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Preparing for Life, is a new documentary film about the Waldorf School of the Peninsula, produced by Potential SF. For children to lead successful lives in any sector of our society, whether that's in technology, the arts, education or the public sector, they will need the capacities for creativity, resiliency and innovative thinking, all diverse skills that transcend disciplines and foster high levels of social and emotional intelligence. Preparing for Life, captures the essence of how Waldorf School of the Peninsula prepares students to be '21st century smart'. It takes a comprehensive look at Waldorf School of Peninsula though scenes from the classroom; parent, teacher, and alumni interviews; student work and performances; and sports, festivals and community events.
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 Mulberry is the highlight of our week. Being a stay at home parent can be isolating, particularly with a toddler, but our mornings spent with Mary at Mulberry always fill our buckets. In an age of phones and virtual communication, it is such a privilege to do work with my hands while my child plays independently. She loves the routines of our school morning and she talks about them throughout the week. The songs have made their way into our daily lives! We've built friendships with other parents and we've both learned from the wisdom of our "classmates". Mary is an exceptional educator who makes everyone feel welcome, leads the conversation in an objective manner, and challenges us all to think critically about child rearing in the 21st century. Each week feels like a really awesome dinner party!  After creating a pattern, grade 5-6 students hand-sewed felt creatures of their choice. Bran made an axolotl. Following the progression of sewing in history, students were introduced to the treadle sewing machine. To develop machine sewing skills, a first project was a simple drawstring bag or a pillow. This helps to pave the way for sewing pyjama pants in Grade 7. Practical skills go a long way in developing self confidence along with competency.  In the Grades 7/8 block on Asia, our students delved into the fascinating history of Chinese innovations in paper and printing. The Chinese were the pioneers in creating paper from silk and developing type set printing with an astonishing 80,000 separate symbols. To truly understand and appreciate these historical milestones, we embarked on a hands-on project that brought this history to life. Our journey began with making our own paper. Using recycled classroom paper, students learned the process of puréeing the paper to create pulp. The puréed paper was poured onto a screen set on a frame. It was blotted dry with a sponge. Then it was transferred to a piece of cotton fabric and left to dry. This activity not only taught the students about the resourcefulness and ingenuity of ancient Chinese inventors but also emphasized the importance of recycling and sustainability. Once our handmade paper was ready, we moved on to the art of printing. Each student hand-carved their own images onto blocks, echoing the traditional methods of block printing used in ancient China. These blocks were then used to create prints on the paper we had made. This activity allowed the students to engage with the history of printing in a tangible way, understanding the complexity and skill involved in the process. Through this immersive experience, students gained a deeper appreciation for the advancements in technology and communication pioneered by the Chinese.
At Mulberry Waldorf School, we integrate creative and practical activities into our curriculum to enrich the educational experience and help students develop a diverse set of skills.  Thank you to all who attended May Fair on Saturday! We were grateful for the beautiful weather and the opportunity to gather as a community to celebrate Spring with founding members and teachers, current families, faculty and staff, alumni students and parents and people from the wider Kingston community. Thank you to those who donated items for the bake sale and various activities, volunteered at the work bee the previous weekend, set up and cleaned up of May Fair! We are grateful for the collective efforts to bring this joyful event to our community!    The 7/8 class completed their Anatomy Block. Initial classes focussed on the Skeletal and Muscular Systems including: the relationship between blood and bones; bone structures and functions; and how muscles work in tandem with bones for movement and protection. The three muscle types and how they work were introduced. Drawings and a practical look at nutrition and exercise were an integral part of learning. An overview of the eleven systems of the body was followed by a deeper study of the reproductive systems. The class showed deep interest in understanding the human body and its functions.     The Grade 5/6 class is studying Astronomy in the Morning Lesson block. We are sharing this chalk art drawn by the class teacher (inspired by Dutch post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh’s “The Starry Night,” painted in 1889). The Waldorf astronomy curriculum aims to interweave scientific knowledge and a “lived experience” of celestial phenomena. Students learn about the perceived or apparent movements of the sun, moon and stars. They gain a glimpse into the predictable and observable patterns of sunrise and sunset positions of stars in the night sky through the course of the year and the seasons. Students are encouraged to observe the night and early morning sky to identify constellations and moon phases. By combining hands-on observations with historical context, our astronomy curriculum strives to impart a sense of wonder for students and a deep connection to the cosmos.       On Monday, April 15th, Kindergarten and Grade School students, staff and parents participated in the Pitch-In Kingston spring clean-up in the neighbourhood and parks surrounding our school, including Riverview, Optimist, Hillside, and Friendship Parks. The students were divided into eight mixed-grade groups, led by a Student Social Action Committee member and one to two staff members. The students were enthusiastic participants, and we filled many bags with garbage! Our neighbours expressed their appreciation by calling their thanks from home and car windows, or by coming out of houses to speak with us. It was a wonderful opportunity for our students to contribute to our neighbourhood community and to form connections with students from other classes. "Clean Team...Go Green!" "Garbage takers make the world...SAFER!" (two of our group cheers)  In their Creative Writing block, Grade 7-8 students practised being more descriptive in short writing exercises before creating these three paragraph stories. Being aware of story format, including plot development, character development, setting, conflict, and resolution, students later completed a five paragraph story. At this stage in their development they learn to better express themselves while also considering the reader's experience. Short story by Ewan A volcano towers overhead surrounded by tall forest and clear lakes. The sun gleams brightly, sparkling on the lakes creating a magnificent reflection of the volcano. Leaves drop onto one of the lakes creating little ripples that don’t make it to the distant shore where a national park center is. Near this lake a camper packs up his tent and strolls over to the lakeshore to load his canoe. He looks out at the water not moving. He stays like that for a while before turning to his canoe. He hops in his canoe with all of his gear and paddles away. While paddling the camper looked sharply back at the volcano as his canoe started to rock. He fiercely paddles away from the volcano then looks back again. I’m the reflection of his eyes. You can see the volcano erupt. He paddles hard to shore and makes shelter in the national park center. Short story by Clara Deep in a thick forest, in a cozy sunny clearing, there sat a little broken down hut. Hanging from its hinges was a door, tethered together by vines and twigs. Patchwork windows of glass and mud lined the rotting exterior. Inside sat an old Hermit, petting his fluffy black squirrel Garry. Into the clearing he ambled, wandering among the sleepy forest floor. Coming across an occasional berry bush, he pinched the ripened berries and stored them in his hand and Garry’s cheeks. Hidden in the ferns below, he even discovered a few crow feathers. Fashioning then into a crown of moss and flowers, he seated himself beside Garry on a large boulder. He stroked Garry, smiling while quietly watching the wildlife BLANK. After the sky had begun to darker, he looked up to survey the sun. Low on the horizon the sun fell, so the Old Hermit started to find his way back home. Lifting Garry, he twisted and turned among the familiar trees until he reached his hut. Strolling languidly inside, and lowered himself onto the makeshift bed inside Garry. Sleep enveloped him as he drifted off to the sound of Garry’s snores, and a lonely owl calling from the dark. Shot story by Cole Water lapped at the shoreline of the small island in the middle of Lake of the Woods. Surrounded by maple trees, the log cabin was home to the man who sat at the table stroking Dungy, his pet dung beetle. The man shuffled out of the house holding Dungy in the palm of his hand close to his chest protecting him. He stumbled down a skinny trail between towering maple trees down to the water's edge and then he lowered his hand so Dungy could get off his palm. The man strode to a tree trunk and dropped down beside it and gazed at the sunset and after 30 minutes the man scooped up Dungy and strode home and dropped into bed. When the man opened his eyes and stretched out sleepily to pet Dungy, Dungy wasn’t there. He jolted awake and sat confused and bellowed Dungy’s name. He didn’t come so the man rushed out of bed and frantically started searching the house, turning over furniture, but he still couldn’t find him. He raced outside red in the face and darted through the forest calling out Dungy. Sweat dripped from the man’s brow and tears poured down his cheeks as he slowly sank down onto a log. He saw a flicker of movement in the corner of his eye and hopes rising tilted his head so he could see below him. Below the man walked Dungy and six baby dung beetles. He stood and gathered the beetles, breathing heavily and tramped back through the forest to his cabin and cautiously laid the dung beetles on a table. He sighed in relief then pondered over names for the dung beetles. After a couple of hours he settled on David, Maverick, Aiden, Miles, Caden and Carson. Short story by Olivia
Rain dropped down the window pane, while a little brown cabin sat peacefully in the heart of the woods. Dark gray rain clouds blotted out the daylight as north winds whipped through the trees. Thunder rumbled in the distance, followed by a crack of lightning. Omori sighed as he placed a mug in the microwave. How many times has it rained this month? He thought as he watched the mug of milk rotate on the microwave plate. Omori wandered to the window with the mug of milk in hand, calmly watching as the raindrops raced each other down the pane. Lightning flashed again, this time right outside the house. Omori jumped at the sudden noise, but quickly recovered and took a sip of his milk. He scouted the area from his window to make sure nothing was damaged, and relaxed again when he saw that everything was fine. More thunderous sounds echoed in the distance, but this time the sounds were not being created by the storm. The familiar sound of scampering paws was what greeted him, he smiled and opened the door for his pet wolves. |
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