Class News - Spring 2010
Handwork
The Waldorf Handwork curriculum has many important
goals: to develop eye-hand coordination, patience,
patterning and simple math skills, concentration, and
creativity of design –and to strengthen the work ethic.
Developing the will in children is discussed by Rudolf
Steiner and by Waldorf teachers of today, and is often
cited as one of the main reasons for integrating
Handwork into the elementary school grade curriculum.
Through repeated hard work with classes meeting twice
a week through the school year, students complete
several projects all by themselves, which are both
beautiful and purposeful. Overcoming frustrations when
problems arise is also an important outcome of student
work. Ripping ‘mistakes’ out and starting over is at first
a huge challenge, which is later transformed into
something the child is much more proud of!
Students start in first grade with the simple knitting
stitches to create simple projects like their pentatonic
flute cases. They go on to perfect technical skills in more
complicated knitting, crocheting, sewing embroidery
and design work through grades one to three. They
design their handwork project bags, which are
beautifully embellished with embroidery. In the fourth
grade and beyond, more distinctive individual
capabilities are developed with increasingly complicated
designs. Knitting mittens, socks and sweater projects are
now on four needles and in the round. The sixth grade
makes original stuffed dolls with exquisite detailing and
clothing. In the seventh and eighth grade students
undertake more difficult work with the drawing, design
and fabrication of stuffed animals; making a transition
from working two dimensionally to three dimensionally
(working flat to sculpturally). In the eighth grade
machine sewing is taught and students make a garment
for themselves as well as a group project. This year the
seventh and eighth graders are making a patchwork
quilt of their own design. Machine sewing complements
their study of the industrial revolution.
Marianne McCann
Handwork Teacher, Grades 1-8
Movement education
A cluster of villagers huddles excitedly in their barn—
they are 1st graders in our school's playhouse. In a
moment, they'll hear the cry they look forward to but
also fear: two other first graders, playing Ice Wizards,
are going try to turn them into statues of ice by tagging
them. When the Ice Wizards finally break their cover
and give chase, one gets a sense that these zooming,
smiling 6 and 7-year-olds are fully living in the moment,
like a school of fish swimming in a lake.
The children come alive and are more alert in class when
we balance class experience with healthy outbreaths of
movement; from first grade imaginative chasing games,
hand-clapping challenges and tumbling to fifth grade,
when we enter the Greek Pentathlon events of long
jump, discus, and javelin. In 7th grade, we move to
introduction to sports, a challenge now craved and
ready for. We also explore fencing with wooden staves,
Partner dance, and Improv Theater. Through movement
activities we strive for students to be comfortable in their
changing bodies, confident that they can face challenges,
and cognizant of the social side of games and sports. The
children learn that helping themselves and others shine
brings a great deal both to the game, and to the world
we share.
Torsti Rovainen
Movement Teacher
Woodworking
At Wellspring, students from fourth to eighth grade are
participating in the woodworking program. All students
learn to use basic hand tools starting with carving
knives. Tools are professionally sharp and real—
learning respect and care –for the tools and internalizing
safe practices—being loving to one’s own body—is a
most important part of this class.
The children are shaping and sculpting useful and
beautiful objects; from little toy mice to bowls, spoons,
stools and elaborate relief carvings in the eighth grade.
Envisioning a shape—three-dimensionally—in a raw
block of wood and learning to surrender to a step-bystep
process is important; as important as using the
body in a healthy way as an extension of the tools used
in creation of the object.
One of the most significant aspects of this class is the
ever-present need to learn both patience and
perseverance.
Heinz Rathmann
Woodworking Teacher
Spanish
In the first three grades, foreign language is taught in a
purely oral form, through songs, stories, games, poems,
skits, and short conversations. Movement, group
response, and rhythmic repetition within a predictable
structure serve to meet the needs of the child in first and
second grade. As the child matures in the third grade
more individual responses and increasingly expanded
vocabulary meets the needs of the child. In fourth and
fifth grades the children begin and continue reading and
writing in addition to their oral work. There are still
verses, poems, games, songs, but here the children work
in a Spanish lesson book. Grammar is introduced, and
the lesson becomes increasingly focused on the balance
between conversation, reading, and written language.
The children at this age are ripe and ready for this work
to begin, as the groundwork has been laid in earlier
grades. In the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades the work
becomes more challenging through vocabulary
expansion, more complex stories, grammar, reading, and
translation. The students are asked to discover the rules
underlying the structure of the language. This
lengthening of work that requires thinking and use of
the language in practical ways reflects the child’s
increasing capacity for analytical thought.
As the child moves through the grades, the Spanish
curriculum parallels the Main Lesson in meeting and
challenging developmental stages along the way.
On April 15th, Grades 1-8 will offer an Assembly
presenting El Mercado Latino, a Latin American style
marketplace that reflects some of the work we have been
doing in each class.
Senora Spiegel
Spanish Teacher
Strings
We have had an exciting year with the Strings program.
Highlights include Jen Nelson’s class beginning the
violin, Dana Cudney’s class starting their first reading
ensemble, and the proliferation of the chamber
ensembles. Children begin by playing simple songs in
unison on the violin and eventually playing in a larger
ensemble, then in a chamber ensemble where each
musician is alone on their part. The remainder of this
outlines some special events that I have planned for this
busy spring season.
On April 1, I am playing a benefit concert for Haiti at the
Three Stallion Inn along with Amos Byrne, Marcia
Cassidy, Roland Clark, Emiko George, Michele George,
and David Horak Concert begins at 6:00. All are invited
to attend.
On April 2, Michele George will be at Wellspring to offer
group classes and private lessons to everyone during the
school day. She was here this past November.
On Wednesday, April 7, seventh and eighth graders Amos
Byrne, Moriah Post-Kinney, and Rose Pytte will be
participating in the String Sectionals while Leland
Goodenough, Maia Lavoy, and Kate Mazzarella
participate in the Chorus Sectionals. There will be a 7
PM concert at the South Royalton School to which all are
invited.
On Tuesday, May 18, Pam Reit will be at Wellspring to
offer group classes and private lessons during the school
day. She will then help lead another benefit concert for
Haiti involving all Wellspring students.
On Thursday, June 3, we have our Strings Concert, and
on Friday June 11, we can hear more string music at
graduation.
From June 22 to 24, is the annual Summer Music Camp.
We have a great team of instructors (all of whom were
here last year) coming from far away places including
Montreal, California, and Kentucky and more local
places in Vermont. The instructors arrange their
summers’ in order to be a part of our camp, teaching
Wellspring students as well as other players. Further
information is available at www.nesuzuki.org.
Many thanks for the support that this school provides
these unique Music programs.
Peter Blum
Strings Teacher |
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