Sego Lily School

Outdoor Fun with Catie!

jen — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 22:33:02 +0000

We let the cat out of the bag!
A few days ago we opened the front door to air out the school and next thing we knew all the kids who play inside upstairs were now running around outside, enjoying the fresh air! Munchitrot supervised kids outside for the rest of the day. Proceeding days were full of outdoor life and excitement. We explored the yard as Earth goddesses, snowmen, and lava gods. Climbing trees and swinging were not to be forgotten. As the days become warmer and brighter, we will continue to live life outside!

By Catie, staff

The Hysterical History of the Trojan War

jen — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 22:25:36 +0000

Sego Lily School Presents!

The Hysterical History of the Trojan War

When: Friday and Saturday, March 18th and 19th 7pm

Where: LDS church building at 1889 S 1750 E, Salt Lake City

Tickets: $5 in advance, $6 at the door

Contact Sego Lily School at 801-274-9555 for more information

Seeds Of Love

jen — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 22:20:38 +0000

Dear Friends,

I’m excited to share the Seeds of Love fundraiser with the Sego Lily Community!

I’ve been inspired by many friends who want to support Sego Lily School in our monumental effort to build Utah’s first Net-Zero Energy school. We have the opportunity to exemplify that Green Schools are not just better for the earth, they are better for our children and better for the economy. Can you imagine what kind of an impact that can have on green building in Utah?

So here’s the idea for a fundraiser that can rely on grassroots support from Utah’s green community:

Seeds of Love

Students and community vendors will sell seed packets for $2 each. $1 helps to build the new solar-powered Sego Lily School, $1 helps to build a solar-powered sister school in Haiti.

By supporting green schools locally and globally we are empowering students to “plant the seeds” for a sustainable global community.

Would you like to help? Here’s how you can get involved:

1. Do you know of any place that will sell our seeds at their register? Or, that will let students set up a table and hold a day of seed sales at their store?

2. Will you or your business donate $20 to help buy seeds and supplies? Supporters will be featured on the Sustain Utah website and Seeds of Love Facebook page with links to the supporter’s website if applicable.

3. Would you like to help us sell seeds? We will be scheduling opportunities for students to sell seeds at local stores in January and February. Students will receive a raffle ticket for every 10 seed packets they sale and will have an opportunity to win prizes in February. We need parents to sit with students at the stores on seed sale days.

4. Help spread the word. “Like our facebook page - Seeds of Love”, hang up posters, tell your friends.

If you would like to get involved please contact Alyssa Kay (Darius’ mom) at 801-414-8032 or email at gorilladesign@gmail.com

Alyssa Kay, LEED AP
Gorilla Design
www.gorilladesign.org
801.414.8032

“Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.” - Mother Teresa

My Sego Lily Journey

jen — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 22:17:37 +0000

When I began volunteering at Sego Lily my first question was, “Okay, so what does a Sego Lily staff member do?” This was unlike any job I had ever experienced. I asked the current staff members, watched them navigate through their day as well as researching Sudbury literature to direct me. I was looking for a check list, an exact guide, a certification I could complete and after learning all the rules I could formally announce with satisfaction and a smile, “I am now a Sego Lily staff member.”

I have come to realize a staff member’s journey is similar to the path a new and continuing student at Sego Lily under takes. In the parent/student interview my children and I had with a staff member before my children became Sego Lily students, my children were each asked, “Are you ready to be responsible for your education?” As a parent, I looked at my children intently awaiting their responses, wondering what that meant and look like for each of them. How were my children going to spend their days at Sego Lily? What would that mean to an 8, 11, and 13 year old? Could I and would I trust my children to choose their own pathways of education? And do I trust myself?

Since then I have realized that this journey is not only about education, it goes far deeper. It is a way of thinking, a way of being; it is life. My children are living their lives and that differs not only from one another, but from every other student and staff member at Sego Lily. They are forging their own paths and experiences; they are in essence creating their lives. Their paths are not mine and at times when I do not understand their choices I focus on the underlying message I desire to send to my children: I value you & I trust you.

As a Sego Lily staff member I have asked 4 year olds, 15 year olds, 7 and 11 year olds this question and then have had the privilege of watching the reality of taking “responsibility for their education,” of living their lives, materialize, take root, grow, and blossom . This is a process that ebbs and flows according to each individual student. I am continually amazed at the level of trust and respect your children have for themselves, one another, and the staff. They are insightful, creative, intelligent, passionate, and generous. Our days at Sego Lily are dynamic, often materializing in unexpected pathways founded in the empowerment of self-direction.

In my breif time as a Sego Lily staff memer I have learned what it means to preserve and protect the Sudbury model by providing a space where children and staff members of all ages are trusted, respected, and valued. It’s a lovely journey!

By Rebecca Cobb, staff

Jump Darius!

kyle — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:33:25 +0000

Hello Sego Lily Community! I had a glorious Sego Lily Moment yestereday when we went “over the river and through the woods.” I took a group of 5 youngsters including Darius, Willow, Sandy, Audrey, and Dylan to the stream yesterday. They were throwing rocks, eating their lunch, and looking for fish as Darius jumped to a rock with a step that dunked his left foot. He looked at me with that “I know I broke a rule but did it anyway” half smile of his. I let him know that he had broken our stream rule. I said- “Now you are going to have to jump back without getting your other foot wet. He said “I can’t!” and “I won’t!” I just watched. After some time passed he took a tremendous leap back and nearly made it! Everyone cheered. Darius had some lessons in respecting rules, noticing consequences and making choices about following rules, and I had yet another lessons in letting go and letting a kid be a kid. Hope his boots don’t shrink!

Children teach themselves to read!

jen — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:02:55 +0000

Wonderful article in Psychology Today, about how children teaching themselves to read being the best method. The article specifically mentions Sudbury schools!

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn/201002/children-teach-themselves-read

Was that Science?

jen — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:25:34 +0000

A few days ago, I popped my head into the backyard. Four boys, wearing safety goggles, were breaking open a huge geode. I said hello and went on my way.

It wasn’t 10 minutes later when one of the boys was walking through the building, announcing enthusiastically, “Dudes, you have GOT to come see all of the crystals we found!” Another of the boys was patiently explaining the crystal properties to a third boy, while the fourth gently arranged the shards into a fractal geometric pattern. So maybe it wasn’t science after all, maybe it was math. Or art. Or….

A Leaf Cup

jen — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:06:07 +0000

I was doing office work when Ethan walked in asking for some tape. He is making a cup out of a leaf. We experimented with different tape and soon he designed a functional cup. I last saw him hurrying outside his leaf cup in hand calling, “Dude, I made a cup!” I’m off to find a leaf for my cup.

A Whole Lot of Nothing

jen — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 23:00:22 +0000

Hannah, Jerusha, and Eli were driving home with their Dad when he asked them, “What did you do at school this week?” Their Dad later relayed their responses to me - “I don’t know,” and “I can’t remember,” and the dreaded, “Nothing.” So he asked me, “What did they do at school today?” I paused and thought back through the day, searching to remember what my children did at school. I saw Hannah on her laptop and passed Jerusha in the kitchen and I saw Eli out a window playing with a group of children outside. Next I scanned through my day at school. I responded, “Um, I don’t know. Yeah, I can’t remember. Oh, nothing,” I smiled. “Nothing?” he asked. “Yup,” I nodded, “absolutely nothing.” Nothing is hopping on the bus with five students to go see the “leaves change” because a 4 year old brought the idea to School Meeting. Nothing is baking homemade brownies for a school fundraiser organized by the 11 year old Cooking Corporation President and her committee. Nothing is teaching an 8 year old boy to knit, watching him practice all day and at the end of the day he asked if he could check out the needles and yarn to practice at home. Nothing is making fraction pizzas with a 5 year old and selling the pizzas for a pretend dollar. Nothing is attending an animal yoga class taught by a 4 year old. Nothing is debating the pros and cons of Television and Beauty Pageants while being judged by a panel of peers.

Oh, and nothing is teaching reading classes in the tree house while sitting side by side and speaking only when asked. Nothing is taking a guitar class from a 13 year old student and receiving homework assignments. Nothing is taking a spontaneous walk in the snow and stopping at the park to push 4 students on the tire swing and watching as they spin and squeal. Nothing is discussions in the kitchen as we cook and eat together. Nothing is making homemade canvases and then assisting the students as they create masterpieces. Nothing is sitting in sunroom all day writing. Nothing is playing marbles with three boys on a homemade marble mat. Nothing is making paper airplanes and researching paper airplane physics to improve design. Nothing is playing on the computer and collecting LOL cats. Nothing is playing Clue and Othello and Connect Four and Bingo. Nothing is climbing trees and lazily chatting in the limbs. Nothing is Nerf gun wars and learning the rules to Infection and screaming while I’m being chased by a horde of zombies. Nothing is comparing Lego creations and a 5 year old offering me suggestions to improve my Lego submarine. Nothing is reading Are You My Mother and Green Eggs in Ham over and over and over and over again. Nothing is trading my peanut butter and jelly sandwich for macaroni and cheese. Nothing is asking a 12 year old to proof read this article. Could nothing be everything? Hmmm, we’ll discuss it at our next Philosophy meeting.

- Rebecca Cobb, Staff

Winter Assembly Meeting

jen — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 21:31:54 +0000

Thank you so much to all who came out for the meeting

The Assembly elected to change our calendar to a 12-month calendar, and we spent a lot of time talking about the new facility. We will be having a spring play this year, students and staff are very excited! Our next meeting will be Tuesday, May 4th at 6pm. See you there!