Preparing for the School Day

Starting each day at Sweetgrass, teachers not only prepare for the day with organizational tasks - setting things beautifully in readiness for the children - but we also prepare ourselves to be as emotionally and spiritually clear, open and worthy of receiving each child as we possibly can. We prepare ourselves by joining together, breathing in and out to slow ourselves down and then we recite a verse before the beginning of each day. 

In Thought of a Child 

By Adam Bittleston

In your breath the light of the sun

In your bread the salt of earth

In your ears true words of love sustain your growing, changing self

That your spirit's will may work

That your soul be warmed by joy

That your body's world be built

This verse serves as an anthem grounding teachers in the why of what our work is bringing forth for the children: the unfurling of their humanity and connecting to the awe of something far greater than ourselves. Together, we then say each child's name aloud as a way of building attachment to the child even before they arrive to their day at preschool - calling them in and holding them in warmth.