thanks to you, I'm stronger than I ever knew.” |
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Here is a cup and here is a cup and here is a pot of tea! Pour a cup and pour a cup, and have a cup with me! (Ask your children to show you the hand motions and make sure they do not drink out of the teapot!) |
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Crafternoons- contributed by Teacher Phillip |
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Making a stamp from a potato is a fun activity for adults as well as children and a great way to create your own unique shapes. The finished stamp is ideal for decorating book covers, greeting cards, gift wrap and in many other ways. Simple shapes are the easiest, however with a little creative thought even the most
basic shape can be turned into something special.
What You Need
• Potatoes
• Kitchen knife
• Water-based paint
• Pencil or marker pen
Here's How
1. Cut the potato in half. Draw the desired shape onto the surface of the potato using a pencil or
marker pen. Cut around this shape with a kitchen knife, leaving the design so it is raised on the
surface of the potato.
2. Pour some paint into a saucer and dab the potato in the paint, ensuring that the surface is evenly
coated.
3. Use the stamp on paper or whatever.
4. Kid friendly variation: Let your kid cut a potatoe to whatever shape, dip into color and print it on a paper. ENJOY! |
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NATURAL REMEDIES- Lemon Compress posted by Teacher Tara |
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The following is an excerpt from the book, “Caring for the Sick at Home,” by Tineke van Bentheim, Saskia Bos, Ermrngarde de la Houssaye and Wil Visser (p. 75-78) Compresses with lemon juice on the feet and lower parts of the leg are often given when a patient is in danger of losing consciousness as a result of fever, or starts to become delirious. The excessive heat of the head must be conducted to the legs. The following treatment can be very effective. Compress for the legs - Use only if the feet are very hot. Requirements Procedure The lemon is cut in half and one half is placed in the bowl of lukewarm water. It is cut into a star shape under water and then the juice is pressed out. In this way both the juice and the volatile etheric oil from the skin is released into the water. |
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The cloth for the compress is rolled up and placed in the bowl. The blankets are turned back at the foot of the bed and folded back. One towel is placed under each leg. The legs should be bare to just above the knees. One roll is now thoroughly squeezed so that not a drop remains in the compress, and then it is wound around the leg from the toe to the knee. Make sure that there are no gaps and that the whole foot is thoroughly wrapped up. The towel under the leg is folded and pinned around the foot and the leg. A woollen shawl can also be used as a bandage around the compress. For small children it is usually easier to fit a large cotton or woollen sock over the compress. The other foot and leg are then wrapped up in the same way and the bedclothes are replaced.- After twenty to twenty-five minutes the compresses will have dried out. If they have not, they were probably too wet when they were applied, and the patient may even have got cold feet. In this case the compresses should be removed immediately and the feet can be warmed with a hot water bottle or rubbed warm. Depending on the patient’s condition the treatment can be repeated immediately or after a little while. If he has fallen into a peaceful sleep, the compresses can be left on, provided you are sure that they have dried out. If the process is repeated, use the other half of the lemon and fresh water.
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How to do puppet shows posted by Teacher Tracy We have been sending you three audio stories a week and will continue until the school year is over. At Village, once the child has heard the audio story once or twice, we will often present the story in puppet form. Sometimes we use elaborte puppets that we have made, other times we use sticks and rocks. For the story, I am the long one recorded by Teacher Tracy, you can use a cottonball for the rabbit, a rock for the tortoise, a bigger rock for the hippo, a pine cone for the lion, and a stick with leaves attached for the Eagle. Read the stories with these items playing the parts and then leave them for your child to act out on their own. |
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What to do when you need to get something done: besides the stories we are sending, you can avoid children looking at screens if you check out these excellent audio story resources (Pipilo is recorded by local friends of Acorn Village and is free for a month): |
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Your moment of Zen An invitation to go within contributed by Teacher Juliette my intention here is all about intention. mindful presence . an invitation within. an invitation to now. for collective healing. Enjoy! |
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