Beginning Gate: Intro & Maps
Have you ever wondered how the Poker Hill School began? Join us on this hike through history as we uncover tales from the past and relive some of the moments that have made the Poker Hill School the special place it is today.
1. Peeper Pond
Long ago, before the Poker Hill School was a school, it was a barn on a dairy farm. Instead of kids, there were cows and instead of music, there was milk! Lou Ingalls and Ann Crocker came to Underhill in 1972. They turned the old dairy barn into a school. For a short time, they taught children out of their home. They used to drive around town, collecting children who wanted to attend their school in an old van. Lou and Ann dreamed of creating a school where kids could
ride horses, plant and tend a garden, take care of chickens and sheep, and get their toes stuck in the mud. They believed the natural world should always be a child’s first classroom. Lou and Ann were wise women. Their motto was: “Never do for children what they can do for themselves.”
Questions for Kids: How many peepers do you think there are in this pond every spring? Where do the frogs go in the winter?
2. Golf Meadow
Do you wonder how this meadow got its name? David and Beth London met in Philadelphia where David was teaching sixth grade at a Quaker school. Later, he and Beth were married in a Quaker school. David left teaching for a time to build golf courses, but after reading Rachel Carson’s book, Silent Spring, he thought to himself, “I can’t do this anymore. Building golf courses is not good for the earth.” So, he decided to go back to teaching. David never gave up his
love for golfing however, and still golfs in this meadow. Perhaps some of you have golfed alongside him?
Question for Kids: What do you know about Beth and David London?
3. Fairy Forest
Many special teachers have come and gone over the years at the Poker Hill School. As we pause in the Fairy Forest, we remember JoAnne-surrounded by children in the garden, Bonnie-skiing with kids, Scotte-making “beadie buddies,” Amy-acting out The Three Billy Goats Gruff, JoJo-rubbing backs of little children lying down for naps, Mug-leading horse rides, Paula Jo-making soap, Brenda-baking cakes, Gayle-doing arts and crafts, Buddy-playing drums, David-playing basketball, Beth-playing guitar while leading morning meeting, Renée-baking cookies and bread, Gay-reading stories, Tracy-telling stories, Cathy-writing stories, Heather-teaching the importance of centering and quiet time, Emily-making paper, Tess- playing tennis in the gym, Lisa-teaching math, Ann-teaching wool arts, Cass-teaching ballet, John-doing photography, Kyle-making pizza and Abby-introducing beautiful wooden Waldorf toys and fairies. In more recent years, we think of Katie A, Thea, Stephanie, Katie, Sandra, Kristen, Kat, Katina, Meghan, Sharon, McKinley, and Grace hiking to the yurt, exploring the teepee, telling stories, and brilliantly sharing their knowledge and skills with students at Poker Hill.
Questions for Kids: Who was/is your teacher at the Poker Hill School? What makes that teacher special?
4. Burdock Village
At Burdock Village, we remember the animals who have been part of the Poker Hill story. Ginger and Goldie were some of the first! They were Poker Hill’s horses. Beth remembers kids sitting at the hitching post, waiting for their turn to ride. Daffodil, Blossom, Sesame, and Maddie were four of the Golden Retrievers who visited Poker Hill over the years. Heather was a cat who used to let the students at Poker Hill dress her up and wheel her around in an umbrella stroller. Heather
gave birth to several kittens while at PHS. One litter was born right under the water table during school hours! Another cat, Pumba, adopted the Poker Hill School as her home. She lived out in the barn and shared her food with a resident skunk for a couple winters. Ruth was a hedgehog. Mopsy was an Angora rabbit. There were hermit crabs and Madagascar hissing cockroaches, guinea pigs and white mice. Once, a giant hamster escaped from its cage and set up residency in
one of the bathroom cabinets. Learn more about Posie the Cow at station number six, just after the Yurt.
Question for Kids: Do you have any favorite animals from Poker Hill?
5. Yurt
In the middle of the night, on March 8, 1983, the hundred-year-old converted dairy barn burned to the ground. Sap had been boiling on the stove the day before and the burner had accidentally been left on overnight. David and Beth woke up to watch as flames engulfed their little school. The people at Poker Hill were sad. In addition to losing their building, the Poker Hill School community had also lost its library books. This was a great loss! A wonderful woman named Jojo
invited teachers and students to meet in the basement of the St. Thomas Church until a new school could be built. To say goodbye to the old school, members of the community gathered in a circle and held hands. Everyone sang the song Inch by Inch, Row by Row... The new building was placed on the same footprint as the old school. The round window remained the same. It took less than one year to get the new school built.
Question for Kids: How many gallons of sap does it take to make one gallon of maple syrup?
Answer: 40 gallons
6. Posie’s Tree
Posie was a beautiful Ayrshire cow. When David, Beth and Gay arrived at the Poker Hill School in 1978, Ann’s son, Scott, taught David how to milk a cow. This was David’s first chore at the school. It was hard work, but with practice came progress. In under a year, David’s milking sessions went from forty-five minutes down to twelve minutes.
Posie
Posie was a cow
and Apples she did love
So, when she died
We buried her
Under an apple tree right above
Our school and when we hike
We take a moment to recall
How Posie was a very good cow
And a dear friend to us all
Story for Kids: David tells a funny story about a little girl named Allison who came to visit the Poker Hill School one day. She was out in the barn visiting Posie when one of Posie’s horns got caught in Allison’s coat. Posie lifted Allison right up and off the ground. David had to help Allison back down.
7. Umbrella Tree
The Poker Hill School has a tradition of sourcing a rigorous repertoire of music! Over the years, musicians such as Beth, Bonnie, Buddy and Kat have contributed to a collection of songs about nature, stewardship, the Golden Rule, community, curiosity, respect, and discovery. When Beth was still a student in college, she picked up a guitar and began strumming. Beth had her guitar in 1978, when she and David first arrived at the Poker Hill School. It has been with her ever since.
Question for Kids: What have been your very favorite songs at PHS?
8. Hilltop (Ropes Course)
The Poker Hill School includes a community of people all working together. From the founders, to the teachers, to the parent volunteers, to the students, each member of the community has played a vital role in making this school what it is today. In 2012, a special retirement party was held at Brown’s River Middle School. Over 400 people attended, honoring Beth and David London. Their years of service to the community have been greatly appreciated. Today, PHS Inc.
is a 501c3, run by a Board of Directors made up of parents and teachers. PHS Inc. includes the school and 15 acres of land.
Question for Kids: What does it mean to be part of a community?
9. Teepee
The Teepee
The hike was long
My legs were small
But I trudged along with friends
For I knew if I made it to the top
I might find sparkling gems
The teepee, my destination
My mind set on my goal
Walk, talk, slip a lot
A hike is good
for the soul
Children at Poker Hill hike to the teepee regularly through beautiful meadows and woods.
Teepees in the woods at Poker Hill are a long-standing tradition. When Ann and Lou first started
the Poker Hill School in the early 70’s, they hired interns from Antioch College to help them
teach. Some of these interns slept up in the woods in teepees.
Question for Kids: What memories do you have of the teepee?
10. Pond
At this last stop, we have placed multiple poems around the pond. Feel free to wander. Perhaps some of these poems will inspire you to think about your own memories of the Poker Hill School.
POEMS
Swings
Up, down, front and back
Feet out, face up and laughing
Swinging, singing
Back and forth
I love underdogs!
The Poker Hill School used to have beautiful swings made from old tires. David carved them with a bread knife in
the 1980s.
The Music Lady
She’s counting in
One, two, three, four
The lady playing on the floor
Strumming guitar
It’s circle time
Morning meeting, song, verse, rhythm, and rhyme
the music
teaching, reaching my humanity
I’m little, but I’m learning about how the world could be
If only grown-ups could attend this school
to remember how to treat the earth
and follow the Golden Rule
One of Beth London’s many contributions to the Poker Hill School has been the music she has brought into the lives
of countless community members. Beth, along with the help of other Poker Hill teachers, has sourced over 200 songs
in the course of 40 years. The Poker Hill music repertoire is one of the unique features of the Poker Hill School.
Thanks to it, children organically learn about concepts such as metamorphosis, caring for the earth, recycling,
respect and world cultures.
Three Sisters
And you there, ho!
Where will you go with your basket, hat and rake?
Can I help you in this garden?
Can my little hands give and take?
This story you tell me about the pumpkin, corn and beans.
You say there is meaning in this way of planting things.
If the Natives taught you, can you teach me?
I want to learn about those Sisters Three.
Joanne Dennee is a master gardener. It was through Joanne, Poker Hill kids learned about the Three Sisters.
Beach Day
Beach Day for everyone!
Wear your favorite suit
The sand’s been piled for miles and miles
Let’s dig and splash and hoot
This day is going to be the best
I can hardly wait to play
Oh Poker Hill, it’s winter out
But inside ...it’s Beach Day!
The tradition of Beach Day started back in the 1990’s by a teacher named Amy Wise. 500 pounds of sand were
carried in and dumped on the floor in the gymnasium. Students and teachers wore bathing suits or beach apparel
and came with a change of clothes, ready to splash in the water and play in the sand.
Bread and Frogs
Do you remember Bonnie Bread?
Oh yes, of course we do, they said
And what about frogs?
Do you remember where they go
in the winters when there’s ice and snow?
Why yes, of course, she taught this too
It’s a silly thing, but I’ll tell you
They swim to the bottom of the pond
And find hibernaculum
Their hearts slow down until they’re almost dead
But then they thaw out in the spring
When the peepers start peeping
All over again
It is a most curious thing!
Bonnie MacLeod came to the Poker Hill School in 1985. Her knowledge of the outside world, expertly woven into
masterfully told stories, laid a foundation for various branches of science for many children. Bonnie’s contributions
to the Poker Hill School were many. She was an explorer, storyteller and great baker! The kids still bake “Bonnie
Bread” today. Bonnie currently graces the Poker Hill School on occasion, with her Celtic harp.
Milking
Heave hoe, here we go
A hard thing I am doing
I want to stop, my muscles hurt
But I will keep on going
I’ll try my best
And pitch right in
And eventually,
I’ll get better
Because I
can do
hard
things
The first thing David learned when he came to the Poker Hill School was how to milk Posie. He did this twice a day,
every day, for a year. At first, it took him a long time to fill one bucket. The harder he worked, the better he became.
Soon, there was enough milk at the Poker Hill School for students to drink during snack time, make into yogurt,
cheese, ice cream and even take some home with them at the end of the school day!
Fire
It started on a cold, dark night
sap burned and turned our schoolhouse black
fire-like fingers wrapped around and crumpled it
like paper never meant to give back
But we recycle!
We don’t just throw it away
the Poker Hill Schoolhouse was rebuilt and made better
so we could use it once again one day
This poem is based on a song Buddy Dubay wrote called “We Recycle.” In March of 1983, the original Poker Hill
School burned down. The fire was started due to a stove being left on overnight while reducing sap to make syrup.
The overheated pan caught fire and set the 100 year old school house ablaze. Six months after the fire, the Poker Hill
School was rebuilt. In the meantime, students finished out the year in the basement of the St. Thomas church.
My Teacher
You gave me a stone to hold in my hand
little and nervous was I
You understood how it felt to be small, though you’re tall
I was trying not to cry
You helped me breathe
I held my stone
tight in my little fist
I didn’t know then
But I do know now
You’re like the amethyst
Abby Retzlof , one of Poker Hill’s many teachers, was known for her calming influence and way of connecting with
little ones, especially those unsure of themselves, struggling to adjust to a new routine and school day. Her gentle
guidance was much appreciated.
The Giant Birthday Card
Today I got a card so huge
I’m going to hang it on my bedroom wall!
I told my teacher about the things I loved
And we painted them one and all!
Katina and other Artists in Residence created birthday cards that were truly works of art! Some of these cards
students still remember and talk about fondly today.
Buddy Dubay
There is this guy I know
He is sensitive, wise, and shrewd
He wears a leather jacket and Hawaiian shirts
He’s a musician and a super cool dude
I can count on this guy when I feel cruddy
He’s a rock and roller,
And my teacher, Buddy.
Have you ever wondered how the Poker Hill School began? Join us on this hike through history as we uncover tales from the past and relive some of the moments that have made the Poker Hill School the special place it is today.
1. Peeper Pond
Long ago, before the Poker Hill School was a school, it was a barn on a dairy farm. Instead of kids, there were cows and instead of music, there was milk! Lou Ingalls and Ann Crocker came to Underhill in 1972. They turned the old dairy barn into a school. For a short time, they taught children out of their home. They used to drive around town, collecting children who wanted to attend their school in an old van. Lou and Ann dreamed of creating a school where kids could
ride horses, plant and tend a garden, take care of chickens and sheep, and get their toes stuck in the mud. They believed the natural world should always be a child’s first classroom. Lou and Ann were wise women. Their motto was: “Never do for children what they can do for themselves.”
Questions for Kids: How many peepers do you think there are in this pond every spring? Where do the frogs go in the winter?
2. Golf Meadow
Do you wonder how this meadow got its name? David and Beth London met in Philadelphia where David was teaching sixth grade at a Quaker school. Later, he and Beth were married in a Quaker school. David left teaching for a time to build golf courses, but after reading Rachel Carson’s book, Silent Spring, he thought to himself, “I can’t do this anymore. Building golf courses is not good for the earth.” So, he decided to go back to teaching. David never gave up his
love for golfing however, and still golfs in this meadow. Perhaps some of you have golfed alongside him?
Question for Kids: What do you know about Beth and David London?
3. Fairy Forest
Many special teachers have come and gone over the years at the Poker Hill School. As we pause in the Fairy Forest, we remember JoAnne-surrounded by children in the garden, Bonnie-skiing with kids, Scotte-making “beadie buddies,” Amy-acting out The Three Billy Goats Gruff, JoJo-rubbing backs of little children lying down for naps, Mug-leading horse rides, Paula Jo-making soap, Brenda-baking cakes, Gayle-doing arts and crafts, Buddy-playing drums, David-playing basketball, Beth-playing guitar while leading morning meeting, Renée-baking cookies and bread, Gay-reading stories, Tracy-telling stories, Cathy-writing stories, Heather-teaching the importance of centering and quiet time, Emily-making paper, Tess- playing tennis in the gym, Lisa-teaching math, Ann-teaching wool arts, Cass-teaching ballet, John-doing photography, Kyle-making pizza and Abby-introducing beautiful wooden Waldorf toys and fairies. In more recent years, we think of Katie A, Thea, Stephanie, Katie, Sandra, Kristen, Kat, Katina, Meghan, Sharon, McKinley, and Grace hiking to the yurt, exploring the teepee, telling stories, and brilliantly sharing their knowledge and skills with students at Poker Hill.
Questions for Kids: Who was/is your teacher at the Poker Hill School? What makes that teacher special?
4. Burdock Village
At Burdock Village, we remember the animals who have been part of the Poker Hill story. Ginger and Goldie were some of the first! They were Poker Hill’s horses. Beth remembers kids sitting at the hitching post, waiting for their turn to ride. Daffodil, Blossom, Sesame, and Maddie were four of the Golden Retrievers who visited Poker Hill over the years. Heather was a cat who used to let the students at Poker Hill dress her up and wheel her around in an umbrella stroller. Heather
gave birth to several kittens while at PHS. One litter was born right under the water table during school hours! Another cat, Pumba, adopted the Poker Hill School as her home. She lived out in the barn and shared her food with a resident skunk for a couple winters. Ruth was a hedgehog. Mopsy was an Angora rabbit. There were hermit crabs and Madagascar hissing cockroaches, guinea pigs and white mice. Once, a giant hamster escaped from its cage and set up residency in
one of the bathroom cabinets. Learn more about Posie the Cow at station number six, just after the Yurt.
Question for Kids: Do you have any favorite animals from Poker Hill?
5. Yurt
In the middle of the night, on March 8, 1983, the hundred-year-old converted dairy barn burned to the ground. Sap had been boiling on the stove the day before and the burner had accidentally been left on overnight. David and Beth woke up to watch as flames engulfed their little school. The people at Poker Hill were sad. In addition to losing their building, the Poker Hill School community had also lost its library books. This was a great loss! A wonderful woman named Jojo
invited teachers and students to meet in the basement of the St. Thomas Church until a new school could be built. To say goodbye to the old school, members of the community gathered in a circle and held hands. Everyone sang the song Inch by Inch, Row by Row... The new building was placed on the same footprint as the old school. The round window remained the same. It took less than one year to get the new school built.
Question for Kids: How many gallons of sap does it take to make one gallon of maple syrup?
Answer: 40 gallons
6. Posie’s Tree
Posie was a beautiful Ayrshire cow. When David, Beth and Gay arrived at the Poker Hill School in 1978, Ann’s son, Scott, taught David how to milk a cow. This was David’s first chore at the school. It was hard work, but with practice came progress. In under a year, David’s milking sessions went from forty-five minutes down to twelve minutes.
Posie
Posie was a cow
and Apples she did love
So, when she died
We buried her
Under an apple tree right above
Our school and when we hike
We take a moment to recall
How Posie was a very good cow
And a dear friend to us all
Story for Kids: David tells a funny story about a little girl named Allison who came to visit the Poker Hill School one day. She was out in the barn visiting Posie when one of Posie’s horns got caught in Allison’s coat. Posie lifted Allison right up and off the ground. David had to help Allison back down.
7. Umbrella Tree
The Poker Hill School has a tradition of sourcing a rigorous repertoire of music! Over the years, musicians such as Beth, Bonnie, Buddy and Kat have contributed to a collection of songs about nature, stewardship, the Golden Rule, community, curiosity, respect, and discovery. When Beth was still a student in college, she picked up a guitar and began strumming. Beth had her guitar in 1978, when she and David first arrived at the Poker Hill School. It has been with her ever since.
Question for Kids: What have been your very favorite songs at PHS?
8. Hilltop (Ropes Course)
The Poker Hill School includes a community of people all working together. From the founders, to the teachers, to the parent volunteers, to the students, each member of the community has played a vital role in making this school what it is today. In 2012, a special retirement party was held at Brown’s River Middle School. Over 400 people attended, honoring Beth and David London. Their years of service to the community have been greatly appreciated. Today, PHS Inc.
is a 501c3, run by a Board of Directors made up of parents and teachers. PHS Inc. includes the school and 15 acres of land.
Question for Kids: What does it mean to be part of a community?
9. Teepee
The Teepee
The hike was long
My legs were small
But I trudged along with friends
For I knew if I made it to the top
I might find sparkling gems
The teepee, my destination
My mind set on my goal
Walk, talk, slip a lot
A hike is good
for the soul
Children at Poker Hill hike to the teepee regularly through beautiful meadows and woods.
Teepees in the woods at Poker Hill are a long-standing tradition. When Ann and Lou first started
the Poker Hill School in the early 70’s, they hired interns from Antioch College to help them
teach. Some of these interns slept up in the woods in teepees.
Question for Kids: What memories do you have of the teepee?
10. Pond
At this last stop, we have placed multiple poems around the pond. Feel free to wander. Perhaps some of these poems will inspire you to think about your own memories of the Poker Hill School.
POEMS
Swings
Up, down, front and back
Feet out, face up and laughing
Swinging, singing
Back and forth
I love underdogs!
The Poker Hill School used to have beautiful swings made from old tires. David carved them with a bread knife in
the 1980s.
The Music Lady
She’s counting in
One, two, three, four
The lady playing on the floor
Strumming guitar
It’s circle time
Morning meeting, song, verse, rhythm, and rhyme
the music
teaching, reaching my humanity
I’m little, but I’m learning about how the world could be
If only grown-ups could attend this school
to remember how to treat the earth
and follow the Golden Rule
One of Beth London’s many contributions to the Poker Hill School has been the music she has brought into the lives
of countless community members. Beth, along with the help of other Poker Hill teachers, has sourced over 200 songs
in the course of 40 years. The Poker Hill music repertoire is one of the unique features of the Poker Hill School.
Thanks to it, children organically learn about concepts such as metamorphosis, caring for the earth, recycling,
respect and world cultures.
Three Sisters
And you there, ho!
Where will you go with your basket, hat and rake?
Can I help you in this garden?
Can my little hands give and take?
This story you tell me about the pumpkin, corn and beans.
You say there is meaning in this way of planting things.
If the Natives taught you, can you teach me?
I want to learn about those Sisters Three.
Joanne Dennee is a master gardener. It was through Joanne, Poker Hill kids learned about the Three Sisters.
Beach Day
Beach Day for everyone!
Wear your favorite suit
The sand’s been piled for miles and miles
Let’s dig and splash and hoot
This day is going to be the best
I can hardly wait to play
Oh Poker Hill, it’s winter out
But inside ...it’s Beach Day!
The tradition of Beach Day started back in the 1990’s by a teacher named Amy Wise. 500 pounds of sand were
carried in and dumped on the floor in the gymnasium. Students and teachers wore bathing suits or beach apparel
and came with a change of clothes, ready to splash in the water and play in the sand.
Bread and Frogs
Do you remember Bonnie Bread?
Oh yes, of course we do, they said
And what about frogs?
Do you remember where they go
in the winters when there’s ice and snow?
Why yes, of course, she taught this too
It’s a silly thing, but I’ll tell you
They swim to the bottom of the pond
And find hibernaculum
Their hearts slow down until they’re almost dead
But then they thaw out in the spring
When the peepers start peeping
All over again
It is a most curious thing!
Bonnie MacLeod came to the Poker Hill School in 1985. Her knowledge of the outside world, expertly woven into
masterfully told stories, laid a foundation for various branches of science for many children. Bonnie’s contributions
to the Poker Hill School were many. She was an explorer, storyteller and great baker! The kids still bake “Bonnie
Bread” today. Bonnie currently graces the Poker Hill School on occasion, with her Celtic harp.
Milking
Heave hoe, here we go
A hard thing I am doing
I want to stop, my muscles hurt
But I will keep on going
I’ll try my best
And pitch right in
And eventually,
I’ll get better
Because I
can do
hard
things
The first thing David learned when he came to the Poker Hill School was how to milk Posie. He did this twice a day,
every day, for a year. At first, it took him a long time to fill one bucket. The harder he worked, the better he became.
Soon, there was enough milk at the Poker Hill School for students to drink during snack time, make into yogurt,
cheese, ice cream and even take some home with them at the end of the school day!
Fire
It started on a cold, dark night
sap burned and turned our schoolhouse black
fire-like fingers wrapped around and crumpled it
like paper never meant to give back
But we recycle!
We don’t just throw it away
the Poker Hill Schoolhouse was rebuilt and made better
so we could use it once again one day
This poem is based on a song Buddy Dubay wrote called “We Recycle.” In March of 1983, the original Poker Hill
School burned down. The fire was started due to a stove being left on overnight while reducing sap to make syrup.
The overheated pan caught fire and set the 100 year old school house ablaze. Six months after the fire, the Poker Hill
School was rebuilt. In the meantime, students finished out the year in the basement of the St. Thomas church.
My Teacher
You gave me a stone to hold in my hand
little and nervous was I
You understood how it felt to be small, though you’re tall
I was trying not to cry
You helped me breathe
I held my stone
tight in my little fist
I didn’t know then
But I do know now
You’re like the amethyst
Abby Retzlof , one of Poker Hill’s many teachers, was known for her calming influence and way of connecting with
little ones, especially those unsure of themselves, struggling to adjust to a new routine and school day. Her gentle
guidance was much appreciated.
The Giant Birthday Card
Today I got a card so huge
I’m going to hang it on my bedroom wall!
I told my teacher about the things I loved
And we painted them one and all!
Katina and other Artists in Residence created birthday cards that were truly works of art! Some of these cards
students still remember and talk about fondly today.
Buddy Dubay
There is this guy I know
He is sensitive, wise, and shrewd
He wears a leather jacket and Hawaiian shirts
He’s a musician and a super cool dude
I can count on this guy when I feel cruddy
He’s a rock and roller,
And my teacher, Buddy.
