6/1

Dear Family and Friends,

At the eighth grade graduation, the faculty sang the following words by Graham Nash; "Teach your parents well... And feed them on your dreams... and know they love you." This sentiment supports a picture from our recent camping trip to Cape Disappointment. The trip gave a beautiful picture of the emerging teenager as their inner world is hearing the call to change and grow.

Despite the driving wind and rain, our seventh graders were pleased as ducks in a pond to take their shoes off and play in the foamy shoreline. They ran with joy to the edge of the solid world, facing thousands of miles of storms and deep waters. The great unknown awaits. Facing this threshold, they did exactly what healthy teenagers do; test that boundary. They hauled heavy rounds and logs to the shore break to set up makeshift piers to stand on. Arm in arm they stood, facing the approaching freezing waters.

From great distances, the waves made their final motion upon the shores. The patchwork piers of the students often kept them triumphantly above the water. With swelling confidence, they could quickly move the logs further out toward the waves. The boundary continues to move and the children continue to grow. At times, the structures that hold them up fail and they are sent running toward the shore where safety and loving adults await. Screams and laughter were the music of this "play" on this beach where the mighty Columbia River dances with the great Pacific Ocean.

The chaperones and I marveled at how harmonious and joyful the students were. It was said by another chaperone that "I am sure there is a lot of learning going on here, but I don't know exactly what it is." I recon there was learning taking place among the students, but I think there was more learning taking place in me as an adult, witnessing a precious moment in time. These growing people were able to let their guard down and just "BE." I think that their being comfortable to be themselves in a healthy situation, pushing boundaries, is exactly what they should be doing. Their capacity to just "be" was awe inspiring and I felt very lucky to share in this experience.   

3/13

2/24

Dear friends of seventh grade,

Winter has returned to the North West as a soft blanket of snow wraps itself on the ground.  These moments call for us to look with wide eyes at the world around us.  This looking is like the sound that accompanies a quick breath in; a harmonious movement just before the release of a cloud of swirling vapor.  Falling snow, our breath and the pulsing ocean all reveal unique qualities of water that have been a part of our chemistry exploration.  The way water moves, is heated, and its role in the human body have been topics that we have been illuminating.  In addition, the role that salt plays in the world and in our body has given us a picture of balance that the wisdom of our human form perpetually works with.  Why is salt from the store white?  If salt comes from the sea, then why are there “salt domes” on land?  These questions and more have led us on a creative path of knowledge and discovery in the chemistry block.  This path has shown us that chemistry does not just happen in a laboratory with scientists and elaborate equipment.  Chemistry encompasses the building blocks of life and these same elements that are in me, are in you and all other living organisms in the known universe.

In other news, the play practice of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory brings an atmosphere of levity and movement into the classroom.  Students seem to revel in the joy of laughter and play that balances the other areas of intense academic striving. 

Our upcoming block will be a hands on and artistic look at algebra.  We will jump into the history of secret brotherhoods that saw math as an expression of the world of thought.  We will construct tools, try out proofs of theorems from different cultures and express the visual beauty that numbers symbolize.  The intent is to introduce these topics so that students will become curious and confident learners as they delve into the unknown.   

2/13

Dear Friends,

In seventh grade, we are mixing and awakening to chemistry in our current block.  The elements of combustion have been illuminated by Dale Heidal and his experience with fire science.  There were some exciting moments when gas was lit and the flames were high.  We were able to relate the process of fire and oxidation with our own digestive system.  We can also relate to the carbon cycle as we wrote poetry to trace the journey of a carbon atom that has become part of our body.  The students wrote about epic sweeps of time and space to illustrate the movement of a single carbon atom through the elements of solid, liquid, gas and fire.  The important connection is being drawn between the elements and atoms that we share with every other living organism.  The polarities of acids and bases in the pH scale are being explored as the students are also exploring their own relationships and polar tendencies.  Chemical reactions are also reflected in different personality types coming together.  These processes of acids and bases are constantly finding a dynamic balance in our own bodies as we also live between the forces of life and death.    

The students also continued to explore the somewhat hidden realm of what ingredients are in our food.  Brian Gregory invited us into his home to roast, and taste some coffee.  We talked about the importance of the connection to the places where the beans are produced and processed.  In addition, their poster projects are currently presented in the middle school foyer. There is a good balance of artistic work and scientific exploration to uncover where ingredients come from.  The ability to uncover seemingly complex terms and chemicals showed a real maturity in their ability to teach themselves.  There is a motion toward seeking truth rather than having a passive attitude toward what the world presents us.  This is the mood of an artist who is actively observing the world which is so often taken for granted.  Through this study and through honing their senses, the students are developing skills that will allow them to adapt to the rapidly changing world of tomorrow. 

-Keenan Hand 



1/9/11

Dear friends,

The seventh grade is coming to a critical part of the grand journey that sweeps from the Animal Kingdom, to the Plant Kingdom, to the Mineral Kingdom to the mysterious realm of the Human.  The workings of the human physical body are familiar and hidden at the same time.  For example, we all eat and digest food every day, but how often do we stop to think about the transformation that food goes through?  While demonstrating understanding of basic anatomy, the students have written humorous accounts of food passing through the digestive organs.  We will take this a step further by considering the social value of food and by expanding our ideas of nutrition. 

The physical body is a good starting point for many issues of self awareness.  The study of the reproductive systems have given us the precious opportunity to talk to explore our own births and how we came to be in our families.  Relationships have also been a topic of discussion.  We have focused on what it can mean to be a good friend.  The students were able to verbalize what a balanced relationship is like and we related this to other kinds of relationships.  This and other subjects that are of a personal nature have offered many opportunities for maturity and inner growth on their part.  I have been extremely proud of the way that the students have handled themselves in a classroom environment with heightened sensitivities. 

12/12

http://vimeo.com/1535001

Dear Friends,

I have attached a link to a short video that attempts to show what a Steiner or Waldorf School is.  Some of the speakers and teachers were people that I worked with in my training in the UK.  I especially liked to see another "Roman Road" project.  It is interesting to hear a foreign perspective on these international schools.  At Olympia, we are gearing up for our own Curriculum Fair that will include a panel of Alumni and Waldorf graduates.  This is a very important opportunity for parents to come and get a first hand experience of our pedagogy, the thinking behind the approach and to hear from graduates who can give you a feeling for what students can gain from this education.  Check the bulletin for more information and mark Saturday the fifth of February, 10am on your calendars.  This will be an exciting event to take part in!   

In seventh grade, we are developing our sense of speech and writing.  As part of this study, we have been experiencing the difference between the statement, question, exclamation, and command.  While observing and writing to a plant each day, the students have been exercising their writing voices.  A bit of quiet observation in the natural setting can be very inspiring as a writer.  Some students have asked their plants if they are afraid of the storm.  Some pondered where the plant has come from and where it is going in the future.  All of this work in observation and thought have lent toward a strong foundational sense for speech.  A reflective mood and the power of words work together to allow the students to grow in confidence as writers. 

In addition to the creative approach to writing, we have also been looking at what an effective paragraph and essay structure can be.  The students have been revisiting their goals as they write letters to the parents in a well structured and thoughtful way.  The challenge for students at this age is to be able to stay with a thought for longer than a sentence or two.  The ability to open a topic, illustrate the theme in different ways and drive home the point, is an important skill that will help them in high school and beyond.   We are working on their ability to have the structural skill to express their wonderful ideas in a way that others can connect to or read with feeling and understanding.  "So, like, dude!" is an example of ways that some talk to their friends on the phone or on the playground.  We are striving for an elevated and respectful speech in school so that they can be heard and respected by a wide range of people. 

12/5

Dear Friends,

I would like to thank everyone who helped at the Enchanted Winter Fair; especially Jennifer Harner, Kim and John Gonczar.  All who I have spoken to about the event, agree: it was a great success.  I remember walking in the cool sunny weather, past the crackling campfire and the spry cookie elves, on the way to tell stories in the Kinderhaus.  There was warm encounters, beautiful music and a welcoming atmosphere.  These quiet moments of work and conversation seem to bring the feeling of community in a natural way.  I felt very happy to be connected to these people and this place. 

In seventh grade, we are rounding out our Geometry block.  The Geometry block included a test in which the students requested letter grades.  This brought a good opportunity to discuss what grades really reflect and what the positive/negative impact can be.  I reminded them that the subject material was still new and would be revisited.  I also mentioned that grades don't always show how much effort a student has put in and how much they have improved.   The beautiful projects that are on display in the Middle School Foyer show that they were able to focus and do something with the knowledge.  This ability is much more alive than simple facts and calculations.  The students also received a block report that should be signed and returned. 

From the objective nature of fractions and angles, we are entering the world of words and the English language.  We will develop our sense of style and poetry so that their writing can continue to grow.  We are relating different sentence types such as a statement, command, question and exclamation to the ancient understanding of the four elements.  We are also listening to poetry and learning about meter.  This time of writing will be a playful and reflective time to carry the Logos into this winter season.