Blog

 

On November 12th, after a lengthy two-year process, Norman City Council finally approved the rezoning of our property at 1515 West Main St in Central Norman. This is momentous news and it marks a time of great celebration and great transition as well. With this new zoning, RRS will be able to house faculty-in-residence on location, and increase enrollment (59 students maximum) to better serve the community. We are happily celebrating the future of Rose Rock School! You may read more about the City Council vote here. Please have a look around our website to become more familiar with the our curriculum, our mission, and ways to help.

Autumn/Thanksgiving Circle

 

I go outside with my lantern, my lantern goes with me
Above the stars are shining bright, down here on Earth shine we.
The cock does crow, the cat meows, la bimmel, la bammel, la boom.
‘Neath heaven’s dome till we go home, la bimmel, la bammel, la boom.

 

I go outside with my lantern, my lantern goes with me
Above the stars are shining bright, down here on Earth shine we.
So shine your light through the still dark night, la bimmel, la bammel, la boom
‘Neath heaven’s dome till we go home, la bimmel, la bammel, la boom.

Outside our door in garden rows
A little patch of pumpkins grow.
Let’s go outside, look low and high
to pick one out for pumpkin pie!
Ah, look! Here it is!

A pumpkin pie we shall make
Then scoop and pour, sprinkle and shake
Pour the filling in the shell
Bake it and wait for that warm spicy smell.

When it’s ready, and the sun is low,
It’s off to grandma’s! Here we go!
Now pick up your lanterns and go with me
So we can see what we can see.

Our family is gathered, from the big to the little
Our glimmering lantern we set in the middle
We dish out our pie and eat it together
Giving thanks to the Earth in the cool autumn weather

 

Glimmer lantern glimmer
little stars a-shimmer
over meadow, moor and dale
flitter, flutter, elven vale

Pee wit, pee wit
Ticka ticka tick
Roo coo, roo co.

Glimmer lantern glimmer
little stars a-shimmer
over rock, and stock and stone
wandering, skipping little gnome.

Pee wit, pee wit
Ticka ticka tick
roo coo, roo coo.

The sky grows dark at grandma’s house,
and I am tucked in tight.
Each creature from the deer to mouse
is nestled in for night.

I rest my head upon my pillow
And outside the window I see
Above the trees of oak and willow
the moon shining down on me.

2nd verse: Over the mountains, over the sea,
Back where my heart is longing to be
Please let the light that shines on me,
Shine on the ones I love.

Autumn has finally arrived! As the temperatures are dropping, so begins the season of comfort foods, too.  Comfort food doesn’t have to mean not-so-good-for-you heavy dishes, though. It can be nutritious as well as comforting and delicious. After a couple of hours playing outdoors, here at Rose Rock, a warm and hearty bowl of soup is welcomed with smiles. Last week, Turkey and Rye Berry soup accompanied buttered multi-grain toast at the lunch table and there was hardly a drop left in the children’s bowls by the end of our meal. It’s a super simple soup so we’d like to share the recipe.

 

Turkey and Rye Berry Soup

6-8 cups Chicken Broth/Stock

1 lb. ground turkey, cooked and crumbled

1 cup uncooked rye berries

1/2 head green cabbage, chopped

4 carrots, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 small onion, chopped

1 tsp dried parsley and thyme, each

 

Combine all ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours OR in a stock pot bring to a boil and simmer for 1-2 hours until rye berries are chewy but tender.

Rye berries can be substituted for other grains, but we find them to be a nice chewy texture that compliments the soup well, even after hours of cooking. Rye berries are an excellent source of folic acid, iron, manganese, phosphorus and more. It is an optimal addition to a healthy diet because it helps the body maintain blood sugar levels, build strong bones, synthesize fatty acids and cholesterol and utilize other key nutrients within foods.

Lastly, a simple tip for homemade chicken stock- the ingredient that makes a world of difference in taste and nutrition.

Whenever you are chopping and peeling vegetables for dinner, throw the scraps in a gallon-sized plastic bag in the freezer. Of course, include the typical stock varieties of veggies such as carrots, celery and onion, but also consider potato peelings, broccoli stalks, kale stems, and so forth. The next time you have chicken for dinner, keep it simple and roast a whole chicken or several pieces of bone-in chicken. Toss the bones and skin into a large stock pot along with your saved up veggie scraps (try to have at least 3/4 a bag full). Add a handful of fresh parsley (perhaps even some bay leaves, garlic or thyme), about teaspoon of black peppercorns and a tablespoon of salt. Fill the pot with pure water to cover all the ingredients and then add about an inch more . Bring it to a boil then simmer for 3 hours. Salt to taste then drain the stock from the rest and keep in a jar in your fridge or freeze in small bags to be taken out as needed. You’ll have delicious, healthful chicken stock on hand for a quick dinner any night!

This is the verse we recite every morning before we begin our Kindergarten craft. The children quickly come to know it by heart, and are usually glad to teach it to an adult!

Warm, oh sun
Our hearts and give
Light that we may daily live.

Growing as we ought to be
True and good
Strong and free.

 

The Rose Rock children and a few parent volunteers took a wonderful last day of school field trip to Sutton Wilderness in Norman, OK. The kids had such a good time exploring the vibrant landscape – it was positively buzzing with energy as they overturned stones looking for bugs, splashed on the shores of the lake, and picked wildflowers. We could not have asked for a better way to wrap up the school year. After we returned to the Purple House, we practiced some self care with relaxing face washing and foot baths. We could hardly get these tired children into bed fast enough.

To all of the Rose Rock family not returning for Summer Program, we wish you a full and joyful summer break! See you in the fall!

If you were to drive by 1515 W. Main St. on March 16th, 2013, not only would you have seen our beautiful white house and gorgeous green lawn, but you would have seen dozens of cars and people there, too! We are making so much progress on getting our new property ready for remodeling, thanks in large part to our local Alpha Phi Omega chapter.

A couple of weekends ago we had over 60 college aged volunteers descend on our beloved white house, pulling weeds, raking leaves, and tearing out carpet.

Our task list was enormous and we were worried about getting it done but with the help of all these volunteers, we finished by early afternoon! We are so very grateful to our friends at Alpha Phi Omega. Their volunteerism has been such a blessing for our growing school, and we continue to be impressed by their turnout at each work day. Alpha Phi Omega’s attitude toward meaningful work is one that resonates deeply in our curriculum. Seeing the big college students hard at work provides a wonderful example for our little children to imitate (and trust me, they do!) Hats off to you, Alpha Phi Omega!