Playground Build 2016

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Students building new playground areas.I have to admit that I was nervous last Friday morning.  We had really paired down our plans for build day because most of our project leaders were unable to come on the actual date, and only a few people had signed up to participate.  Then, during the week, lots of people volunteered to come, which was great, but I worried we didn’t have anything for them to do.  I imagined little groups of bored and despondent, formerly hopeful people milling around in hats and work gloves, wondering why I was so unprepared utilize their talents.  I imagined them packed into the kitchen while it poured outside, huddling over styrofoam cups of instant coffee, staring grimly at the muddied floor, kindly offering their seats to each other, maybe even taking turns weeping bitterly in the far corner.  I imagined patiently trying to explain to each person the predicament, why it turned out like this, but being received, like a foreign diplomat trying in vain to maintain favor after breaking a promise, with icy silence, stiff nods, and untrusting-yet-firm eye contact. 

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Sudbury Valley Experiences

It was warm outside. It was raining a lot and of course lots of kids were thrilled. Oh what fun it is to stand outside and let the pouring rain drench you! The mother in me wants to tell them … Continue reading
Author: 
Hanna Greenberg

My First Glimpse of What SVS Is Really About

While I was reading Daniel Greenberg’s essay (“Are 1000 Pictures Worth One Word?”) on why it has been so difficult to convey the SVS experience in film and pictures (http://www.sudval.org/essays/092015.shtml), I found myself thinking about the evolution of my own … Continue reading
Author: 
Foss Tighe

Age Mixing, Another View

During the last Open House, in October of 2015, there was a remarkable interaction. It didn’t surprise me, but it greatly pleased me. Unfortunately, I don’t think the guests who were with me had enough context for what they saw … Continue reading
Author: 
Mimsy Sadofsky

Sacred Acorns

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There are times that I stumble upon an activity at the Hudson Valley Sudbury School that make my jaw drop in awe of the brilliance of children: their creativity, their simplicity, and their ingenuity. Coming upon The Sacred Acorn Civilization was one of those moments. I stood at the edge of our natural play-scape wide-eyed as I surveyed several young barefoot boys busily collecting acorns, carefully balancing bark, and finding perfect natural tools to build a civilization. Set amongst several stumps on a gradual hill, were intricate acorn and stick sculptures – balconies, huts, stone paths, and walls, all perfectly set in miniature style. It was beautiful. And it was clear these boys had been there for hours, not only by the exacting work they had done, but also by the dirt between their toes, the seats of their pants, and the expressions of their faces – calm and focused. The language they were using sounded to be a different dialect, familiar yet foreign

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Living In the Moment Intensely

I am often asked why I keep working at Sudbury Valley after so many years, doing the same things over and over and over. People wonder what sustains my interest in going camping at Nickerson State Park for five days, … Continue reading
Author: 
Hanna Greenberg

A matter of priorities

This week’s post was written by Hanna Greenberg and was the featured essay on our website in May, 2010. A young girl of nine or ten asked me to teach her math. I gave her some problems which she enjoyed … Continue reading
Author: 
Dana

One warm and sunny day

Last Spring, after a long stretch of cold gray days, we finally had a warm, sunny day. Virtually everyone at SVS was outside. I was eating my lunch at the picnic table and was idly watching the various activities all … Continue reading
Author: 
Hanna Greenberg

Frogs and calculators

This post was written by our Office Manager, Jean Cote. Recently, I had the opportunity (privilege) to introduce a calculator in all its glory to a young, inquisitive student for (I don’t know it to be fact, but it seemed … Continue reading
Author: 
Jean Cote

Giving

This week's blog is a joint effort from Staff Members Vanessa Van Burek and Matthew Gioia.  They both reflect on their recent experiences with gifts, giving and community.

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Hudson Valley Sudbury School

84 Zena Road
Kingston, NY 12401
 
Phone: 845-679-1002
Fax: 845-679-3874