Graduating Parent Reflections

Brett S., Parent of Harmonious Humu Bailey and Surfin Second Grader Gabe

“I love it here” Bailey exclaimed as she came out from Ms. Shannon’s first grade classroom on her first day at Village. “How do you know, it’s only been one day?’ I asked. “I know Mommy…it’s a feeling” Bailey said. She spent her kindergarten year at Capri and never left school will such vibrancy and enthusiasm. And so our Village School whirlwind adventure began. “It takes a whole village to raise a child” is an African Proverb that originated with the Igbo and Yoruba of Nigeria. The proverb itself exists in different forms in many African languages yet basically means that child rearing is a communal effort. For us, that communal effort encopasses teachers, staff, parents and children–basically all who set foot on our small but mighty campus. Since that fateful August day in 2013, our family has truly lived and breathed “The Village.”

Ms. Shannon, Mr. Chris, Ms. Aisling, Ms. Talia and Mr. Andy are Bailey’s favorite teachers (and might I add, all of her Village teachers.) She loves each of them for the special attention that they gave her when she needed it. They were not only committed to her academic development, but to her social and emotional growth as well. She felt it. We felt it. Bailey always knew that she had caring adults in her life which has been absolutely priceless to us. Thank you phenomenal teachers. You are the heart of our Village.
Kindness, companionship, reliability, understanding, collaboration, conflict-resolution and empathy are just a few assets that Bailey acquired through the friendships that she developed at Village. She now has a special group of girls whom she will forever be connected to. We have witnessed each of them evolve into strong, smart, socially conscious upstanding citizens, and can’t wait to see the impact that they make in the world! Children, you are the soul of our Village.

While Bailey connected with a special group of girls, we connected with a special group of parents that we not only consider friends, but family. Our distinguished Village parents are the glue (or “jam” as Principal David would say) that holds the school together, and makes it the bustling and thriving place that it is. We are grateful for the time that each parent has committed to Bailey and her Village experience. From helping her with reading and math in the lower grades to teaching her how to knit in lunch league, bringing her special treats during or after school, inspiring her during ceramics or Pintrest, or taking her home after an ambush courtyard playdate request, we THANK YOU and we LOVE YOU! Parents, you are the breath of our Village.

It’s not the centers, or the field trips, or the carnivals, or cooking with character, or ABC Reading or reading buddies that make Village special, it’s the collective feeling and energy that all of these things provide us with. It’s the feeling that Bailey identified on her very first day at Village. It’s the feeling that Bailey will carry with her to on Discovery middle school. It’s the feeling that every child and family should be so fortunate to have during their elementary school experience. Thank you for “giving us life” Village. #BlessedToBeAVillageFamily

Alex R., Parent of Harmonious Humu Julian and Village Alums Andrea and Isaac

14 years ago my daughter, Andrea, was kicked out of kindergarten.

In a meeting with her teacher and the school principal, my wife was told that Andrea was too disruptive, needed counseling, and that if we did not remove her from the school then she would be expelled. This was only two weeks into the school year! Needless to say, we felt that this was NOT going to meet the needs of our daughter, so we put her back into preschool and started to look elsewhere. That was when we found Village School.

I still remember the first time I walked onto the campus. The district was sponsoring an information meeting at Village school for incoming kinder parents. When I walked into the multipurpose room that evening (now David’s office, staff lounge, and library) I saw student artwork covering the walls, including hand drawn maps of countries with cotton balls, rice and beans representing the various economies of the world. I leaned over to my wife and told her, “I want to come here.” And we did.

I will take many memories of the kids, parents, and teachers with me, but the strongest will be the time spent with my own kids. When I was in Lori’s class, I would intentionally wait and watch the students sing “What a Wonderful World.” Over the years I watched Andrea, then Isaac and then Julian sing that song, and I would notice how similar all three of my kids are; the way they sat, their mannerisms, and their enthusiasm. But I also saw how they were different, how each one had their own skills and their own personalities. Of course, having them in my center was always special.

Oh, yes. Centers! My first one was mapping and I was guided by Lori. Each week I took the students on a balloon ride over a fictional landscape. In other centers, I took the students to ancient Egypt and then Rome, then it was off to the medieval times to slay dragons. In the technology centers we learned PowerPoint, edited videos, programmed robots and printed in 3D. In science we learned how to move the earth. We danced folk dances, played outdoor games, and learned how a grandmother and a spider inspired dream catchers.

My daughter does not remember much about Village, but she does still holds a fondness for her teachers and she remembers them all. When Andrea saw other students being bullied, she became the upstander and she gained the respect of younger students in high school because of it. In her, Isaac, and Julian I see self confidence in who they are. The foundations of their characters were laid during their time at Village School through their teachers, counselors, and the many parent volunteers. For that, I am deeply grateful.

I would like to paraphrase a saying by Johnny Barnes by saying that no adult stands so tall, than when he/she kneels to help a child. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of Village School.

What a wonderful world.

Toni T., Parent of Talented Toucan Josie and Village Alum Sam

Village.

We can’t believe that the time has arrived. It has been 11 years that we have been fortunate enough to be a part of the Village community. It truly flew by!

There are myriad emotions and sentiments that come with 11 years of involvement in ANYTHING, let alone 11 years of raising your young children and watching them learn, grow and blossom as part of something truly special. We feel like we hit the jackpot or the proverbial lottery to end up being a part of this school community. It will be very difficult to move on. When we try to distill and articulate the specifics of what makes this place and our experience here so special—we get overwhelmed. There are simply too many wonderful things to list! So, we will rely on a common practice utilized in our classrooms—The ANAGRAM. This will allow us to isolate several words that will help give at least a partial picture of what we have loved about Village and what we will carry along for the rest of our lives (the whole family, kids and parents alike).
 

Vitality
Insightful
Lessons
Laughter
Appreciation
Generosity
Endure
 

V — Vitality — This little school is full of life. It always has been such a source of energy and ebullience. It is felt from the minute you past through those gates. It is as if there should be a banner over the top of the gate that says “Things are happening here!”

I — Insightful — From Day One (Kinder for our son Sam), we knew that we were in the right place. We landed in Elizabeth’s class, and watching her greet our kids and the rest of the family left us feeling so safe and secure. Her insightful nature and her gifts as an educator gave us that confidence that we were in the right place. The teachers and staff at Village are so insightful and caring. I always knew that they were watching out for the best interest of my children.

L — Lessons — Of course you expect your children to learn many lessons while in elementary school. That is a given. However, the types of lessons they learned spanned so many subjects that went WAY beyond the Common Core. They learned lessons about CORE values of being a compassionate human and how to navigate the world in ways we’d never imagined. Also, as parents we learned so much from our kids, fellow students and the other members of the VS community along the way. I still marvel at how skilled so many of the other parents are at embodying the kind but firm approach to education, mentoring and caring for our kids.

L — Laughter — One by-product of Village that we never expected was this cadre of amazing “grown ups’ (fellow parents) that would turn out to become such wonderful friends. We have had such great memories of Village events and count many of the friends we have made along the way as some of the dearest people in our lives. The laughter and good times shared will be remembered forever.

A — Appreciation — There are simply not enough words to describe the level of appreciation we have for the foundation our kids have received from being part of Village. We will just leave it there as it is nearly impossible to quantify.

G — Generosity — Again, every facet of the Village experience has been met with a spirit of generosity. It starts from the staff who GIVE GIVE GIVE to our kids all day to the other parents who support and help our children to grow and thrive.

E — Endure — Although our family is moving on, Village School will endure in our hearts forever. It is just part of who we are and we feel blessed as a result.
 

Robin M., Parent of Harmonious Humu Christian and Aloha Pineapple Kylie

It has been an adventurous six years for us here at Village. Although it was a rough start for us at first as my son Christian transitioned into kindergarten, it has been an amazing journey watching him grow each year. We will take with us many fond memories of many field trips, such as Semifreddi’s and the yummy bread we got to take home, and riding Galapagos tortoises. Other unforgettable memories are participating in the talent show and our school camping trips. The name of our school really fits our experience, because it really does take a village to raise a child. We have been so fortunate to have made friendships and relationships with wonderful families here at Village and to have been a part of the Village community.
 

Veronica P., Parent of Harmonious Humu Maria and Village Alum Austin

An interesting fact most Villagers don’t know- Jeremy is the one who picked Village. I was a little hesitant and unsure but he knew it was the right place for us. So thank you to my husband for helping our family find Village. Why I do what I do- because if you aspire to be better you will inspire others to do better.
 

Veronica C., Parent of Golden Phoenix Leon

What I’ve loved most about Village is the friendships that we have made throughout Leon’s time here. I loved being able to be present in his class when he first started school!
 

Priya B., Parent of Talented Toucan Sohum

I suppose it all started in August of 2013 when the phone rang. Sohum was about to start 1st grade when Becky called informing us that Village had an opening! Without knowing at all what to expect we decided to come to Village… and when I say WE, I mean WE! We all became part of the Village community. The first year was a daze…Sohum’s brother was only 5 weeks old when school started (talk about overwhelming!). Through the haze, one thing was clear — Village was a very unique place! When you walked in, there were smiles to greet you. There were parents to hold your baby. The teachers were happy to talk to you, and most of all I could see that my child, my squirrely, overly-enthusiastic, curious little guy, was welcomed and encouraged. Learning was hands-on and exciting! There were centers and science, poetry slams and publishing parties, and the unforgettable gift of cooking with Gina. Not to mention the Halloween Festival, camping trips, picnics and concerts where we all had fun, we were all part of it.

That’s how it began, but to this day Sohum still jumps in the car everyday saying “Mommy, guess what we did in school today?!,” and excitedly rattles on about books read in class, inventive art projects, failed science experiments, and the lunchtime drama (of course!). He doesn’t want to miss a day!

To be real, it hasn’t all been a cake walk. Some years were harder than others. There were many times we felt things weren’t working, but then came a magical moment of true friendship, a developmental epiphany, a mind-blowing field trip, and countless opportunities for creativity and inspiration that outshined the difficulties. In the end, it came together. Walden West, 101 Dalmatians, Dr. Seuss night, and Cornerstone kids have meant so much. This pivotal fifth grade year, Sohum has become more mature, independent, responsible, and resilient, and ready to spread his wings.

Being a parent never ceases to perplex me and amaze me, challenge me and fulfill me. I’m so grateful to be part of a community that values providing parent education, supportive circles, and kind friends, willing to listen and share their wisdom and experience. I will miss the creative energy of inventing Centers with my awesome Eco-art, Greek Mythology, Upcycling and Jedi Mind Trick comrades. I’ll miss the fantastic teachers and staff. I’ll miss hanging out in the courtyard, the awesome kids and families, the holistic approach to educating young people, the nurturing nest, and so much more. We will always treasure these years.

Being a parent never ceases to perplex me and amaze me, challenge me and fulfill me. I’m so grateful to be part of a community that values providing parent education, supportive circles, and kind friends, willing to listen and share their wisdom and experience. I will miss the creative energy of inventing Centers with my awesome Eco-art, Greek Mythology, Upcycling and Jedi Mind Trick comrades. I’ll miss the fantastic teachers and staff. I’ll miss hanging out in the courtyard, the awesome kids and families, the holistic approach to educating young people, the nurturing nest, and so much more. We will always treasure these years.

Jessica F., Parent of Talented Toucan, Ty

Reflections of a Fifth Grade Parent part 2 of 4

Ty’s first visit to Village was on a hot August day when he was three years old. Mostly likely he was squished into a double stroller with his younger twin brothers as I barreled into the courtyard. Two years later he was finally a Village student eager to follow in his sister footsteps. It seems like just yesterday that he was a reserved kindergartener with a buzz cut and big blue eyes. Now he is a confident 5th grader, with much longer hair!

I am so grateful for the time that Ty has had at Village. It has truly helped shaped who he is today. He has experienced so many different opportunities over the past six years. If I had to pick one area that is our favorite it would have to be the field trips. I can’t believe that he has gone on almost 50 different field trips, and it feels like I have driven on half of them! From the farm to the symphony and science camp to San Francisco he has seen and done so many unique things. Though I come back absolutely exhausted from every field trip I drive, I can’t help but think how lucky we are to go on them.

Some of my favorite memories take place during the awesome events that we have at Village. How many other schools go on a camping trip together? The Camping trip is beyond cool. Two nights hanging out with your friends and many of the teachers, while your kids have an unlimited amount of kiddos to play with. It is crazy to think Ty started his first camping trip at the age of three and I wouldn’t let him leave my side. This year I only saw him when he wanted to eat.

Ty loves Village, however he is so ready for middle school. Ready to meet new people, take on new challenges, attend a school with no siblings, and ease back on the parental involvement. I’d like to say that this is all because of stellar parenting, but we can’t take all of the credit. He is ready because he has had six amazing teachers that were there for him emotionally and academically. He is ready because he has a group of friends and their parents that support him. And he is ready because he of the wealth of opportunities he has had at our beloved Village.