Why this Blog?

A group of Sanderling birds is called a "grain". Grain is the staple that nourishes and sustains us -- Mother Earth's perennial gift to her children. A grain of sand calls to mind William Blake's innocent words: 

"To see a world in a grain of sand, 

And a heaven in a wild flower, 

Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,

And eternity in an hour." 

Our "Grain of Sanderlings" is all of this: our 2nd Grade "peeps" on the beach, shuttling their little bodies across the sand according to the rhythms of the world around them. It is our choice to educate our children in a way that nurtures and sustains the heart as well as the mind, as bread -- made with a million miraculous, mundane seeds of the earth -- nurtures the body. And it is this wondrous and sometimes difficult journey we have undertaken to slow down and see the beauty and wonder that exists right before us in the smallest details. In the rub of chalk across the page. In the well-woven stitch. In the song that spills easily from our children's growing hearts. Here is eternity -- available to us in every moment. The opportunities for noticing are mundanely waiting, like so many grains of sand. 


And, on a more straightforward and practical level, this is a place for us to help one another:


- stay informed about class events
- have clarity on what is expected of us in volunteer roles
- seek and share ideas from all before making important decisions
- post photos, articles, recipes, songs related to festivals, field trips, or special events
- express personal insights and experiences related to our children's education
- whatever else we want and need it to be


It is a beautiful opportunity we all have now -- to give our children the kind of experience I'm sure we all wish we *could have* had. But we get to have it now -- through our children's process, and through the process of being a part of this community. Figuring things out. Creating as we go. Listening. Watching. Letting ourselves open to wonder as our children are learning to do. I for one am very grateful for this opportunity, and grateful to have parents like all of you to travel with.