Caretaking of Children's Souls

As parents and teachers, we often provide an enriching cognitive and physical skills environment but sometimes ignore addressing the affective domain. In Young Children, a journal from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (Jan 2000), Susan Turner refers to this domain as the essence of a person’s spirit that gives them life, their uniqueness, and their spark of fire. She refers to this as “canto hondo,” the deep song. We often expand a young child’s mind but forget to equally do the same for his or her soul.

The first note in this “canto hondo” or deep song, is that of safety. Paying attention to their emotional safety is essential. We do this by loving them unconditionally, without our judgments and prejudices of how we want them to be and by paying close attention to their own unique path that is gradually emerging. The next note is celebration. As children grow in stages, so do their abilities to understand themselves as living beings. Something simple as a family meal together or an observation of a family tradition promotes a healthy sense of belonging to a group. Important also is the celebration of a child’s accomplishment of developmental milestones such as a first loose tooth, first participation in a school production, reaching their first two-digit birthday, or the first time riding a bike alone.

One of the sweetest notes in this “canto hondo” is daydreaming. Sometimes we tend to over emphasize cognitive development and push day dreaming right out the door. Supporting and helping children to stand up for and embrace their dreams, not ridicule them, can make a significant difference in their life.

As teachers and caregivers of young children, we hold a sacred honor. When we continue to learn more and care for our own spirit, nurturing and singing our own “canto hondo,” we are then able to care for others in a more genuine way and truly help our children sing their own deep song.

Shirley Rivera
Character Education / Counseling
* srivera@midpac.edu * 441 - 3839

“When soul is present in education...we concentrate on what has heart and meaning.”
--- Rachael Kessler

Posted at 1:50 PM| Permalink

Being of Service

Often in our lives, we find ourselves reaching out to others for support because difficulty and pain have intruded into our daily living. While many of us have been blessed with compassionate help from family and friends who have stepped in to ease our suffering and provide the support we need, there are many in our own society who have no one. Some of them go hungry and have very limited resources for obtaining food. Our MPI community can be a compassionate part of that much needed support for those individuals and families reaching out for help. By initiating a year-round canned food collection project, we can truly be of service to others.

Here is information on our "Sharing Food" project.

Why?
To help our students know that poverty and homelessness are on-going and part of our community.
Our island food banks are struggling because food inventory is down.
Compassion and empathy are best learned from experience and role modeling.

How to help?
Bring in canned foods year round.

When?
Collect foods on the third Thursday of each month during autoline. If this day falls on a holiday or non-school day, another day will be designated. Foods may be brought in on other days also.

Where to store?
In Wilcox Dining Room, below the mirror.

Who can help?
Everyone! All classes (PS - Grade 5) and their families. We are in need of room parents to sign up as drivers to drop off foods on the third Thursday of each month. We are supporting St. Patrick's food pantry in Palolo Valley.

Our fifth graders, Peace Team, will help set up boxes and monitor the "Sharing Food" project area in Dining Room.

COLLECTION / DROP OFF DATES:
(These are the suggested class assignments. We'll need drivers from the various classes on these dates. For example, on September 20, we'll need 2-3 parent/drivers from Kindergarten-Ms. Hitomi's class, to drop off the foods at St. Patrick's food pantry.)

* Sept. 20 - KH
* Oct. 18 - KB
* Nov. 15 - PS
* Dec. 18 (Tues.) - 1-2 B/ 1-2 L
* Jan. 17 - 1-2 F/ 1-2 R
* Feb. 21 - 3-4 B/ 3-4 L
* March 13 (2nd Tues.) - 3-4 F/ 3-4 H
* April 17 - 5 B
* May 15 - 5 H

I hope you will consider being a part of our service project. Thank you for your generous help in advance.

Shirley Rivera
Counseling: PS - Gr. 5
Character Education: Gr. 3 - 5
*Phone: 441-3839 * Email: srivera@midpac.edu

"It is with the heart that one sees rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
- Antoine De Saint-Exupery

Posted at 9:37 AM| Permalink