Hold that thought for a moment while I introduce a very important person. . .

On December 18, 2009, the Lehigh Valley lost one of its most inspirational members with the passing of Ardath Rodale.  Known to many as "Ardie," Mrs. Rodale was the chairwoman of Rodale Inc. from 1990-2007.  Her father-in-law began the company in 1942 with a magazine titled Organic Farming and Gardening, and Ardie's husband Bob took over the company in 1971 and ran it until his death in 1990.

Mrs. Rodale, a 1950 graduate of Kutztown University, was actively involved in many philanthropic endeavors in the Lehigh Valley including supporting AIDS research, cancer research, and children's welfare.  The Rodale name also graces several spots around town including the aquatic center at Cedar Crest College.  Both the Velodrome and the Fitness/Walking Park in Trexlertown were projects started by the Rodales.  Described in the mission of Rodale Inc., Mrs. Rodale believed that the company exists to show people how they can use the power of their bodies and minds to improve their lives.  She is the author of several books (including Climbing Toward the Light and Everyday Miracles), and she is survived by three children and eleven grandchildren.

Mrs. Rodale was very involved in the Swain community throughout her lifetime.  In addition to teaching art at Swain for several years, four of her five children attended Swain, and five of her grandchildren passed through our hallways - including "lifer" Coco Margeaux Rodale who graduated from Swain in 2008.

In addition to her philanthropic activities throughout the Valley, Mrs. Rodale was extremely generous to Swain.  In honor of the school's 75th anniversary in 2004-'05, she donated $25,000 for the building of the Butterfly Garden and Reflection Area which rests behind our kindergarten classrooms.  The pergola was designed to include benches so students and teachers could go out to the Butterfly Garden and Reflection Area to sit quietly and read, write, or simply to drink in the sights and smells of nature. (Shortly after its installation, the girls lacrosse team enjoys a sunny day by the Butterfly Garden - how it has grown over the years!)

In the spring of 2008, Mrs. Rodale contributed $3,700 as matching funds in order to complete Swain's very own organic garden, which now encloses the Butterfly Garden.  In addition, she volunteered the expertise of her staff from the Rodale Farm to help design the area (she is pictured above with Deputy Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding at the garden dedication).  Over the years, Ardath Rodale supported the capital campaign for the Library/Technology Center, donated funds for student enrichment, and contributed to the school's 70th anniversary party.

The lasting image on the screen at Ardath Rodale's memorial service was a picture of a butterfly  -

Enter students, poems, and a vibrant, gregarious poet from Mexico. . .

For the fifth year in a row, visiting poet and creative soul Judyth Hill visited Swain, this year spending two full weeks on campus working with all students in kindergarten through eighth grade.  Spend two minutes with Ms. Hill and you will feel her energy, her love for kids, and her deep appreciation for words.  She has several chapbooks published available from Amazon, such as Black Hollyhock, First Light.  Her famous poem Wage Peace, written on the afternoon of September 11, 2001, almost instantly became an inspirational piece to many around the world (see this video version).

A strange thing happened when Ms. Hill was here: many students decided to write poems about butterflies.  As I walked the hallways during her stay, I kept hearing poems about our migrating friends.  In fact, the very first poem that was written on Ms. Hill's first day on campus was about a butterfly (at right, Mrs. Monahan's class shares their poem at the Lower School Town Meeting):

The Love story of the Monarch Butterfly is gold.

The humpback whale is the goblet of the galaxy.

The love story of the fireflies plays Bach on the violin

I hear it. Do you?

Nothing tastes like smooth milk chocolate.

The organ of the nothing is the mouth. Ayyyye Carumba!

Air tastes like nothing in this world,

Except pomegranates and cherries.

100 flutes are shining silver....

That is not nothing.

The piano playing alone and the cheetah running make a good tango.

Rain plays the drums like angels.

Their wings sparkle like underground crystals in poetry caves .

The real name of the wolf is infinity,

When I am old, I might remember

when I was 7 or 8.

Love is in the heart;

That is why chaos and amor are the same word.

Mrs. Monahan's First grade class

January 25, 2010

First of all, marvel at this wonderful work of art produced by our first graders.

Secondly, it was not until Ms. Hill's last day on campus that I began to put the pieces together.  Ardath Rodale's passing, the Butterfly Garden, unsolicited poems about butterflies, Ms. Hill arriving from Mexico just as the monarch butterflies were getting ready to depart, the Saints winning the Super Bowl (OK, call that a stretch) - all of these pieces just seemed to fit together too nicely.  When I mentioned to Ms. Hill that this appeared to be an incredible coincidence, she retorted, in classic Judyth Hill fashion, "When you live inside story, everything is connected."  Most of our students never had the opportunity to meet Ardath Rodale, yet her energy and her love for butterflies seemed to channel through our hallways, almost as if she was giving our school one final, lasting gift.

A metaphor. . .

It is hard to deny that Ardath Rodale's soul lives on at The Swain School.  Her love of nature, her recognition of the treasures that our earth provides, and her kind spirit were gifts to our world.  Just as the monarch butterfly gracefully and beautifully floats across our continent twice per year, time-and-time again she blessed our community with her loving and generous spirit.  Her journey was a journey of many years, and we are proud and thankful that she made a few stops at Swain along the way.  Indeed, her presence will always live on at The Swain School.

***                         ***                         ***

Please join our community in the Butterfly Garden in May to celebrate the life of Ardath Rodale.  Details forthcoming.

***                         ***                         ***

What to do with Judyth Hill, our poet from Mexico. . .

I think you have made your own connections by now, but where is Ms. Hill's place in this story?  I am not sure, except to say that her soul seems to flutter through the universe, bringing people and ideas together like it was what she was meant to do; well, it did indeed seems like the universe aligned itself during her two weeks here.  (left, Ms. Hill responds to Keeler's poem)

"Poetry is making a wild kind of connection, and my job as a poet is to be in love with this amazing world."

- Judyth Hill