October's Party

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It's almost Fall ... my favorite season! I'm ready to be done with the heat here in California. In preparation for Fall, here is a chalk drawing and a fantastic poem about October. This poem stirs up such beautiful imagery...perfect for  learning in the middle grades (4-6ish) and equally appropriate for writing out and displaying on your home chalkboard. I can also see this poem becoming the starting point for an upper grades drawing. Enjoy!

- Brian

October's Party

by George Cooper

October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came.
The Chestnuts, Oaks and Maples,
And leaves of every name.

The Sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band.

The Chestnuts came in yellow,
The Oaks in crimson dressed;
The lovely Misses maple
In scarlet looked their best.

All balanced to their partners,
And gaily fluttered by;
The sight was like a rainbow
New fallen from the sky.

Then in the rustic hollow
At hide-and-seek they played;
The party closed at sundown
And everybody stayed.

Professor Wind played louder;

They flew along the ground;

And then the party ended

In jolly "hands around."

words to hold close...

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soul refresh...

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Wrights Lake in the Sierras

I struggle with the heat, dryness and day to day hustle of life on the valley floor (103') after the tranquility of the East coast's White Mountains.

A dear beloved Waldorf mom recommended this... Simplicity, quiet, no cell phone coverage, clean air, clean water, quiet...so so worth the drive. Thank you for the soul refresh.  

It's is so priceless to get a recommendation from someone who shares many of your values and gets your world.

David

Art... and Basketball?

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There are a few places in my life where I truly feel at home - drawing on a chalkboard, teaching games class on the big field at school (I teach art and games to grades 1 - 8), strumming an acoustic guitar. There is one other place that I call home each year from November to February... the basketball court. Coaching basketball is actually what led me to Waldorf (a long story for another day).  When the school year starts, I always look forward to Fall. I love the change in weather, carving pumpkins with the kids, Fall colors, Thanksgiving, etc.. but for me, the excitement and anticipation of the upcoming basketball season is hard to top. Between coaching a high school varsity girls team and an 8th grade boys team, I'll definitely get my fill. Each season is a challenging, beautiful journey. Coaching Waldorf kids in the highly competitive environment that is high school athletics (we often play against much larger public schools) is quite a unique task. While I'd be lying if I said that I don't enjoy winning, this time of year I must remember that my job is to be a teacher and to give my players a great experience. Throw some hard work into the equation and the winning usually takes care of itself. In the spirit of teamwork on the court, in the classroom, in the office, and at home, I thought I'd share a quote from a great teacher/coach... and some chalk art (couldn't resist).

Wishing everyone a great season! 

~ Brian

PS - I feel very much at home coaching my team in a packed gym, with the score close late in the 4th quarter. That being said, I have to admit... I was nervous writing my first blog post :)