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16245 Westside Hwy SW
Vashon, WA, 98070
206-466-7398
The Vashon Green School is a place-based multi-age learning community located on 7 acres of farm and woodlands, on Vashon’s Westside. We offer a hands-on, hearts-on embodied curriculum rooted in practices that promote social intelligence and connection to the natural world. Our curriculum seeks to provide children with tools and support for living a full, balanced and creative life by giving equal value to each of the four windows of knowing: feeling, imagining, sensing and thinking. Mentors honor each child’s unique gifts and learning styles, supported by our small mentor-student ratio. VGS children, mentors and families journey together to create a learning community rooted in compassion, connection and gratitude.
Salmon are a keystone species in the Pacific Northwest. Tahlequah and her Southern Resident Killer Whale community depend on a thriving salmon population. Her ceremony of grief inspired many to support efforts to SAVE OUR SALMON!
What is perfect about this?
All plants and animals know the natural cycle. As earthlings we all cycle through the days and seasons together. The Eight directions orient us within these cycles as the Earth rotates and revolves on its tilt around the sun.
VGS students introduce themselves with nature names and directions for the school year.
Meet the students of Vashon Green School as they receive their nature names and directions for the year in a ceremony that marks the beginning of a ten month long learning journey together. Students choose (or it chooses them) nature names and a direction. The direction is their place in the circle every morning and afternoon. It is connected to the idea that each direction in the wheel of the year holds energy related to the seasons and life-cycles. Their chosen species becomes one of their allies and mentors as they learn about it and themselves. (note: Mei, Vaughn, Angelo, and Eduardo are missing from these introductions and we will add them as soon as we have them)
For the previous 12 years, we have gathered in community to celebrate the balance of night and day, gifts of the harvest and create a container for our children as they cross this particular threshold of entry to the year. The container is made of all of our families loving all of our students and witnessing them. This year, as we adapt to the redesign of our community celebrations, we acknowledge the depth of importance of the way we have created a basket to hold the children and we aspire to bring that commitment and spirit to the new way of being in community while unable to always do it in the same time and place as one another.
Because we are adapting together, we ask that all families meet all of the students and collaborate on creating this container in a new way. And we encourage each family to support their child in learning about their chosen species and their direction. And engage them in the conversations about what it all means and who they are in the circle and in the community.
Please write these challenge questions into your main lesson book and your answers on the next page. Parents can help you out with the writing if you need help.
Ophelia’s Journey part nine Courage and Heart
and then a giant barn owl swooped down
El Padre Abram
Terminal bud stem of waterweed optical microscope magnification X40
Leaf detail magnified
Ophelia, Otto and Natsuki continue their journey.
Sing and move and be silly with your family!
When you do a Sit Spot this week pay close attention to the stems of all the plants around you. Please listen to the audio clip and draw the diagram in your main lesson book. Be sure to leave room for the labels.
External woody stem structure
Bud scale and leaf scars on Pear stem
Axil of a Red Alder stem
Bud scales on Rhododendron stem
