As I walked out of the school last Friday, I was greeted by this cheery chickadee – peeking out of a nest in the planters that welcome children to school every day. Liz had been at it again. Quietly and without fail, she changes our planters to match the seasons. This fall she put in plants with a sensory theme so students could smell and touch them. Last spring we had beautiful pansies – just in time to brighten May Day. This work is part of her gift to the school and it brightens every day.
And every day it helps me reflect on the many, many people who quietly work to make our school what it is. Every room has volunteers who never fail to step up and lend a hand. Augustino cleans our rooms every evening. Volunteers serve us lunch every day along with Frankie and Liz. Experts bring new and exciting information into our themes. Chaperones keep everyone safe. I've never been at an event where the chairs aren't spirited away and the kitchen left (much) neater than it was found. Board meetings are attended. Kindling is chopped. T-shirts are distributed. Books are ordered and organized. The list goes on and on and on. Without our community, the school would be a shadow of itself.
And we are also bolstered by a wider community of parents, grandparents, friends, alumni, and alumni families who support us financially in our work. We cannot teach the way we believe in without that financial support. (Although all of us wish that funding were robust enough that we didn't have to ask for donations…it's just not.) We need to meet our fundraising goals to ensure that Prairie Creek can
The Herons sometimes joke that whatever we are doing, whatever question comes up I say, "I have a book about that!" The book fairy doesn't provide those books – its the generous classroom budget that for years I have been able to spend to build a robust (and eclectic) classroom library. I use that budget to bring themes to life through special materials and field trips. That budget also supports our tools in forest school – jeweler's loupes, good whittling knives, loppers, bow drills. Are these things essential? No. Do they help create a learning experience that is rich and memorable? Yes.
Our fundraising also ensures small classes where students can be known and nurtured. It provides support staff that help us concentrate on our teaching. It helps us maintain our outdoor spaces and create new learning initiatives. It also ensures that I can offer scholarships to kids and we can keep field trip costs low by having the school cover the cost of the bus.
So thank you. Thank you for all of the hours you put in to make our school what it is. Thank you for all of the interest you show in your child's work and development. Thank you for giving financially what you can, when you can. Prairie Creek would not be possible without you. If you are able, please consider a gift for Give to the Max Day.
The Rookery 
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