School updates

         Well, despite the small numbers at our Michealmas festival (The Tesserau's and us) we had a fantastic time! We made swords, crowns, meteors (out of tinfoil w/ streamers) ate caramel apples(made from scratch, my own, home made "corn syrup") and had our play!  It seems everyone had a great time and felt a part of the whole festival. Xavier and Hunter were both St.Micheal(I read the lines) Morgan and Deva were the princesses who were offered up to the dragon. And the Dragon was Adom, Christopher and Tyler. We sang, acted out the story and threw our meteors! I would say, it was a success!

         So, I am finally finishing up my first blocks of the year!  With Tyler, we began with an English block. It has gone nicely, hand in hand with his English class that he attends once a week. We went over adjectives, adverbs, positives,comparatives and superlatives.Much is review and some is at least, new terminology. One thing about Waldorf education is that a lot is covered in the early years, there just are not many terms set to the actual work. This is so not to bombard with too much information and dull the mind so it doesn't shut down. Typically , artistic activity is the medium at which these often "boring" topics are presented. But, I have been a bit challenged with incorporating more artistic ways of presenting to an Eighth grader. I plan to work on finding more beauty in bringing the work to Tyler. I think next week we will get into some Astronomy and Meteorology that we did not cover last year.We can do more outside with this. And make some nice drawings and models!
Tyler is taking a math class also. I had hoped not to have to do too much with him on this, but, nonetheless... as a homeschooler, I need to still work with him. It is so challenging for me. I am a mathaphobe! (is that a word??) So, Saul Khan via the Khan academy, gives Tyler some hope and sparks interest. This is such an awesome website! It has everything and it's Free!! http://www.khanacademy.org.

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Vimala Alphabet

     With Morgan, we have been covering the Vimala alphabet.  The book I have been working from with this, is "Soul development through Handwriting". It has been wonderful!! It is not our traditional cursive writing. Many letters are different than what we are used to, yet some are similar to what we know. The letters themselves, when practiced, work on us. Specific letters work on different issues such as, self- worth, dealing with others, stubbornness, and so much more. Here is a good example which is done by the woman, Jennifer Crebbin, who wrote the book we use. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLOP9BvshWI .

The Cover page for the Seven Days of Creation

So, we have been studying Old Testament stories. We have painted and are finishing up our book of creation, which we painted with wet-on-wet watercolors and are writing a short description in the newly learned Vimala alphabet. It is looking beautiful!!

We've been working on our upper tables. Mostly 6-12. We will continue this all year. It has been fun to write out our numbers on the parking lot with sidewalk chalk and walk or skip them so to get them into the body....not just the mind. I'm sure I will have to keep working on fun ways to make these times tables fresh.

God said:" Let there be light", and so there was light.

Also, Adam and Eve and the expulsion from the Garden of Eden was told. This is a big story for children. It goes right along with what is going on in the life of an eight year old, going on nine. Moving from the innocent world of being protected by Mother and Father(God ,in the story) and having their awareness move to the bigger world. Their eyes are open more, so to speak. They are more aware of their bodies(like Adam and Eve) ready to do more for themselves. Cook, build, create.Something Adam and Eve had to do once they left the Garden of Eden.

For direction medicine wheels, made with beeswax and willow.

 We also told some Native American creation stories and did some crafts, also aiding us in learning the 4 directions.
I think our next block will be a farming one. We will visit farms and work our own soil here at home and learn about animals. More outside time!! Hooray! Maybe we will even get that chicken coop built!!