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Curiosity and Wonder
We have been watching, noticing, and wondering a little extra lately here on campus, especially in the Lower School. The presence of sculptors Patrick Dougherty and his son, Sam, brought a healthy reorientation to our hearts and minds. Even with the ever-present masks and mitigation, we turned our attention toward a central area on campus, along with US students, MS students, faculty, and staff, daily turning our gaze to something unexpected.
During each LS Mindfulness class, we walked on the sidewalk all the way around the sculpture in the making. We walked and watched. We stopped and noticed. We wondered. We played with sticks. We picked up acorns. We crunched leaves under our feet.
We noticed: ladder stuff (scaffolding), my mom/dad is out there helping!, swirls, they’re bending big sticks, art happening in the middle of the tall trees, towers going up, the PE area is gone!, the swirls make my tummy feel excited, the top of the towers look like “upside down wine cups”, they made it all connect, it looks like a gated, ancient, castle-town …
We wondered. I wonder how this happened. I wonder who came up with this idea. I wonder what inspires them. I wonder when we can go in it. I wonder who’s in charge. I wonder if we will get any maple syrup out of the saplings! I wonder if we will be able to touch it. I wonder how long it will last. I wonder when we can go in it. I wonder how they do that. I wonder if the wind will blow it down. I wonder if we can we help, too. I wonder what the birds and squirrels and bugs think. I wonder what it is like at night. I wonder when we can go in it.
Young resilient minds noticing and taking in details big and small. Curiosity was contagious and the momentum flowed easily from noticing into wondering.
On the last morning of their work on the sculpture, parent volunteers were cleaning up at the direction of the sculptors. Mr. Delscamp’s 1st grade class was outside for their monthly Mindfulness lesson, noticing and wondering, and eager for tomorrow to come when they had time reserved to walk through the new sculpture. Mr. Dougherty casually walked near to us and said, “I think it’s time for some kids to go inside.” With eyes wide open and eyebrows raised, I could tell there were big smiles under those masks. Really?! Did he just say?! We went in. Running and squealing, Mr. D’s class helped. They helped with the soft opening of our brand new sapling sculpture, running around inside of it with joy. Then we stopped, planted our feet, and looked up. Wow. They all quietly said. Just, wow.
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