An ARK for Mr Noah’s

Whether it be the natural environment or the things we introduce to it, all is to be very beautiful.

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When I first worked with children I was influenced by a chapter of Edith Schaeffer’s in which she discusses flowers and meal table decoration. She urges us not to say: “Oh, it doesn’t matter, it’s only the children.” She reasons: Children growing up in an atmosphere where beauty is considered an important part of daily life cannot help being inspired to develop their own original ideas in these areas, nor can they help being prepared to live aesthetically themselves. *

A little enhancement has been made: a visual boundary in hessian. Some boundaries are really solid and some are just signals. Whatever the material, we must try to preserve the natural beauty and let children learn from its glory.

* Edith Schaeffer (1971), Hidden Art, Norfolk Press, page 104.

Another aspect of making the site safe is the removal of hazardous objects dumped and half-buried over time. The more that is moved, the more I see as my eyes become attuned to potential danger.

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Nothing as glamorous as an archaeological dig for Roman remains, but essential nevertheless.

We weren’t expecting this work till the next week. By the end of Friday it was done. Chestnut posts were driven into the ground and a beautiful protective barrier created.

There is more fencing yet to be done, but this has been a great start to an important aspect of the project.

You will drive down the track from the road to the new site. When you arrive, today you could park on the field, but not so in the winter.

When the rains come you will need a hard surface. So that is the next thing to be done. Here, in images, is the progress to date.

First there were piles of rubble and then the surface of stone.

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But, although it looks good, it isn’t finished yet. It is to be extended. So we need more rubble to raise the level at one side.

We will get there!

Today’s task was symbolic. I do not say that it was merely symbolic. Perhaps the symbol was more significant than many of the substantial actions.

Twelve years ago we carved crosses on logs that were used for woodland stools for the children. During the past year, most of them have disintegrated through weathering and ageing. One that has survived has been transported to our new site.

It has been carefully placed in the middle of the ground prepared for a building.

Before the structure, the foundation is laid.

When I saw the machines I said, “Our children would love these.” The driver replied, “I do!”

An impressive difference has been made to the track, which had been quite tricky to travel in a car. The image immediately below shows the before and after effect. The work on the track needs one more truck load of materials. When it is complete next week it will have absorbed 100 tons of stone.

It looks like we are on track to get to our new site.

My first visit to our new site was nearly a year ago. I immediately saw the potential of the fabulous woodland and the land adjoining. Everyone who visits says, “My children would love it.” And I am so looking forward to the day when the little people from Mr Noah’s Nursery School see this new home.

ARK speaks for itself: A Rural Kindergarten. Mr Noah’s Nursery School is a Froebelian early years establishment set in a rural locality of the Weald of Kent. The ark was a home for Noah and his family for a little while. It was a place of safety and security in the midst of confusion and chaos. That is what we aim to give children today.

Since progress on the site has begun in earnest, there will be regular posts here so that you can keep up with all that is happening. I hope you will enjoy a sense of vision for creating a beautiful learning environment for young children.