Kindergarden in the garden!

Today was the realization of a dream for me.  Our daughter Lucia, started kindergarden in Berkeley.  Two years ago, we started looking to move to Berkeley.  It became evident that we probably would not be able to afford a home of our own in the hot real

estate market that is Berkeley, but we are renting a really beautiful home with room to have a vegetable garden, great neighbors,

walkable to Acme Bread, 900 Grayson, the new Berkeley Bowl, great parks, good local coffee, Cafe Fanny, 4th Street shops, and of course, LuLu's school.  

When I started researching schools, I found out that while many school districts are suffering under budget cuts and recession, the folks that are lucky enough to own homes in this area, keep voting to send a large portion of property tax revenue to support school programs.  For their money, our children get arts, music, sports, good after school care, locally grown scratch meals, libraries and computer labs at all schools, organic gardens and cooking programs and science labs.  For the garden/cooking  and school lunch program alone I would count my child lucky to be in a Berkeley school. For a Mom and a Slow Food Chef,  I just can't imagine it gets any better than this for my child and for all children.

Thank you Alice Waters, for having the vision that Berkeley schools could be special and so much more, thank you to all the parents, staff,  and the administrators who have taken these innovative ideas and the tax payers hard earned cash and made 

this happen.  My child and so many others will be excited to be at school everyday, challenged and inspired.