Calyx begins its spring quarter, and looks forward to summer and beyond…

With gratitude, Calyx looks back at its first three months

Happy New Year from the Cool Cats at Calyx!

Calyx is taking a break for the holidays, to spend time with family and friends, integrate the amazing learning we have all been doing these last few months, and plan for the months ahead. We appreciate the pause as much as we appreciate the time together, and look forward to returning with renewed energy in 2012.

Time off during the holidays reminds us how important it is for all of us to have unstructured time to integrate learning and experience. Such integrative interludes are particularly important for children’s development. Unscheduled time. Time at home. Time alone. Time being bored. Time with siblings. Time self-organizing. Time being still. Unscheduled time is, in fact, more important for a child’s development than scheduled activities. So what if your child wants to spend the day in his or her pajamas? Why not? Don’t stress about scheduling a play date every afternoon during vacation. And try not to get perturbed when your living room gets colonized by a fantastic world of make believe. You will get it back, eventually. Giving your child the time and space to play and to create his or her own reality is a gift in our overly scheduled and time bound world. Children need this time to help them make sense of their world and to construct their own meaning. As they play, they are trying out new skills, confronting fears, experimenting, integrating their learning, testing hypotheses, creating, problem solving, and so much more. These are essential life skills. The gift of time is a truly great gift.

The gifts to Calyx this year have been many. We have been touched by the support we have felt from the South Whidbey community – from the children who inspire us, from the families who have joined us, from the volunteers who mentor the children and the adults, from well wishers, fellow dreamers and comrades, and from those who have answered our calls for a home, building supplies, cozy rugs, digital cameras, clipboards, art supplies, funding, and so much more. It’s what keeps us going, and keeps us believing, on the long road ahead.

We would like to invite you to take a walk with us through the first three months of Calyx. We also invite you to help us dream this dream into being… the dream of a different kind of learning for a different kind of world. If you would like to join us, or support us and be the change you want to see in the world, please contact us at calyxcommunityartsschool@gmail.com or leave a message on our voicemail at (360) 331-1323.

Also, if you haven’t seen it yet, check out this awesome article by Patricia Duff of the Whidbey Record –  http://www.southwhidbeyrecord.com/lifestyle/136011023.html

May 2012 be filled with peace, love, and learning.  Lisa Kois

Week 1 – “This We Have Now”

This We Have Now
-Rumi

This we have now
is not imagination.

This is not
grief or joy.

Not a judging state,
or an elation,
or sadness.

Those come
and go.

This is the presence
that doesn’t.

Registering Now!

We are excited to announce that Calyx is open for registration. We are working toward an October 10th start, and will accept learners on a rolling admissions basis until we fill our 15 spaces.   You can check out the Calyx brochure here -

Calyx Brochure

You can find a copy of the registration form here -

Calyx Registration Form

And a copy of our fees and other requirements here -

Calyx Fees

Please contact Lisa Kois or Marta Mulholland at CalyxCommunityArtsSchool@gmail.com or (360) 331-1323 to discuss the Calyx Program further.  We look forward to talking with you soon!

Calyx Announces Partnerships with South Whidbey Tilth and South Whidbey State Park

Calyx is excited to announce partnerships with South Whidbey Tilth and South Whidbey State Park. As a community school, Calyx seeks to work with others in the community who share our commitment to children and to the earth. Calyx believes that children learn best when they are connected with nature and with their own creative processes, as well as with their community. South Whidbey Tilth and South Whidbey State Park provide rich and diverse natural environments to help facilitate learning. We have been heartened by the warm and enthusiastic welcome we have received by both Tilth and SWSP, and we are all eager to get started!  We are in the process of finalizing our program, which will begin in early October. Watch for additional information in the coming days.

In the meantime, you can find more information about Tilth and SWSP here -

http://www.southwhidbeytilth.org/

http://www.parks.wa.gov/parks/?selectedpark=South%20Whidbey

New Multilingual Arts & Nature Homeschool Cooperative on Whidbey Island!

Calyx Community Arts School, multilingual arts and nature integrated education for ages 4 – 8

• We honor the fundamental rights and dignity of all children, and we honor the earth.
• We nurture the whole child, as she deepens her sense of self, her sense of place in the world, and her natural love of learning.
• We integrate strong academics and critical thinking, with creative expression, compassion, and community in a natural setting.
• We believe that the journey is the destination and that learning is a life-long art and practice.

We provide multilingual arts and nature integrated education for the whole child through:

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