On Windy Hill

Clay in the First and Third Grades ...

The first graders have been working in pairs, small groups, and finally the whole class together on a clay landscape with water, mountains, bridges, and boats. Learning to work collaboratively through the fluidity of clay is one of the goals of sculptural arts. The day before the third graders built a fire in a pit they had dug. They carefully placed in their clay instruments, rattles, drums, and whistles, made in the previous weeks. When the fire was at its peak, dirt was thrown on to smother the fire so that the pit kiln smoked for the rest of the day. The pots were marked in black and white and there were even irridescent flashes! At the end of the day, the third graders took apart the kiln with shovels and tongs as if they were opening presents out of the earth. We sang, " The earth, the air, the fire, the water, return, return, return, return, " a Native American chant.

Waldorf Sixth Graders Present at Next Generation Environmental Fair

A delegation of WSP sixth graders participated in this year's Next Generation Environmental Fair, held at the Princeton Public Library on Saturday, February 11. For a few hours that afternoon, students from public and independent elementary, middle, and high schools all came together to share their school's various sustainability initiatives. Along with Ms. Cunningham, our students presented their project on garden crop rotation. 

WSP Alumni Bring German Version of Kickball to Fifth Grade

Alumni Karrin Pearson '00 and Andrew Elmaleh '02 introduced the fifth grade to a German version of kickball last week. As the garden sleeps, students in the third and fifth grades took part in a host of other activities, which our alumni helped to facilitate.

A Fine Day for Tapping Trees ...

The ratio is 40 gallons of sap per 1 gallon of maple syrup--and so the third graders had their work cut out for them this afternoon, hand-drilling maple trees they'd marked in the fall (when the leaves were still visible!), hammering spiles (spouts), and connecting buckets and tubing. The students were kind enough to share some of the science involved--that the south-facing side of the tree gets the most sun (warmth), and is therefore the best place to tap; also, the trees are not harmed in the tapping process. They're used to it, as evidenced by some local woodpeckers' attempts higher up the trunk (they're looking for bugs, not quite as tasty on pancakes). After a few weeks, the buckets should hold enough sap to boil down. No doubt the sweetest maple syrup is the one you make yourself!  

 

A Place to Roost

Third graders began building birdhouses yesterday with the help of alumni Karrin Pearson and Andrew Elmaleh, using handsaws to cut planks of wood to measurement. While students waited for their turn to saw, they worked on their main lesson books, depicting the process of turning flax fibers into linen.

First Snowmen of Winter!

Children in the Afternoon Garden Program were thrilled with their play yard's new winter landscape. Building muddy snowmen takes team work indeed! 

A Different Spin on Clothing

Ms. Sacalis treated the third grade today to a spinning wheel demonstration. The class, who among many other subjects this year studies the history of human dwellings and farming, had experienced cleaning and carding raw wool prior to Ms. Sacalis's visit, and enjoyed watching her transform fluffy roving into spun yarn. Ms. Sacalis shared her memories of preparing and spinning fibers as a young girl, and showed the children examples of dyed and knitted garments that were made with handspun yarns. For more details on the third grade curriculum, click here.

 

Winter Spiral

This weekend's Winter Spiral provided the scent of fresh pine, gentle music, and the eventual conquering of darkness for the Kindergartners, First Graders, Second Graders and those in our community wishing to participate. The richness of the experience will certainly carry us through the darkness of the season. 

Lantern Walk Weekend

The Early Childhood Classes and Grades 1 and 2 enjoyed their annual Lantern Walks this weekend. The walks were followed by songs, stories, warm cider and tasty baked potatoes!

Dads Learn to Knit at Back-to-School Night!

Last night, WSP handwork teacher Kristen Daley cast on with second grade parents, demonstrating the knitting portion of the year's curriculum. Rumor has it, a WSP Dads' Knitting Group is not far behind!!