"Breakfast of Champions"

Dear Parents,

I hate to admit it but I am a breakfast cereal connoisseur. It all began innocently enough back in the early 60's when my mother would set me down to a bowl of cereal for breakfast. Often it was Cheerios, Wheaties, or Kellogg's Corn Flakes. Sometimes, shortly after a trip to The Old Dominion grocery store in downtown Colville, there would be an exotic option such as Puffed Rice or Kellogg's Raisin Bran. I do however, remember the morning that I burst forth and the whole world opened up to me; my great grandmother sat my sister and I down to breakfast and placed in front of us a box with a cartoon character on the front - I was introduced to Captain Crunch and I would never be the same. Soon after I was driving my parents crazy with requests for all the latest sugary offerings, everything from Fruity Pebbles to Quisp and Quake. My mother, having studied nutrition at WSC (now WSU), did her best to balance out my cravings with fresh fruit to put on top of my bowls of Rice and Corn Chex, and I have to admit that it didn't take me long to appreciate these added treats (especially when I added a spoonful of sugar as well). When I hit my teenage growth spurt years, it wasn't uncommon for me to eat multiple bowls of Fruit Loops, Apple Jacks, or Kix before running out the door to catch the bus for school. I remember one morning that I missed the bus after having consumed 6 full bowls of cereal. It wasn't because I had gotten sick from too much, it's just that it took me more time to finish them all off and brush my teeth than I had given myself time for.

Well, I never have outgrown my enjoyment of sitting down to a good bowl of cereal. Now however I don't eat more than one bowl, I don't add any sugar, and it's mostly organic. What I have learned however is that mixing different cereals together can be quite tasty. One of my favorites is a mix of Spelt Flakes, organic Raisin Bran, and granola topped with chopped pecans and fresh blueberries.

Every once in awhile I do find myself without an option to create a personal mix of cereals and, even though it brings back some childhood memories of those 6 bowls of Corn Flakes, I find breakfast somewhat uninspiring. There is quite a difference after all between my homemade mixes and a box of Post Toasties.

School, from a child's standpoint can be pretty uninspiring also. All too often children are taught the same way year in and year out. A typical lesson has the children sitting at desks facing the whiteboard listening as the teacher tells the students what they are to know. Then they are given seatwork (and homework) to practice doing what they had just heard the teacher talk about. Next, after a set number of these lessons the children are given a test to show that they have memorized what the teacher had been talking about. Unfortunately, this is how children in some schools experience education year in and year out (occasionally having a chance year with a passionate and inspired teacher that helps mix things up).

One of the most impressive things about Swan School is how dynamic the educational experiences are here. Sure there are times when a "traditional" lesson is taught because it happens to be the best way that the students can learn a particular piece of content. But on any given day children can be seen engaged in what would elsewhere be considered unique. The 3- and 4-year-olds in the Discoverer classroom might be acting out an ancient Maya religious ceremony (minus the sacrifice), the 5-year-old Explorers could be seen carting water for the strawberries they planted in their section of the neighborhood garden. The 6- and 7-year-old Explorer students may be visiting all of the other Swan School classrooms, clipboards in hand, surveying students about favorite foods. The 8- and 9-year-olds in the Navigator's classroom might be sitting around an imaginary campfire as they reflect on their simulated trip along the Oregon Trail (costumes worn of course), and the oldest students in the Adventurers' class might be sharing with the rest of the school what they learned while sailing on board a 103' 19th century ketch replica.

In short, education at Swan School is engaging and inspiring: the kind where children not only learn a great deal but also look forward to it. And, somewhat like my breakfasts, they look forward to school and often wonder what new exciting mix they will experience today.

Russ