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Adam Agee:
To be in Betty Peck's Kindergarten was to live a beautifully
orchestrated dream, of which each game and chore held life meaning.
The flow of life in the Kindergarten was so artistic, so pleasing
to my senses. Imagine the lush green garden paths... the smell
of lilac... the good taste of honey-bread we baked. We stirred
the batter in a spiral like the Milky Way Galaxy we live in,
and we tasted sweet maple syrup and ate apple slices cut to reveal
the five-pointed star at their core. I learned that the rhythm
of daily tasks is sacred, and that my deeds affect the world
we live in. I suspect that my experience in Betty's Kindergarten
has affected my likes and dislikes, my daily fantasies, much
more than I am aware of. A great capacity for imagination and
play has grown in me. For this , I am SO GRATEFUL!!!!!
Russ Agee: (recent graduate
of the Rhode Island School of Design, was in Betty's Kindergarten,
1985-6)
... I could have written a book, but I did my best to express
the essence; words are woefully inadequate. Then comes Adam's
offering. We wrote separately, and yet were so pleased to discover
congruity.
Life in Betty Peck's Kindergarten was exceptional in every way.
Every nook and corner was filled with pleasing colors and textures;
every shelf was filled with the most desirable natural play materials
from Nature's abundance - sea shells, seed pods, stones; the
crayons were made of colored beeswax - oohh did our pictures
smell good! Every moment of the day was acknowledged with the
joy of being alive - good morning, dear Earth, good morning dear
Sun!… The Kindergarten was alive with the hum of contented
activity and all of us, parents and children alike, were invited
daily to join the vibrant dance of cosmic archetypes artistically
disguised as PLAY AND WORK.
A child at play in Betty Peck's Kindergarten was actually
working very hard, integrating all the rich sensory input from
the story-telling, singing games, outdoor garden 'maintenance',
bread-making, painting, dramatic renderings of the fairy stories
we heard, etc., etc., etc. - incredible! Every new day was filled
with meeting its meaningful moments as they came. Yet all days
reflected a well-thought-out rhythm which provided the healthy,
underlying continuity for the children to be spontaneous and
joyful. A perfect microcosm of the macrocosm - with all the profundity
that implies - cosmic polarities, seasonal festivals, birthdays,
and 'letter parties' - which gave us ample opportunity, nay,
we were the joyful victims, of Betty's adamant, confident expectation
to connect deeply with the roots of our most noble humanity.
Ahhh, it's good to be Queen!
In every way, the Kindergarten spoke to the highest in all
of us. In every way it nourished and cultivated our hearts, giving
each what was needed and asking for one's best in return. Potent
seeds for an uplifted society were planted here… and our
souls were/are abloom with the true abundance of LIFE... which
is LOVE.
Clink Anderson:
Dear friend!… There are so many happy things to remember
and thank you for - from holding the hands and minds of my children
- to being such an integral part of the community - to being
constantly curious about our world about us - to your inborn
creativity - to making your infectious spirit reign with adults
- to adding gaiety to a party - to entertaining with such open
arms. You are… truly a lady filled with grace.
Megan Arneson: (Class
of 1982)
I remember my last day of Kindergarten so vividly. Following
our final trip to the community gardens, Mrs Peck took us to
a nearby hill and said, 'Now let's all roll down the hill!' (I've
always wondered what the parent chaperones were thinking at the
time). So, all the children proceeded to run up the hill and
roll down sideways…. [and] as soon as we reached the bottom,
we'd get up, dazed from all that turning and bumping into one
another. Then we'd scream and run back up to do it all again.
What wild fun! I must have rolled down that hill thirty times.
When my mom came to pick me up that afternoon, I was so covered
in hives, she considered taking me to a doctor. I explained that
I'd been rolling down a hill and she said, 'Well, that's probably
the last time you'll ever get to do that during school'. And
she was right….
In Kindergarten, our schedule wasn't regulated by bells and
I had become accustomed to tuning them out…. I didn't want
to go to first grade. There, I was forced to sit quietly in a
very hard desk, facing forward with my hands folded. I was made
to sit down on command and only get up after receiving permission.
Eventually, I got used to it, but I never felt comfortable in
that environment. There is something of the freedom of rolling
down a hill that I will always long for in my life.
I can't even begin to describe all the special ways that your
class has affected my life - and Nels', too. Thank you for giving
us so many wonderful memories.
Noor and Christa Billawala:
There are hardly enough words and hardly any wishes still missing
for someone so blessed in spirit and soul; and since I am so
very much indebted to you for helping me raise my young'uns (?),
and since with your example you have also raised me and helped
me in difficult times, and since I cannot think of a single wish
unfulfilled - I wish for you the wish of your innermost longing,
unknown to all but yourself; and let me be selfish and…
wish for all of us that you will be with us for many many years,
because we need you!
Brian Bose:
I wish to go through life with just a mere fraction of the creativity
and sense of humor as that of Betty Peck. With that established,
a meaningful and successful life is guaranteed....
Henry 'Rick' Bose, Jr:
…in a cold and sometimes brutal world, you have always provided
those around you with
this special feeling of care and thoughtfulness that has stirred
our very beings and stays with us our entire lives.
David Crawford:
All the best to an incredible person, teacher, and friend who
started me on the Road of Life.
Gay and Roy Crawford:
Her influence on our life has been beyond measure.
Wisdom, kindness, love;
Nurturing to our children and our earth;
Strength, fortitude, courage of conviction -
We will always remember her values and worth.
Rachelle Davis:
The world makes sense to Betty Peck! She could explain to us
Kindergarteners how the smallest of things each had its place
in the universe. I remember sitting on the yellow floor of our
Kindergarten, with a hard-boiled egg in my hand, ready to eat.
When I and the other children had reached the inner yolk, Betty
wondrously revealed how the golden yolk was as round as the earth
itself! The image is still with me. After my Kindergarten year
with Betty, the idea somehow grew in me that I would be a teacher.
I had many examples of teachers in elementary school, but thanks
to Betty's Kindergarten, I knew that teaching is only teaching
when the work itself is loved.
Long after my days of young childhood, I was still returning
to Betty's house for the mystery of Halloween nights and the
magic of May Day mornings…. Garden things provided the imagination
for hours of play. I admired the courtesy and love inherent in
their daily interactions…. I am currently being trained
as a Waldorf teacher and also beginning second grade with the
class I am teaching. With the vision of Betty bringing wonder
to even an egg yolk, I know I have quite a task! But underneath
it all, the grandest lesson remains from my days of Kindergarten:
Bring love to each moment, and it will be a moment well-lived.
Starr Davis:
Experiencing Betty Peck's Kindergarten was as inspiring to me
as it was for that of my children. Each of us was greeted with
joy and regarded as possessing a special talent. We entered through
a vine-covered arch into a cool garden protected by huge trees.
Betty came out singing when it was time to come inside. There
each child sat around a circle on a numbered tile, like 20, corresponding
to a tray or container of that number of objects, like twen-tea
cups.
I loved being there; helping was a privilege. Once a week
we went to the community garden where the children could see
the growing vegetables and sample them. They could pump water
and drink from their palms. As an artist who worked in clay,
I assisted the children make their own cups with handles, which
they wore around their neck on a cord. My daughter, Rachelle,
and I made the twen-tea set. I formed small cups and handles
while she decorated them with wonderful 5-year-old drawings.
Sipping water or tea from a hand-made cup transformed life's
ordinariness into a celebration of beauty and love.
Now, each May Day, we return to Betty's. The dance weaves
together our caring and sharing of life. And the seeds sown in
Kindergarten are renewed and nourished with much gratitude!
There's heaps more I could say... like how colors change each
season, which continues to inspire my decorating and wardrobe
selections, or how imaginative stories and play replaced teaching
hard facts; how harmony given by music directed each activity;
how drama and beauty filled the day with delight; how the week
had an unfolding story/theme ending on Friday with a lively production.…
Becky, Bill, Billy, Cal, Ty, and
Sam Doty:
…Thank you for the BEST years of our life. We still remember
the beautiful birthday celebrations you provided ALL of the students,
Friday's bread, dressing up, and the continuity of your lesson
plans. The magic of your classroom exists in our hearts today
- when… both Billy and Cal (19 & 18 years old) recount
the Tooth Fairy's magical entrance on that special day over 14
years ago. Thanks to your insight, Billy, who is a freshmen at
Fresno State, still possesses an incredible imagination….
Ty, the baby I took everywhere with us, is a sophomore and enjoys
school, participating in plays, musicals, sports, and student
leadership. You are the inspiration of parents and students alike
in the quest for the true education of LIFE! Thank you with all
of our hearts.
Alyce Dudley:
What an encouragement you were to John and Jennifer in Kindergarten,
and a real inspiration to my REAL artist, Jennifer, who is now
Children's Librarian at the Glenwood Springs, CO, Library, and
painting marvelous pictures. We all love you!
David and Jessie Emanuel, David Emanuel
and Maria Wamsley (and Peter & Thomas), Ken and Barbara Lawrence-Emanuel,
and Kate Emanuel:
May the joy you inspired in every child who you touched reflect
in your eyes and fill your heart; your presence is felt in countless
families, in once and future generations.
Martin Fenster, Alexis, Sheridan
and Bryce-Kurtz-Fenster
Barbaraterry Kurtz (in spirit):
As the father of two of your alumni, Sheridan and Bryce Kurtz-Fenster,
I have experienced first hand the lessons from the garden. Like
you, they are a constant that continues to affect our lives and
those around us.
Bernard Finberg: (K Class
of 1965)
…I wish to be in Betty Peck's Kindergarten class as I STILL
remember so much of that time.
Justine Forbes M.D.:
No ordinary comments could cover the value of your extraordinary
work, but here goes. My three children were fortunate to have
been in Dr Betty Peck's Kindergarten and I never left. This book
is important because it addresses a vital and enduring need to
keep alive the true nature of our children, grandchildren, and
ourselves.
Justine and Malcolm Forbes:
…a master teacher, a restorer of the magic of childhood,
even in her adult friends.
Virginia Fordice:
I wish for Betty the memory of all those little faces alight
with love and joy and pride of accomplishment in the marvels
she taught them to see, and make, and give to the next generation
of little faces.
Daniel Gehrs:
The world would be a different place - and a better one - if
there were more people like you, Betty.
Jennifer Gehrs: (25 years
old!)
You're still the same to me today as you were when I was in Kindergarten:
timeless, beautiful, and full of life!… I had the privilege
of spending two years in Betty Peck's magical presence. In those
two years, I learned to find a joy and beauty in every living
thing; from the clay that we crafted into cups and the fragrant
yeast that made our fresh bread rise in the mornings. Those two
years may have been the highlight of my entire childhood. If
only every child could experience Mrs Peck!
Robin Gehrs: (18 year
devotee and former K parent 2 kids, 2 years each!)
…thank you for all the wondrous journeys on which you have
taken us... thank you for the magic you have brought into so
many lives...it will be passed on for ever in an unending circle
of love!
Regan Grilli:
I hope Mrs Peck knows what a positive and lasting impact she
has made on me and my siblings, and countless other children,
and I wish, with extraordinary love and admiration, that that
knowledge continually brings her delight and happiness and a
contentment of a job well done.
Shirley Guest:
Betty Peck, a truly gifted teacher who has inspired countless
human beings with her boundless creativity and magical powers,
never fails to lift our minds and hearts.
Betty and Hal Hodges:
A veritable flood tide of words comes to mind when we think of
Betty Peck - among them: compassionate... creative... selfless...
intuitive... innovative... gentle... calm... caring... generous...
artistic... vibrant... charming...
Carmel Lawrence:
Mrs Peck (as it is with reverence and respect that I address
you so)... my wish for you is that you will continue and always
be as instrumental in changing and influencing the lives of those
you touch through the children you have taught.
Leslie Lawrence:
Mrs Peck, my wish for you is that you continue to teach those
around you to gracefully embrace each passing year and to let
the wisdom that comes with each year beautifully illuminate them
just as it has beautifully illuminated you.
David Lertzman, Ph.D.:
Dear Mrs. Peck, How blessed and honoured I am to be one of the
people you touched with your special way… If you receive
even one small iota of all that you have given to so many, your
place is assured in Heaven... and I know that it is. I was a
little boy in your Saratoga Kindergarten in 1965 and I remember
you with grand affection. You loved me, and all of us SO well,
and we loved you; I still do. The world shines more brightly
because of you and your magic still shines in my heart, which
shines now on many others. Thank you SO very much for helping
me find my way in life…
God/dess Bless you All-ways and Forever, Dear, Dear Mrs Peck.
Sue, John, and Ashley Mack:
Betty Peck creates well-rounded human beings. Thanks for Ashley's
good beginning!
Tom Miller:
You started me out in theatre in Kindergarten, and I learned
most of what I know about acting in your backyard. What an impact
one person can have on another's life. I appreciate so much what
you've done for all the artistic minds in Saratoga.
Elizabeth Murray:
Birthday Wishes for Our Beloved Radiant Magnificent Delightful
Awe-inspiring Betty Peck. First, I wish that each and every Kindergarten
has a magical garden right outside its door with every aspect
of the best in Peckian style - sandboxes with natural toys, a
stage for performances, a reading tree house, a playhouse with
a 'mother's lap' chair for reading wonderful books and drawing
from Nature and imagination, a mirror to remember how magnificent
we each are, dress up clothes, to try out new images, a vegetable
and flower garden, fruit trees, a Catalpa tree, compost pile,
a water barrel with hand made clay cups for each child, hammock
swings, log rounds for stools, to mention a few of Betty's ideas.
So then truly each child would spend every day in a garden, and
no day would therefore be wasted. I wish that we take up Betty's
plea to recognize Kindergarten with a capital K for the nurturing
life-enhancing child's gardens they are. I wish that everyone
could have the experience of the magic and being truly seen,
nurtured, listened to, appreciated and celebrated by Betty Peck
as their teacher and friend. There truly would be more love,
peace and deep caring in the world and for the world if everyone
had this kind of Kindergarten experience. I wish that Betty's
incredible ideas get published soon and are run away best-sellers
with every teacher, parent and leader reading them… You
are a Living Treasure and Light of Love and Inspiration.
Evan Parsons:
As a child, I stepped into your classroom, a place that was different,
spawning an incredible creative motivation in my life. Now that
I have grown, I only hope that every young child can step into
such a wonderful environment and be given all that I have and
all that I know. Thank you, Betty, for showing me a light most
fail to see. Thank you so much! I will remember you for ever
and ever. With the deepest and most intense affection.
Dean Robinson:
…one of the most lasting inspirations in my life.
Karen Robinson:
I wish… that every one of your days is filled with but a
whisper of the love, inspiration, joy, and beauty that you have
brought to those who have had the honor of knowing and sharing
time with you.
Vicki, Richard and Melissa Schmidt:
…it's not only the children who left your Kindergarten with
gold in their hearts and a sense of
awe, but also we parents, too, learned so much about intrigue,
wonder, and the possibilities of our daily treks.… [W]e
celebrat(e) the joy you've given our family and your lessons
that we remember always.
Kari Britt Schroeder:
May your life be filled with the beauty you have revealed to
so many others.
Kristen Schroeder (Vilhauer):
…Of course [your book] won't be able to capture how absolutely
incredible 'Mrs Peck's Kindergarten' is, but perhaps it will
allow more children to have something resembling the life-changing
experience I had in your class. I remember the 'speech' that
started with 'Celebrate, celebrate, celebrate'. I'm quite sure
that I kept a copy of it (my mom encouraged us to save sentimental
things in our 'Keep-Forever' boxes)… As I said to my mom
yesterday, I was so lucky to be asked to honor you - there is
so much to honor about you! And perhaps I continue to honor you
in that I am a high school history teacher. I believe that my
excellent experience in school started with you, in Kindergarten…
Since Kindergarten I have taken a part of you with me on each
of my own journeys around the sun. You have brought such richness
to the lives of so many, and I feel profoundly grateful to be
one of those lucky children.
Lee, Ilse, Anina and Andreas Stollar:
…one who sees the best in everyone, has lofty visions and
makes the seemingly impossible happen….
Gladys Wood Stutzman:
…a superb educator who not only instills a love for learning
in her students... she constantly enriches the lives of all of
us so fortunate to have known and loved her... and motivates
us to try to be like her.
The Swan family:
May you continue to inspire others as you have inspired us.…
Alicia Teeter: (Kindergarten
baby, Neighbor, Angel, and Student)
Not a day goes by without one of Betty Peck's teachings reappearing
in my life. Every day I am reminded about how lucky I was to
be the Kindergarten baby, the 'neighbor', and finally a student
in Betty's Kindergarten class. To this day I make it a habit
to eat strawberries and ice cream for breakfast on May Day, celebrate
nature and appreciate the joys of music. Without Betty's teachings
my life would not be as vivid and full as it is today - I cannot
thank her enough.
Nikki Teeter:
Just how to convey the impact those magical Kindergarten years
had on the lives of the Teeters, both children and adults….
Our children have grown and are now 29 and 24 years old. To this
day, the experiences and lessons we shared in Betty's Kindergarten
enrich our lives. My personal favorite? Celebrate! Don't let
the moments of your life and the magic of the earth pass by unnoticed.
Mary Seaver Wade:
I wish that someday soon the world will catch up to you!
David, Amy, Emily and Darby Williams:
…the greatness of the gifts you have bestowed upon us over
the years:
The Nursery School that has become our foundation for being the
best parents we can be to our beloved children;
- Your love of nature and all the wonders of the world in which
we live
- The family traditions that have faithfully been carried on
year after year: Christmas Caroling, May Day celebrations, etc.;
- Your devotion to children and to the child in each of us;
- Your ability to celebrate and see the beauty in all seasons
of life;
- Your reminders that the world of imagination and whimsy must
never be forgotten;
- And last but not least, your endearing presence in our lives
throughout the years.
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