they said it would go by fast • zoë’s preschool graduation • redondo beach, ca

little ones, personal, preschool

In the weeks approaching Zoë’s preschool graduation, I think I was in denial. I just refused to think about it in any personal way, except to remember that I must bring my camera, because I was to shoot the event. I’m not sure how long I’ll use this head-in-the-sand approach to the fleet-footed milestones of childhood; I am barely able to keep up just bearing witness to it all. The upside of my being a pathologically sentimental person is that it makes me a great photographer–because I want to remember all the details. So, clicking away prevented me from melting down–it helped me stay in the present, instead of giving in to the flickering slideshow in my mind of images of Zoë as an infant (first bath, first solid meal, first steps, first pig tails); or alternately jumping ahead in time & imagining her going to prom & walking down the aisle. Just be here, one frame, one/five-hundredths of a second at a time. Just be here, in this moment, truly seeing my child’s funny smile while accepting her diploma.

In the pure spirit of Riviera PlaySchool, the kids were all their impromptu selves: still grubby from playing, perhaps spattered with paint, gathered together for an organic ceremony. Zoë wore three types of camouflage & sported tattoos on legs, arms, & cheek. The director & founder of PlaySchool, Linda, presided over the event, reminding the families how much she & the teachers love these children. Each child received a special book made especially for them by their teachers; it was full of photos of them & the kinds of caring messages that only teachers can write. In addition, each student got a sunflower seed–to plant & to symbolize the future.

I just have to express our deepest gratitude to Linda, Susan, Dawn, Madi, & Katie, these gifted teachers of heroic patience, humor, & kindness. Everyday, they make PlaySchool a safe, loving, stimulating, fun environment for my children to learn & grow, & give them the attention & guidance that I hardly think I’m even capable of at home. You are all amazing human beings to choose this vocation–& all of us benefit from your calling.

Congratulations to all the graduates & their misty-eyed mommies & daddies…

non-traditional school pictures • riviera playschool • spring 2011

little ones, outdoors, preschool

My girls have been attending this amazing, unique preschool for the past couple years. I call it a “Paradise for Preschoolers,” because it encourages children to do all the things that most parents won’t allow at home: dig in the dirt, paint with their hands, splash around in the water, run barefoot through the mud–in short, get good & dirty experiencing the world around them. It’s not that I don’t allow my kids to get messy at home–it’s more that it stresses me out, because, you know, I’m the mom; I have an agenda, & that usually includes trying to return things to a tidy & clean state at some point today, or at least sometime this month.

Riviera PlaySchool‘s program is a combination of constructivist & humanist ideas; but most importantly for me, their curriculum includes a lot of work on communication & conflict resolution. They have a very good teacher-student ratio (1:4), which allows teachers to really spend a lot of time guiding kids through their struggles & frustrations. Let’s face it: Life is at least 50% difficult situations & emotions, right? We really need to help our children acquire & practice the skills that get them through that “shadow” half of living–not just teach them to obey, comply, & be nice. They will experience failure, heartbreak, & disagreements. They will witness cruelty, unfairness, & betrayal. How they respond to those things will determine their ability to succeed and be happy–which is what every parent prays for. Their ability to get through disappointment, confusion, & pain is going to be far more important than their grades or their test scores. I truly believe that–& I was a high school teacher for 11 years.

I love this school & its mission–& I have learned so much from the teachers &, as a result, improved my parenting. I feel so fortunate to have found this community for my kids & myself, & I love contributing to it in any way I can. This month, I did the student portraits, & in keeping with the spirit of PlaySchool, we kept things spontaneous & fun. I hung out & let the kids get to know me & my camera, & then one by one, we invited them to have their portraits taken. I also snapped lots of candids of them exploring their world & enjoying the PlaySchool environment–creating art, investigating bugs, communing with friends. Traditional school portraits are always so stiff & rarely show children genuinely smiling, so I hoped to create something different–lively portraits with kids authentically relaxed & being themselves–making funny faces, studying the camera contemplatively, expressing their personalities. It was a joy to get to know them all through my lens!

mother’s tea • riviera playschool

little ones, outdoors, preschool

It’s a great privilege for me to be the “un-official official” photographer for my daughters’ school, Riviera PlaySchool in Redondo Beach. It’s truly a magical, free, cozy little paradise for children & their parents. I can’t say enough about what an extraordinary place it is–a sanctuary of joy & childhood that celebrates individuality & teaches children how to embrace their own emotions & how to get their needs met, & ultimately how to be kind to each other. If I had to sum up the school’s philosophy in one sentence, I think it would be, “For children to learn compassion, they must experience & be shown compassion.” What they do there everyday with our kids is show them how to honor themselves & thus others & the world around them.

For Mother’s Day, the children & teachers organized a “tea” to share with their parents. It included an exciting episode of Show & Tell, as well as pb&j sandwiches, obviously cut into heart & star shapes by little loving hands. It was my honor to try to capture some photos of the children with their moms (& some dads & grammas).

A most heartfelt thank you to Linda, the director, & all the wonderful teachers at RPS!