Grade 6 Sails the Seas

The Grade 6 class is in the midst of a block about Astronomy. As a part of their studies, the students are wholeheartedly engaged in direct, Earth-based observations of the skies. The lessons blend myths and stories with an emerging scientific understanding of the cosmos. They are exploring the sun, moon, stars, the horizon, and the Earth’s place in space. On Tuesday, they went sailing and viewed the changing horizon line.

Kim John Payne: The Gardener

Last week we reviewed Kim John Payne's early childhood approach to discipline, the Governor.

The next stage he speaks about is the Gardener:

"The reason I use that metaphor of the gardener is that a good gardener watches, a good gardener is very observant, a good gardener is thinking ahead a little bit, but there's some qualities of a good gardener that I particularly want to mention. The reason I think this is somewhat of a useful metaphor is that a good gardener will always plant plants with a little bit of a thinking ahead and a space to grow.

So, a good gardener doesn't overcrowd. A good gardener creates space, creates space so that the plant won't be crowded. Now, the reason that metaphor is good, when our children hit nine, 10, 11, 12, maybe even eight as a transitional time, is that they really want to have their voices be heard.

A good gardener will understand that a child's not a baby anymore, but they're sure not teenagers either. And so, it's got to do with creating space for a voice to be heard, for plans to be run by you. A good gardener knows the shape of the garden.

So, a good gardener will still, at the end of the day, make a decision. But there is an openness to having a nine or 10- or 11-year-old really have their say but have their say in a way that is respectful. A good gardener will certainly want the garden to express itself." - Kim John Payne

You can listen to his podcast about the Gardener below. The recording of Kim’s presentation on January 12 is now on the website in the Parent Portal (password: waldorfsb) under Festivals, Performances and Events Photo & Video Gallery.

Middle Childhood and the Wise Parent Gardener

Big Buddies

On Wednesday, the 7th and 8th graders visited the Lavender Rose class to play on the playground together and to read books. It was a rewarding experience for both classes.