A Special Visit

Bridging cultures with Nayay and Erin.

 

At EcoSchool, we’re all about kindling our kids’ curiosity about the world, and often, visits from parents are a great way to do that.

Recently, we had a special visit from Nayay and Erin, the parents of six-year-old Sam. Nayay is a Maasai from Tanzania, and he’s unusual in that he chose to marry outside of the tribe and move away from his native country. Happily for us local folks, Nayay’s presence here provides a rare opportunity to learn directly about the rich Maasai culture.

And that’s just what Nayay and Erin helped to do with their visit to EcoSchool. They sent books to the school about a week ahead of the visit so that the children and teachers could begin to develop some questions.

The visit featured native dress, artifacts and music. Nayay and Erin fielded questions about everything from the Maasai’s clothing to their houses to their food. The Maasai culture is closely tied to the land and animals in East Africa, which sparked students’ curiosity about what it’s like to take care of cows and live with wild animals. Towards the end of the visit, the teachers’ questions about culture and modern world adaptation arose. The event concluded with singing and dancing.

According to Erin, it’s a challenging balance for Nayay to exemplify the beauty and depth of his heritage to his children while living such a “separate” lifestyle here in the United States. The couple has always jumped at the opportunity for Nayay to dress traditionally and speak with children, as it gets his mind and heart fully into what used to be his entire world, and provides his children with an opportunity to witness this side of their father and of their own heritage.

“It’s lovely to have a group as flexible and inquisitive as the EcoSchool gang,” says Erin. “Such an honor to share that side of our lives in such a safe space.”

 

May Fest and Village Mini Fair

Saturday, May 18th, 2 pm

EcoSchools’ annual May Fest is all set to be loads of fun and the Village Mini Fair just always is!

Come make a *Peep (a what?!) and take it for a whirl on the miniature Ferris wheel.
Or, if your Peep is feeling very adventurous, take off on the Bubble Blaster – always a wild ride and a hoot!  Or go the Peep Disco Dance Hall, or the zip line race course, or the Whirling Fan of Doom (sure to big a hit with the hard core thrill seekers!) – or, well, the list just goes on and on….

Perhaps your Peep is a little more low key, more of a shopper than a thrill seeker – well then, take it on the tour of Peep Homes or to the Village Market and see what simply cannot be lived without! Peep hats, shawls and shoes, pets and exotic animals from far and wide, dishes, tools, furnishings and more.

In addition to the Village Mini Fair we have live youth music groups, food, various “green” info stalls and a fun activities for the kids.

* A Peep is a 3″ tall doll with huge ideas, plans and ambitions and they just LOVE the Village Mini Fair, where everything is just their size and they can really “let their hair down”!

Y’all come on down for a rip roarin’ good time!

NOW ENROLLING

We are accepting enrollment for the Fall 2013-Spring 2014 school year for ages 5-14. You can download the application packet from the enrollment page.

ALT-ED AUSTIN ARTICLE ON VILLAGE DAY

AltEd Austin has a great article on Austin EcoSchool’s Village Day!

GROWINTOGETHER

GrowinTogether Afternoon Enrichment Program fuses the creative arts with permaculture in a group-centered, democratically-structured environment. Program includes physical activity, movie-making, gardening, carpentry, cooking, Urban Explorer field trips and more! Activities run 3:45-6pm Monday through Friday with mixed-income youth aged 5-14 on the EcoSchool Campus. Space is limited, enroll today! Learn more

Growing Up. Growing in. Growing Together. Cultivating our youth to grow a beautiful, sustainable world.

NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY AS TO STUDENTS

Austin Ecoschool admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

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