Waters Elementary
4540 N. Campbell Ave. Chicago, IL 60625  (773)534-5090 
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The tail end of Fall...

12/1/2019

 
​...between Thanksgiving and Xmas,
for me means, 
the rate of the shortening of days slowing, 
coming to a halt on December 22,
when the slow climb to Spring begins. 
This time of year, after the fall Field excursions,
I spend time reading and responding to field journals (with parent and volunteer colleagues);
doing post-trip classes with 6th, 5th and 4th grades;
doing water and watershed classes with the 2nd grade, culminating in the watershed necklace activity that follows the random path of a water molecule through this earth-home of ours. 
I will be introducing Kindergarden to the Spider plant and its song, and each of them will have one to raise up and pot in the spring for Mothers' Day. Thanks to all who brought baby spiders in!
I am trying to keep a dedicated focus on Climate Change, 
what things we can do in our own lives everyday (less use of carbons!),
and politically, urging code changes to require every new and renovated building to be carbon neutral, disinvestment of government from fossil fuels, etc. It occurred to me that if the buildings in our neighborhood that are being "bumped up " by developers, were required to be carbon neutral, and have complete rain catchment (no rain water in the sewers), these building could have a positive impact in the future. Oftentimes, in the past,  buildings that were supersized for a single family, were eventually converted to apartments, condos, boarding houses as the economy evolved. Emergency means doing everything we can, as soon as possible, to secure our beautiful planet for our children. 
Next Saturday is the Maker (Craft) Fair at Waters . I will have a spot selling my little book "The Fight Between Quiet and Noise", a fable about simple living, 
to support the Ecology program. ($10)
Please consider buying some for holiday gifts. I will do a reading on Saturday as well. 
December! What happened? Last Thursday when the winds were howling, tearing free the sad grey leaves from trees, 
I remembered the Robert frost Poem:
Oh Hush October morning mild, 
thy leaves have ripened to the fall, 
tomorrow's wind, 
if it be wild, 
will waste them all"!
I saw them being thrown and "wasted", 
and I felt the very real shove of north wind at my back.
I saw three crows flying valiantly into the wind,
and....!!!!
going backwards!
Such a metaphor! 
Are we going forward?
Or are we stuck in a relativity where we just think we are?
A song lyric I wrote long ago:
"We are going forward, 
but we're not going nowhere (repeat many times)
(add on top)
the rain falls down, 
then it goes underground, (repeat many times)
Keep singing till we find a solution, 
Mr. Leki

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    Ecology Program & Calendar
    PictureMr. Pete Leki, Waters Ecology Program Founder and Director
    Visit the Waters Ecology Program Website for current/historical writings, films, photos, and interviews.

     Email: 
    petelekisan@gmail.com

    Links
    Water Ecology Program Website
    Riverbank Neighbors
    Friends of the Chicago River
    Forest Preserves of Cook County
    Openlands
    North Park Village Nature Center

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