Grades 1-8
Enrollment
- Being personally acquainted with a number of Waldorf students, I can
say that they come closer to realizing their own potential than practically
anyone I know.
-
Professor Joseph Weizenbaum, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology
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Waldorf Education
Within the curriculum we strive to balance and awaken the whole child -- the head, the heart and the hands. The timing and introduction of academic instruction is designed to parallel, support and enhance the child's natural, inborn developmental readiness. Daily and weekly rhythms stimulate an inner discipline, strengthening the child's ability to make choices and to face today's challenges with courage and confidence. Integrated in all lessons is a nurturing and strengthening of the child's curiosity and imagination, as well as enlivening their sense for beauty, enthusiasm for learning and respect and reverence for life. |
Enthusiasm and interest are awakened in the child as the teacher brings life into a subject. Children create their own books, which they illustrate, as well. The teacher strives to be a worthy guide and guardian of important qualities which ensure life-long learning: Wonder and reverence for all that lives; gratitude and respect for efforts and accomplishments of others; and responsibility for one's ever-increasing free and self-disciplined actions.
Science...
- ...education grows from a mood of reverence and delight toward the
living earth, experienced in the seasonal festivals, nature stories and
outings in the early grades. Natural curiosity leads to the study of
animals in Grade Four and plant life in Grade Five. As students' interest in
how things work grows, physics is introduced. By the end of Grade Eight,
they have discovered principles of mineralology, astronomy, physiology,
chemistry and physics.
Language Arts...
- ...begin in the rich sounds and pictures of storytelling tradition.
Letters are discovered through imagination and pictures in nature. Children
write and illustrate from stories they have been told, creating their own
books and readers. Poetry, creative writing, oral
storytelling, drama, and reading of imaginative literature gives the child a solid
foundation for listening, speaking and writing.
Mathematics....
- ... progresses with rhythmic movement, counting songs, number experiences and games in
the early grades. Children discover geometry in themselves and the world around
them. By the time they enter the middle school they have developed skills and
confidence in math to allow for success in their continued advancement into
algebra and beyond. Abilities are continuously strengthened through mental
math practice and
solving math problems from real life.
History...
- ...gives a broad overview of culture through the ages. Children as early as
Kindergarten age begin to experience history through story, rhyme and verse. Fairytales
tell of a time and place in archetypal pictures. Later, the world is seen
through the mythologies of different cultures around the world. Fables
and stories of saints and other legendary figures paint a picture through time
while introducing children to the possibility of great personal
accomplishment. A thorough study of ancient history continues from
pre-Christian times, to the Dark and Middle ages, through the Renaissance
until the students meet the modern times in Eighth Grade.
Geography...
- ...takes the children into the wider world. Their first explorations
are closer to home, examining their local community, then state and region.
Eventually they expand to the continent and the earth. Out of these studies
comes a foundation for global understanding.
Special Subject Teachers...
- Music -- Choir, instrumental, theory
- Foreign language -- Spanish
- Eurythmy -- A form of movement experienced with poetry and music
- Physical Education -- Games and special skills
- Handwork -- Knitting, crocheting, needlework, weaving, sewing, wood and clay.
...complement the work of the class teacher. We offer:
Our faculty are trained in Waldorf Education and devote special attention to each child as they move with their class through the grades.
P.O. Box 469
Clinton, WA 98236
360-341-686