Galileo
10:00am – 3:00pm Fridays
Galileo / Ages 8 - 10
Scroll down to view more detailed class descriptions for our 8-9 age group.
Main Lesson Teacher: Ms. Lynlee
Students join us on Fridays from 10:00am to 3:00pm for a Waldorf-inspired schedule that includes: Gardening, Main Lesson, Lunch, and Yoga/Mindfulness.
GARDENING- Gardening will not only provide students with practical, hands-on experiences that immerse students in the world of food, nature, and community, but also will serve as a powerful tool for addressing pressing issues such as climate change, public health, and social inequality. Beyond the educational value, gardening instills invaluable life lessons and offers a joyful experience for kids of all ages.
MAIN LESSON- Storytelling, art activities, practice with writing, grammar, spelling, poetry, and sharing with the class may all be infused into this time and the teacher will differentiate instruction based on student skill-level. Students at this age begin to have strong likes and dislikes and react accordingly to imagery in the fables and stories of saints and heroes that are told during their main lesson. Additional main lesson activities are outlined below.
Art & Handwork- will consist of a variety of activities ranging from crafts, puppets, drawing, painting, and modeling. Art is the foundation for creativity and innovation, it can be centered on a theme or free flowing, and it’s also a time to teach children to take pride in their work and to sometimes move at a slower, more peaceful, pace.
Outdoor and Recess Times- These activities will be incorporated into the day so that students have a natural balance of active play time and time to quietly focus.
YOGA/MINDFULNESS- This class begins with an alignment-based yoga practice to build strength, mobility, and body awareness. We then take those physical skills to our mental and emotional lives. We learn skills to help us regulate emotions, navigate fear, increase self-compassion and self-confidence, and strengthen our relationships.
WALDORF FESTIVALS
Our students spend time preparing for Waldorf festivals and holidays. These are special times to learn about and celebrate. This will be a time for storytelling, art, crafting, literature, poetry, song, and excitement. Examples of festivals or seasonal days include Martinmas, Michaelmas, Christmas, Candlemas, St. Nicholas Day, May Day, and more. We will work on crafts and art projects to further enhance your family celebrations at home. We will not focus on the religious aspects at school, but encourage you to do so at home or make it your own in however works best for your family. These special festivals are integral to the rhythm of life and passing of the seasons. In celebrating seasonal holidays, the goal is to develop in the child (and adult) a sense of the rhythm of the seasons and the passage of time, and a sense that there is something bigger than himself.
“The original idea of any sacred festival is to make the human being look upward from his dependence on earthly things to those things that transcend the Earth.” – Rudolf Steiner
Even more than that, though, we take these moments as opportunities to show gratitude both for the time we’ve been granted together, and anticipation of the gifts of time that lies ahead.
Waldorf Answers explains our focus on festivals further:
“Seasonal festivals serve to connect humanity with the rhythms of nature and of the cosmos. The festivals originated in ancient cultures, yet have been adapted over time. To join the seasonal moods of the year, in a festive way, benefits the inner life of the soul. Celebrating is an art. There is joy in the anticipation, the preparation, the celebration itself, and the memories.”