Footsteps from our home in Waigao Beach, my wife and I, were preparing fire wood for our very first MT fire. We wondered: How will parents respond to the idea of making a fire, singing songs and telling stories under a cold winter moon?
If you want to experience magic, you must place yourself outside the realm of the ordinary.
That night, magic happened! 12 beautiful families, 4 teachers and our, always supportive, management team laughed, played, feasted and most importantly: REMEMBERED. Many parents would share with us over the weeks to come, how the fire had helped them re-member childhood times. What better way to begin our celebrations of the upcoming new year than reaching far into the distant past?
Then, in 2018, our MT Family had grown. An ethos had begun that allowed for an increased confidence that our community was ready for these special fire celebrations together.
Experiential learning, such as the Winter Fires, are essential components to our holistic curriculum. Your children are not stuck in a classroom learning about the practices of our ancestors, we are participating, as a community, in the experience of these celebrations. The richness, however, will not take place tomorrow, rather it will be in memory of many future fires to be celebrated together during your child's kindergarten years at MT. This is how we make tradition. This is how we foster community. This is where we welcome DEEP LEARNING. These fires not only allow for us to feel a deep connection as a community but also, they remind us of our connection to the much greater cosmos. 4 times a year we gather around a fire. During the Summer and Winter solstices we gather ouside, under the starts, around a beach fire: celebrating the longest and shortest days of the year! During the equinoxes, in the spring and fall, we gather around the fire up on our rooftop garden. As children grow into a deeper understanding of the world they live in, these astronomical connections will awaken in them organically, because they will have grown up in the rich culture of a community of families and educators that recognize this depth and beauty.
So, bundle up, tomorrow will be cold. Bring some extra clothes. But, more importantly, welcome the magic of a new experience! We are working to create lifelong memories for you, your children but also our whole team! We remember very little from our kindergarten years, we are trying hard to change this for the new generation.
This is wonderful learning! See you tomorrow!
Carl EmmonsMT Kindergarten Teaching Director
