Monday, March 29, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
spring play by faculty. King winter and madam spring
4 teachers did this play for the whole school on monday...just after returning from spring break.
Kindergarten through high school
There was a narrator and the teachers just acted it out.
It was great
Have you heard these sounds children? Bells…..
They are sounds made by the winter folk……
During the warm season, King Winter lives far up among the white, fleecy clouds of the north in a winter palace. But during the cold season King Winter walks Earthland, pulling down the painted leaves from the trees, trampling upon the fields and gardens while snipping the heads off goldenrod and aster, and putting the trees to sleep.
King Winter compels the snow fairies to fill full bags of snowflakes from the mountains to drop where he commands. He scatters the leaves across the land, flattens down the flowers, and sends the birds flying south while the Earth-children sleep peacefully far beneath beds of leaves and blankets of winter frost.
Along with the long cold nights, King Winter beckons forth his son West Wind to travel through the village and cover every bough and child’s window with ice lace.
As the winter darkness begins to grow shorter, the little Earth-children stir fitfully in their beds. King Winter gathers lacey leaves and dainty ice crystal blossoms to make thicker the blankets atop them.
Day after day after day King Winter walks the land until King Summer’s son East Wind blows into Earthland to tell King Winter that Lady Spring has slept long enough and the people of the earth need to have plants from the soil again so that they can survive.
King Winter’s feet have grown tired and he looks forward to going back to his winter palace in the northernmost clouds. Every step he now takes is an effort; he leans heavily on his stick as he walks to Lady Spring’s cave. As he nears the cave he sees that the flowers around the cave are already in bloom. King Winter’s time in Earthland is growing very short.
“Wake, Lady Spring, wake!” King winter calls from afar, hesitant to get too close to the warm mouth of the cave.
King winter bends down and pets the flowers. “Wake Lady Spring, my time is short and your own time has arrived; my feet are sore and my bones are tired - Wake Madam, WAKE!”
From inside the cave a stirring can be seen….could it be she is waking?
King Winter tries again and this time he comes right up to the mouth of the cave and says,
“Madam Spring your Earth-children are waking, they need you now! I have kept them warm under a blanket of snow and frost but now they grow restless and you must wake them.”
Lady spring heard the urgent words of King Winter and begins to stretch and yawn.
“I wake King Winter, I wake” She pokes out her foot and feels the still cold air and pulls her foot back in:
“Is Father sun up? The air is very cold!” says Lady Spring.
“Madam that is your work; come out and warm Earthland once more, come, awaken the seedlings, and the trees, and the sleeping little Earth-children. Now is your time, I grow more …and…more…….” and as King winter says this he leans on his staff and starts to sleep.
Lady Spring pokes her head out of the cave to see what has happened to her dear King Winter.
(she walks up to king winter)
“King of cold and frost, the earth has slept long enough, we thank you for our slumber”
(she puts a flower behind his ear)
“West Wind, come take your King and Father back to his winter palace and let him sleep there until earth needs him again.”
And with that a great wind started to blow and King Winter was gently picked up and carried back to his home.
Lady Spring had much to do; she bent down and began to pull back the covers of winter, and waking the seeds and creatures from their deep slumber.
Madam spring gives a bunch of flowers to each teacher:
For the wee Folk (kindergarten)
For the Gnomes (1st grade)
For the Saints (2nd grade)
For the Farmers (etc)
For the Animals
For the Olympians
For the Knights
For the Artists
For the Revolutionists
For the Pioneers
Kindergarten through high school
There was a narrator and the teachers just acted it out.
It was great
Have you heard these sounds children? Bells…..
They are sounds made by the winter folk……
During the warm season, King Winter lives far up among the white, fleecy clouds of the north in a winter palace. But during the cold season King Winter walks Earthland, pulling down the painted leaves from the trees, trampling upon the fields and gardens while snipping the heads off goldenrod and aster, and putting the trees to sleep.
King Winter compels the snow fairies to fill full bags of snowflakes from the mountains to drop where he commands. He scatters the leaves across the land, flattens down the flowers, and sends the birds flying south while the Earth-children sleep peacefully far beneath beds of leaves and blankets of winter frost.
Along with the long cold nights, King Winter beckons forth his son West Wind to travel through the village and cover every bough and child’s window with ice lace.
As the winter darkness begins to grow shorter, the little Earth-children stir fitfully in their beds. King Winter gathers lacey leaves and dainty ice crystal blossoms to make thicker the blankets atop them.
Day after day after day King Winter walks the land until King Summer’s son East Wind blows into Earthland to tell King Winter that Lady Spring has slept long enough and the people of the earth need to have plants from the soil again so that they can survive.
King Winter’s feet have grown tired and he looks forward to going back to his winter palace in the northernmost clouds. Every step he now takes is an effort; he leans heavily on his stick as he walks to Lady Spring’s cave. As he nears the cave he sees that the flowers around the cave are already in bloom. King Winter’s time in Earthland is growing very short.
“Wake, Lady Spring, wake!” King winter calls from afar, hesitant to get too close to the warm mouth of the cave.
King winter bends down and pets the flowers. “Wake Lady Spring, my time is short and your own time has arrived; my feet are sore and my bones are tired - Wake Madam, WAKE!”
From inside the cave a stirring can be seen….could it be she is waking?
King Winter tries again and this time he comes right up to the mouth of the cave and says,
“Madam Spring your Earth-children are waking, they need you now! I have kept them warm under a blanket of snow and frost but now they grow restless and you must wake them.”
Lady spring heard the urgent words of King Winter and begins to stretch and yawn.
“I wake King Winter, I wake” She pokes out her foot and feels the still cold air and pulls her foot back in:
“Is Father sun up? The air is very cold!” says Lady Spring.
“Madam that is your work; come out and warm Earthland once more, come, awaken the seedlings, and the trees, and the sleeping little Earth-children. Now is your time, I grow more …and…more…….” and as King winter says this he leans on his staff and starts to sleep.
Lady Spring pokes her head out of the cave to see what has happened to her dear King Winter.
(she walks up to king winter)
“King of cold and frost, the earth has slept long enough, we thank you for our slumber”
(she puts a flower behind his ear)
“West Wind, come take your King and Father back to his winter palace and let him sleep there until earth needs him again.”
And with that a great wind started to blow and King Winter was gently picked up and carried back to his home.
Lady Spring had much to do; she bent down and began to pull back the covers of winter, and waking the seeds and creatures from their deep slumber.
Madam spring gives a bunch of flowers to each teacher:
For the wee Folk (kindergarten)
For the Gnomes (1st grade)
For the Saints (2nd grade)
For the Farmers (etc)
For the Animals
For the Olympians
For the Knights
For the Artists
For the Revolutionists
For the Pioneers
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Puppet show is starting
There was once a young flower child, born from the folds of a spring tulip, she was raised by the woodland fairy folk. They named her Tulipa and cared for her as if she was a fairy herself.
Tulipa was kind to all the many creatures of the forest and enjoyed helping them when in need. She would help the busy honey bees who lived in the old apple tree by going out and gathering flowers so that they could drink the flower nectar. She would help the sheep find the sweetest grass to eat and her dearest friends were the bunnies who always were getting into mischief.
On Tulipa’s 6th birthday, her only wish was to ask for a pair of Fairy wings from the Beautiful Fairy Queen.
Tulipa sat next to her animal friends and complained “Today is my 6th birthday and all I want is to fly above the trees, but until the Fairy queen grants my wish, all I can do is walk, hop, and jump in the forest.”
As the morning light filled the forest, Tulipa went to a new born flower and sat down on the top of the flower to wait for the Fairy Queen…… for everyone knows that the only way to meet the Fairy Queen is atop a flower as its petals are touched by the sun’s rays for the very first time.
“Dear child” Said the Fairy Queen, “Good Morning, are you waiting for me?”
Tulipa jumped to her feet and very gracefully curtsied.
“Yes Fairy Queen I have been waiting to ask you for a Birthday wish”
“Ah, yes, and what would you like to wish for on this Sixth Birthday of yours, child?”
“All I have every wanted is to be granted a pair Fairy Wings.” Said Tulipa.
The Fairy Queen looked sad, “I would give you fairy wings if I could, but a Goblin sits at the base of the Fairy Wing tree and I cannot make him leave until winter when he falls asleep till spring. Now that spring has arrived the Goblin has woken up again.” “But, you have many animal friends in the forest to help you trick the Goblin. Bring your bunny friends with you and with their help you will have your wings.
Tulipa thanked the fairy queen and set out to gather her bunny friends. Once she had found the 3 cleverest bunnies in the meadow they began their journey into the forest to find the Fairy winged tree.
As they neared the end of the path. Tulipa saw the most beautiful tree she had ever seen and all around it hung 100’s of fairy wings flapping to and fro. But under the tree was the most horrible looking goblin she had ever seen.
The first bunny said, “I will put sweet honey suckle under his nose so that he will not smell you Tulipa”
The second bunny said, “and I will thump the ground with my foot so that he will not hear you coming Tulipa”
The third bunny said, “And I will run to and fro in front of him so that he will not see you coming but instead he will watch me.”
So the 3 bunnies did as they said the first brought the Goblin sweet honey suckles to smell,……… the second thumped the ground very loudly …………..and the third ran to and fro.
Tulipa softly walked up the tree, trying her best not to be seen by the Goblin. She plucked a small pair of wings from the tree. But as she did this, the tree began to jingle.
The goblin looked up and saw Tulipa.
“Who are you? And why have you come to take my fairy wings? They are mine, mine mine. I will have to catch you and eat you” but at that moment the three bunnies grabbed Tulipa and carried her as fast as their little bunny feet would carry them. And as we all know bunnies are very fast indeed.
The Goblin tried to catch them but he was far too slow and is easily confused by direction.
Tulipa was carried back to their meadow and there she smiled a big smile she kissed the noses of each bunny, she put her wings on her back and with one big jump she leapt into the air and flew above the trees.
The bunnies sat together congratulating each other on such a fine job and watched Tulipa as they planned their next adventure.
-Narsingh Khalsa
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Tea party birthday
12 little girls came over for a tea party
we drank chamomile tea and ate tea party treats
After that we wet felted carrots and eggs for an Easter basket where a large chocolate bunny was sitting waiting.
Then we used Kool aid and dyed play silks.
We also played pin the tail on the bunny and musical chairs.
TO end we had a puppet show.
Wonderful 6th birthday party for my younger daughter.
Basket with Chocolate bunny and felted egg and carrot
we drank chamomile tea and ate tea party treats
After that we wet felted carrots and eggs for an Easter basket where a large chocolate bunny was sitting waiting.
Then we used Kool aid and dyed play silks.
We also played pin the tail on the bunny and musical chairs.
TO end we had a puppet show.
Wonderful 6th birthday party for my younger daughter.
Monday, March 15, 2010
this is a felted piece I did for our silent auction. 
8th grade crayon drawing. no outlines just using the side of the block crayon Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Kimberton
THis is one of the most beautiful handwork rooms I have ever been in and everything has its place. Often Handwork rooms are full of supplies lacking their proper place...but everything is just beautiful in this room. It has the feeling of calm, organization and learning. This is a blissful space and the Teacher for the lower grades at Kimberton is one of the Teacher trainers in the Applied arts program for the 6th cycle....they switch teachers back and forth. So I don't get to be with her but I learned SOOOO much just by spending an hour with her. If you can apply for the Handwork training, I think you will really enjoy working with this talented teacher. 
The woodworking program is the other program that I observed and I was TOTALLY blown away with the majesty of this program. It is by far the best woodwork program I have come across! 
Monday, March 1, 2010
My process with clay....Applied Arts Teacher training
I love clay and I just adore the topic of Educating the Will. If you get a chance read this book
http://www.awsna.org/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=309
Here is another book you MUST get!
http://www.awsna.org/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=309
Here is another book you MUST get!
