Settling In

As we complete our first full week of school, the classes are starting to settle into the rhythm of the new year. In the Early Childhood classes, students bring carrots, potatoes, or another favorite vegetable to chop for soup day, and explore the woods and parks on Forest Fridays.

In the Grades classrooms, students are eagerly engaged in their first main lesson block. The block learning approach is one of the hallmarks of Waldorf education. The block rotations of each class have been developed to meet the developmental stage of the students and to deepen their love of learning. A block lasts several weeks with one subject as the focus. These blocks are holistic and often interdisciplinary, with the arts, sciences, history, and literature interwoven into the topic of the block.  Here is a glimpse at the blocks of each class this month:

Grade 1:  Form Drawing - students learn and practice forms and shapes that make up both numbers and letters, laying the foundation for much of the work of first grade.

Grade 2:  Form Drawing - students extend what they mastered last year with more complicated forms that will support the learning of cursive writing, as well as  working with symmetry and left-right spatial integration.

(If interested in learning more about form drawing in Waldorf schools, see the article in the attachment from the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America)

Grade 3/4:  Mathematics - students learn measurement (linear, volume, and weight) with a hands-on approach (they measured the playground!) and the introduction of long division.

Grade 5:  Freehand Geometry - students construct varied geometric forms without the use of tools, with careful attention to beauty and precision.  

Grade 6/7:  Geology - students learn about the structures and movements of the earth and how they impact the landscape and its inhabitants. 

Grade 8:  Physics - students are now in their third year of this subject and are focused on fluid mechanics, aeromechanics, and electricity taught through daily demonstrations and experiments.

Gratefully,
The WSSB Admin Team