Seeds

When Toby left 2nd grade, his beloved Ms. Heidi wrote each of her students a love letter. 
This is my love letter to the Loring School community as Toby leaves Grade 5 and Loring Elementary.

At a year end event in the Schoolyard Garden, Ms. Tiffany delivered some wise words about children being like the plants in our garden.  She said, "Like plants, children don't flourish on their own" but need attention and INTENTION to grow and develop!  Tiffany talked about how critical it is to plant seeds and shower them with both attention and intention.


I have been reflecting lately on all the seeds that have taken root in our Toby these past 6 years.

6 years ago, this little guy was ready to start kindergarten. What a journey it has been!

The tears of not being able to decide what color to use on his picture morphed into the surprising news that the 2nd grade Toby "...is a fearless writer!"

The magic of learning how letters create words and words create meaning became a passion for nonfiction as well as fiction.

The painstaking practice of learning to write turned into research reports on Honeybadgers, poetry, hero stories, persuasive letters, and scientific presentations.


The child afraid of speaking blossomed into the boy who took the stage at the district spelling bee.

The early tears and meltdowns became  lessons in how to "stand up" which developed into speaking up about classroom incidents and creating a class petition for extra gym time.


School is about so much more than reading and math, although Toby has had plenty of great instruction and guidance in these areas.  NO standardized test can measure these critical opportunities:

Loring has provided  exposure to so many experiences - from chess club and math masters to Footlights drama club, from Kids Cook and the Schoolyard Garden

Harvest Festival in the garden 2013

 to Lego Robotics and CO2 cars, from singing and band to skiing,

Skiing the Minne-Loppet 2011

from building pop bottle rockets and making books to science fairs and "How-To" presentations.


Sydney and Toby enjoying an Egg snack 2010



Oh the Places He's Gone! :

~The 5th grade overnight environmental camp:

 

And then there were the local field trips:

~ Mapping the neighborhood and interviewing business owners ~  visiting the Victory flagpole ~

And of course the "Explore @ Loring" Camps: Camp Velocity and Camp da Vinci!

Andy and Toby June 2011 with Ms. Heidi and Mr. Templeton

There have been so many intentional moments.

Wise teacher words like:

"We're not going to worry if it's not perfect," 

"Mistakes are good; they help us grow; they teach us what we need to know," 

helped to establish a sense of calm in a little guy worried about following the rules.  You gave him permission to embrace his rule-following nature and opportunities to develop as a leader.

Toby as Britt in "Britt Jackson Speaks"

The intentionality of this community was evident in the way Ms. Nora (and the many dedicated Footlights! Drama Club leaders) helped Toby develop into an expert on stage lighting, urged him to join the writing team for plays, and carefully and deliberately encouraged Toby to find his niche ON stage as well.

Toby Safety Patrol 2013

And in the way Ms. D. reached out to give Toby a ride to school EVERY one of those (many) frigid mornings this long winter, because she knew how seriously Toby took his safety patrol post, and he could not be "on duty" in the morning unless he arrived at school early.

An important part of citizenship and life is getting along with others. Toby not only developed solid friendships but learned every day how to work with other kids.  It is easy to work with someone who is like you. Loring School taught my child how to learn with and from classmates with different skills and different challenges. 

Camp Audubon 2014 Team Challenge

I loved hearing that a teacher directed Toby's class to list three students with whom you work well as a way of assigning groups. Even better was Toby's surprise at some of the kids who put Toby on their lists!

Toby and trumpet 2014

Thank you, Loring School teachers and staff, for nurturing and developing this child.  Toby is academically ready for middle school.  But more important to Ken and to me are the deeper lessons Toby has learned.  

Mr. G. with Toby - August 2013

What we will always remember from our Loring conferences are not the test numbers you showed us, the reading or math scores, but your assessments of the PERSON Toby is:  "He doesn't give up when faced with a challenge."  "He is humble."  "He is steady."  "He loves to learn."  "His classmates like him."

Like Ms. Tiffany's plant analogy, these attributes didn't "just happen." Each of you, EVERY YEAR,  provided a safe space in which he could thrive and grow, and most of all, loved and encouraged him every step of the way.

The seeds you've planted and tended these past 6 years have given Toby deep roots; the attention and intention with which you showered him have helped Toby to learn and grow and develop into the capable boy he is today.  

This one child is a tiny representation of all the important ways you are developing young hearts and minds.  So grateful to Loring School and the many caring and giving professionals that make Loring the solid school it is!