Douglas
10:00am – 3:00pm Fridays
Douglas / Ages 9 - 11
Scroll down to view more detailed class descriptions for our 9-10 age group.
Main Lesson Teacher: Shannon Collier
Students join us on Fridays from 10:00am to 3:00pm for a Waldorf-inspired schedule that includes: Main Lesson, Theater, Lunch, Gardening, and Yoga/Mindfulness.
MAIN LESSON- The main lesson is a deep dive into a subject for a period of time. Important skills will be incorporated, such as writing and composition, grammar, literature, the arts, math, vocabulary, spelling, and more. Example topics include: Everglades and Florida Habitats, National Parks, States and Capitals, Area and Perimeter, Rube Goldberg Machines, and more. This class will include engaging projects and activities to reinforce each topic. Additional main lesson activities are outlined below.
Artistic Projects- There will be a focus on artistic activities that encourage the child’s natural sense of beauty and color.
Outdoor and Recess Times- These activities will be incorporated into the day so that students have a natural balance of active play time and time to quietly focus.
THEATER- In this theater course, students will be encouraged to embrace their inner performer with optimal performance opportunities, improv games, and theater history. Students will also learn what goes into the behind the scenes process of being in a performance. Students will gain confidence, as well as social and communication skills while working as a group or independently.
GARDENING- Gardening will not only provide students with practical, hands-on experiences that immerse students in the world of food, nature, and community, but also will serve as a powerful tool for addressing pressing issues such as climate change, public health, and social inequality. Beyond the educational value, gardening instills invaluable life lessons and offers a joyful experience for kids of all ages.
YOGA/MINDFULNESS- This class begins with an alignment-based yoga practice to build strength, mobility, and body awareness. We then take those physical skills to our mental and emotional lives. We learn skills to help us regulate emotions, navigate fear, increase self-compassion and self-confidence, and strengthen our relationships.
WALDORF FESTIVALS
Our students spend time preparing for Waldorf festivals and holidays. These are special times to learn about and celebrate. 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.
“The original idea of any sacred festival is to make the human being look upward from his dependence on earthly things to those things that transcend the Earth.” – Rudolf Steiner
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.”