News from the classrooms…

MAY, 2013

Pre-Kindergarten, Mrs. VanDommelen and Mr. Powell  
Puddles have filled the Pussywillow play yard, much to the joy of the children and the chagrin of the parents who must tote home the muddy bundles.  As one child gleefully called out as he was being loaded into the car, ” Miss Diane!  I’m going home naked!”

What an amazing year, as I reflect back, I am struck by how much joy and laughter we have shared. Your children are amazing little beings and I have so loved deepening the relationship with my old friends and meeting all the new little friends. It is always such a journey, this new little person before you; who are they, what do they need, how can I help them and how much I can learn from them. I love all their quirks and I smile at how much they grow and change so quickly! We were sad this year to lose our dear Mr Craig, his was such a gentle and kind energy, luckily for our little family we were quickly blessed with Ms Lindsay, who has earned the love of all! For those ‘Golden Knight’s’ going onto to their First Grade journey, I wish them the wonder of discovery and the joy of new adventures! To my new little friends, I look forward to more adventures next year and to those who will fly on different winds, may your journey be light. Warm & sunny summers to you all!
Love,
Miss Susan

Starflower Kindergarten, Ms. Driscall and Mrs. White  

Wow!  Another year is coming to an end and I am humbled, once again, by the hearts and warmth of this little group of children.  Starflower Kindergarten, Thank You for your many blessings!  It has been an honor to be your teacher.  I look forward to more adventures in our future.

To my Golden Knights:  I will miss you each so much.  I wish you the best of luck in first grade next year.  Be brave and remember to always smile.

To Mrs. White:  Thank you for your dedication and for loving our children.  We wish you all the best on your newest journey.  You will be greatly missed by so many.

Love and blessings to you all,

Ms. Driscall and Mrs. White

First Grade, Ms. Bennett   
We have had a fun and busy year in first grade! It is hard to believe the school year is coming to an end.  Las month we held our play, “The Water of Life,” in the classroom for our families.  It was a lot of hard work wrapped up into a magical performance.  We had some very serious practice sessions mixed in with some great giggles and belly laughs.

After returning from Spring Break the first grade extended their day until 3:00.  We have had some busy days following the Four Advisors on their travels to discover the mystery of the four-in-one.  From there we dove into our final Language Arts block and continued with our fairy tales and development of our writing skills.

The sunlight returns and we are upright, like the sprouts on our windowsill reaching up with all our strength.  Our energy is put into learning and playing.  Thank you, dear families, for making our classroom life so rich and cared for!

“Gratitude is the vessel that we lift to the Gods that they may fill it with their wonder-gifts.” Rudolf Steiner

Second Grade, Ms. Hettinger

Mighty eagle!  thou that soarest  
O’er the misty mountain forest,
And amid the light of morning,
Like a cloud of glory highest,
And when night descends defiest
The embattled tempests’ warning! ~ Percy Bysshe Shelley

On trips to the library and the Zoo, with binoculars from our classroom window, and on walks in the bog, this month the second grade has soared into learning about birds!  We began this Nature and Language Arts block by delving into facts and Native stories about the fascinating Raven.  Since then, each child has chosen a favorite indigenous bird, and will continue to observe, draw and read about this bird while writing a report.  Students will

be supported in their learning by inspiring visits from avid birder Dan Pascucci, Education Specialist for the Kenai Watershed Forum.  We are happy to announce that the students’ finished reports and drawings will be shared in the Baxter Bog, on the signage that AWS maintains.  We hope you will take a moment to read about the amazing birds in our bog!

Third Grade, Mrs. Smith 

In Third Grade the children study natural fibers.  They learn where these fibers come from and how they are made into fabrics.    This block includes hearing stories, writing, spelling, dictation, drawing, carding, spinning, and weaving.  A highlight of this block was our field trip to a farm in Palmer where we were able to watch the shearing of a Pryoras goat.

Fourth/Fifth Grade, Ms. Montgomery

Wet mounds of steadfast snow may continue to dominate the scene around Anchorage Waldorf School, but look a little close and you may find a little…green!From the inside of many cottages on our campus, a glimmer of green grows steadily against the classroom windows as if it is trying to rap, tap, tap its way out. The children have participated in the springtime event of sowing their own seeds.

But while this was going on indoors, another form of plant life caught the attention of class 4/5 while in their botany block. The lower plant kingdom which involves lichen, moss, algae, and fungus came alive for the students through stories, illustrations, memories and descriptions. As you may imagine, bringing the study of botany to life at the very same time Old Man Winter extended his stay was a bit tricky.

One morning, the class took buckets and went out on a “botany hunt”. Small samples were collected as we stomped through campus fit with snow boots.  On another day, the unique smell of seaweed soup filled the afternoon air as Ms.Montgomery dished up a deliciously edible learning experience. One sunny Friday,the birch trees were looking rather lovely. Class 4/5 went out of doors geared with a block crayon and a white piece of drawing paper. Each child did a tree rubbing,took note of what kind of birch it might be, its scientific name, and wrote an original haiku about their birch tree.

You could say we have really spruced up on our understanding of the plant realm, just as the year comes to a close. Our understanding will only grow as botany continues into the next school year!

And now a word from our dear Ms. Montgomery:
I’m taking this opportunity to express my gratitude for the opportunity to teach these children, and I thank the parents, my fellow teachers, and the administration for helping me to hold this beautiful class. The children are joyful and thoughtful,and can be quite diligent about their studies.  We will culminate our year with a class play entitled, The Light of Isis and Osiris, an Egyptian play. This is the largest production the class has done so far and they are clearly ready for the task. We hope you will come to watch it Monday, May 20th at 1:15 PM or Tuesday, May 21st at 6 PM.

Eighth Grade, Mrs. Parks

The 8th grade has been enjoying their last block of the year, Organic Chemistry.  This block looks closely at three main compounds, carbohydrates, proteins and fats/oils and how they are affected through cooking, baking and digesting.  Looking at the qualities of these compounds, we come to understand these everyday elements in a brand new light.  It’s hard to believe this is our very last block!