Before I get into what we did last week, let’s fast forward to the busy upcoming weeks.
- On Tuesday, Sept 29 we will celebrate Michaelmas during school. This is a festival where we gather strength in our will to do that which must be done, whether it be harvesting the fields, making your bed, learning letters, or slaying the dragon. The entire school will gather together to get work done about the building and grounds. Children should wear red to school, if possible.
- Optional Early Dismissal on Friday, Oct 2 will be postponed again to 1:20 pm in Arrigo Park, as the children will be rehearsing the pageant for Harvest Fest during that time. Please let me know if you will be picking up early.
- Harvest Fest – Saturday, Oct 3, 11:00-2:00 at City Garden (920 W 19th Street). All first graders must arrive by 11:00 and wear white and yellow to perform in the Michaelmas pageant. There will be lots of great activities, including apple pressing, butter making, wool processing, pumpkin sale, and more!
- Parent Evening – Wednesday, Oct 7, 7:00-9:00pm. Please acquire “The Soul of Discipline” by Kim John Payne, as we will be using it in our discussions. Take a look at chapter 1 in preparation for our parent evening.
This week we worked with the Grimm’s tale “The Golden Goose.” This is a Simpleton story, where the youngest son is not a clever as his brothers, but wins out in the end due to all the people he befriends through generosity and kindness. In this Simpleton tale, he chops down a tree and inside is a goose with feathers of pure gold. The letter T we got from the tree (can you see it?) and the G from the golden goose. This is also a very funny story, and we acted it out on Friday to much delight. We now have letters A, S, T, and G. Words are starting to go up on the board. We’ll be collecting them as we gain more letters, adding more to each word family. It’s all very exciting, even for those who are already readers.
Fairy tales from all cultures have long been the teachers of ethics. They are filled with vibrant images portraying qualities we value, such as steadfastness, courage, compassion, appreciation for nature, and a feeling for community. Foreign tales give children a flavor of the other and at the same time underline commonality. While I direct the children towards specific parts of the story for academic content (letters) or a more social lesson (kindness), I also give space for the images and impressions of the story to wash over them and see what resonates.
Many years ago when I was in Waldorf teacher training, one of my instructors said that it is the grade school teacher’s job to make the children laugh and cry every day. First graders are just now starting to explore their inner life of feelings. I help them on this journey by showing them extremes and guiding them to balance. This is one of the reasons we teach using the arts. Drawing, painting, acting, and singing each have their own qualities, but they all help the child in the realm of feelings. The main tool I use to elicit joy or sorrow is the story. We’re not speaking here of tears of frustration, but rather that profound, compassionate connect to the suffering of other. Can their hearts connect to the hardships of the characters in the story? Likewise, can they also feel the relief, joy, or humor? In first grade, we are just beginning to tread this path, using fairy tales as a gateway. My job is not to make the path easy and delightful, like a sunny stroll through the park, but to remove major hindrances along the way so they may climb the mountain.