A poetic description of a typical GVP school day

It is April: a season of cool mornings, warm afternoons, and a sudden expansion of life. This spring, we embrace a season of growth and new possibilities.

It is morning: Sitting in a circle, among students and staff, we all close our eyes and center ourselves. We listen to the sound of the rainstick as we take a few deep breaths, planting our feet into the earth and readying ourselves. The alarm bell rings, a mechanical rooster that alerts us to the start of our day. Students pour into the hallway, their vibrant colors like wildflowers in our midst.

We are all pieces of a complete ecosystem, built on relationships of giving and receiving. In an ecosystem, every piece is essential. Even the walls are more than a backdrop, they are home to important players in our biome: Bar graphs mingle with essays on climate change; 3D geometry on the same plane as collage and printmaking. Each piece of students’ creation welcomes us into the day, reminding everyone of the learning of the past, and reminding us more learning is to occur.

It is afternoon: The bright sun shines, and our community is alight with the productivity of springtime. Students scamper through the halls, laughter dances in the air. We see evidence of creation and new growth: vowels grow into words, words grow into sentences, into paragraphs, into essays. We see meek, timid newcomers grow into stories of the GVP miracle. Under the warm glow of the sun, we can feel the boundless opportunities of the future.

The sun heats the surface of the earth, warms the air above it. The warm air rises, excited. Excited, we plan, busier than any insect. Field trips! Art! Authors’ Tea! The hallway buzzes: voices practicing a song, reading a new book, sharing kind words. We hear the sounds of good work and know our community is learning, growing, thriving. We stretch our antennae out to feel each moment with our whole senses, devoted to the work. We dance a map of our journey. Ever busy, each moment full: everyone is an active participant in a daily celebration.

The sun drops from its height, the bell crows the day’s end. Through the highs and lows of spring, our ecosystem is one of love. We do not depart without a warm hug.