Dianne McConville Weiss is on the Planning Committee of the Transcendentalism Council of First Parish in Concord; she was the lead organizer for Concord’s Margaret Fuller Bicentennial. She served on the Board of Directors of The Thoreau Society. A Developmental Psychology specialist, Ms. Weiss conducted program evaluation research through Tufts University and for the State of Vermont Child Care Services Division. She has also published creative writing.

Bringing Thoreau to Life for Young Readers with Donna Marie Przybojewski

December 15, 2021

Dianne Weiss and Victor Curran

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The Thoreau Society (thoreausociety.org) is a Concord-based organization with members all over the world. One of the most dedicated is Donna Marie Przybojewski, who teaches at St. Benedict Catholic School in Garfield Heights, Ohio. Five years ago, she set out to share her passion for the author of Walden—“not just [to] introduce Henry to children, but to help them develop a relationship with him.”

The result was “Saunter the Year with Henry David Thoreau,” a year-long, interdisciplinary curriculum for kindergarten through eighth grade students. (In the classroom she often appears in character as Henry, beard and all.) Resources for such an ambitious curriculum were scarce, so Donna Marie began writing and illustrating books for elementary and middle school readers, presenting vignettes of Thoreau’s life and describing his ideas in age-appropriate ways.

Saltbox Kitchen: Rooted in Concord

After ten years in business, Saltbox Kitchen remains deeply rooted in the community it calls home. The welcoming West Concord café serves seasonal, globally inspired fare made with ingredients from Saltbox Farm, chef Ben Elliott’s ten-acre family farm just a few miles away. Stop in for a freshly baked pastry and coffee, linger over lunch, or sample a beer from Saltbox Brewery—Concord’s only craft brewery. But Saltbox offers more than good food. Through creative partnerships with neighboring West Concord businesses, it continues to strengthen the lively, close-knit character of the community. Every meal supports Elliott’s determined effort to preserve Saltbox Farm as a working agricultural landscape, using organic and regenerative practices. At Saltbox, visiting a local restaurant becomes a delicious way to support an entire community and help keep Concord farming.

The Fall Issue is Here!

It’s Fall - time to venture out and explore the places, people, and stories that make this region so special. Begin by planning a day out with our special insert, “An Apple Picking Road Trip.” Our second special guide invites you to spend a day exploring West Concord. Discover the fascinating lives Henry David Thoreau lived after leaving Walden Pond and encounter a possible Hawthorne family curse, a forgotten Yankee hero, and Ruth Robinson Wheeler. And of course, concerts, exhibitions, festivals, walks, talks, and family activities await you throughout the season. Turn to “Things to See & Do this Fall” and “Arts Around Town” for all the details. Happy fall.

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19 Things to Do This Fall

Autumn is filled with amazing things to do this year! Here are 19 of them that you won't want to miss.

Dianne Weiss

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Bringing Thoreau to Life for Young Readers with Donna Marie Przybojewski