THE MISSING TOOTH
This past Wednesday was certainly a blustery, rainy and wind-swept
day. Late in the afternoon, hours after school had finished, I
came around the corner of the building and bumped into a good
first grade friend of mine, Lee. He was with his mom and heading
for their car. But he (and mom!) was quite excited, and even with
the rain coming down wanted to show me something. As I bent down
to see what he might unveil, he unclasped hands with his mother
and proceeded to bring his hand to his mouth. With what can only
be described as a Broadway Grin, Lee reached toward the front
row and began to wiggle a tooth. "I'm going to lose my first
teeth" he delightfully exclaimed! Without question, Lee was
preparing for his initial visitation from the 'Tooth Fairy"
that night and nothing could dampen his spirits. As for me, I
stood for another minute or two in the midst of that windy and
wet weather outlining in my mind the rest of this missing tooth
story for this edition of the newsletter. Lee was losing his first
teeth. But in the process, he was giving me and the school community
a wonderful reminder and gift.
The loss of a child's first teeth is very important, for this
loss also indicates a change in the soul depths and feeling life
of the child. During the seventh year (the first grade school
year) the child develops the need to receive knowledge from an
authoritative adult who can use the faculty of mental picturing-the
imagination-to invest him with a new nascent ability. The time
has come when ideas may be appreciated, but not as clear, abstract
propositions: the emergence into the cold light of rationality
must be very, very gradual if the deeper realities of the child's
other faculties, especially the artistic and creative, are not
to be damaged. When the six year-old poses questions like "What
would you do if..." or simply "Why?" the answer
that counts and works for the child will be an imaginative anecdote,
a story, a creation coming from a respected and loving authority
figure. The mind of the six, seven and eight-year-old is still
half-steeped in what can be called mythological consciousness,
where Cinderella's sisters can slice off parts of their feet without
horror or pain, where the Remarkable Francis can tame the wolf
by the power of love and where God can speak to Moses from the
burning bush. The whole experience-including the purely rational,
like the four arithmetical processes-is best absorbed in personified
mythological form. The fact is that the first three years or so
after the change of teeth are passed in something of a dream.
Real life for the child is an existence swimming in feeling; preferences
and dislikes are formed everywhere-the favorite color, the best
make of bicycle, the greatest shoes, the funny place names-and
they give meaning to everything learned.
To be continued next week....the ninth year.
- Merrill Badger, Principal
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Happening This Week:
Parent Teacher Conferences this week. Please
sign up in the office.
This week half-days Monday through Friday.
Early release 12:30 pm for grades 1st—7th and 12:00 pm for
Kindergarten.
Next week Wed., Nov., 10th—Thurs.,
Nov., 11th is the AZ Waldorf Schools Conference starting at 6:30pm
on Wed.
NO SCHOOL next week on Thursday Nov. 11th
(Veteran’s Day) and Friday Nov. 12th.
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Tribal Bellydance for Kids
Ages 8 and up
Wednesdays 3:30 to 4:30 pm
At Shelece’s Home Studio
November 3rd through December 8th
Kids learn basic rhythms and movement of tribal belly dance,
while improving balance, flexibility, and strength in a fun and
supportive atmosphere.
$35.00 for five week session
Call Shellece Swafford at 445-4775
Personal Biography through
the 7-year Cycles
Saturday November 6th
9:30 am to 3:30 pm
At: 342 South Mount Vernon, Prescott
Learn how to draw your Life Map as a way of exploring the potential
meaning of your personal biography based on the 7 year life cycles
from birth through adulthood. Cost: $45.00
Contact: Les Sturgeon-Day at 708-9143
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PARENT UNIVERSITY
With all the headlines and news media attention lately
given to flu vaccine shortages and the like, you definitely do
not want to miss the Wednesday, October 27 presentation by Robert
Zieve, M.D. Dr. Zieve will discuss childhood health, children's
vaccinations, and also address adult health topics of interest
. This adult education forum is open to all friends of education
and the Prescott community. I know many of our MOS parents and
friends are already planning to attend this 7-8:30 PM session.
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