Ages 8&9
9am – 2:00pm Thursdays and Fridays
Scroll down to view more detailed class descriptions for this age group.
Thursdays & Fridays
Students join us on Thursdays and Fridays from 9am to 2:00pm for a Waldorf-inspired schedule that includes yoga, music, language arts, math, science, garden, nature study, snack and lunch time, and outdoor play times.
During Circle Time the teacher will lead the class through fun movement games, songs, math exercises, and poetry recitation.
Language Arts main lessons will be based on Animal Fables, Trickster Tales, Native American literature, Hebrew peoples, stories of wonder, and some Fairy Tales not covered in the previous years. Storytelling, art activities, practice with writing, spelling, poetry, and public speaking may all be infused into this time and the teacher will differentiate instruction based on student skill-level. Grammar lessons will include parts of speech and types of sentences.
Math will continue with the four processes — addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. They will also be working with graphing skills, skip counting, measurement, place value review and expansion, history of money and study of time. Math also has an artistic component.
Snack and lunch times, and outdoor times, will be incorporated into the day so that students have a natural balance of active play time and time to quietly focus.
Part of our outdoor time will be free play, and the other part will be focused on gardening and nature studies where students will be exposed to topics such as flower and plant studies, pollinators, insects, nature crafts and more.
Music will focus on singing (breath-centric). Students will learn and perform stories through music.
Yoga class for kids looks much different from yoga class for adults! Through movement, mindfulness, music, and breath, we will come together to cultivate a joyful calm; and set the stage for a day of learning and fun.
Art will consist of a variety of activities ranging from crafts, puppets, drawing, painting, modeling, and handwork. Art is the foundation for creativity and innovation, it can be centered on a theme or free flowing, and it’s also a time to teach children to take pride in their work and to sometimes move at a slower, more peaceful, pace. Ms. Judy will guide students in their handwork/art.
Form Drawing is an exercise in which students practice a freehand drawing of a form or figure. For example, students may practice drawing spirals in the air, on paper, with the right hand and left hand, and sometimes with their toes! Form drawing is believed to help develop the fine motor skills as a preparation and support for writing. It strengthens hand-eye coordination, and form drawing also works in the other direction — the movement of the hand also educates the brain. Form drawing is also a form of art and gets more and more complex as the child ages thereby developing the aesthetic sense. It also teaches thinking but in a non-intellectual way; it trains the intelligence to be flexible, able to follow and understand a complicated line of thought.
Preparation and celebrations of Festivals and Seasons is a time to prepare for, learn about, and celebrate upcoming festivals and seasons. This will be a time for storytelling, art, crafting, literature, poetry, song, and excitement. Examples of festivals or seasonal days include Martinmas, Michaelmas, Christmas, Candlemas, St. Nicholas Day, May Day, and more. We will work on crafts and art projects to further enhance your family celebrations at home. We will not focus on the religious aspects at school, but encourage you to do so at home or make it your own in however works best for your family. These special festivals are integral to the rhythm of life and passing of the seasons. In celebrating seasonal holidays, the goal is to develop in the child (and adult) a sense of the rhythm of the seasons and the passage of time, and a sense that there is something bigger than himself.
Even more than that, though, we take these moments as opportunities to show gratitude both for the time we’ve been granted together, and anticipation of the gifts of time that lies ahead.
Waldorf Answers explains our focus on festivals further:
“Seasonal festivals serve to connect humanity with the rhythms of nature and of the cosmos. The festivals originated in ancient cultures, yet have been adapted over time. To join the seasonal moods of the year, in a festive way, benefits the inner life of the soul. Celebrating is an art. There is joy in the anticipation, the preparation, the celebration itself, and the memories.”