We had a great first week back to school! It seems like the break was restorative, and everyone came back with enthusiasm.
We began our study of the Middle Ages this week with a review of the social and political factors that led to the decline of the Roman Empire. We learned about the impact the migration of the Germanic, Hun, and Slavic peoples had on the population and culture of Western Europe and the transition of the society into the feudal system. We heard stories about Justinian and Theodora and how the city of Rome fell into ruin as Constantinople flourished under their rule and their attempt to regain the glory of Rome to the Byzantine Empire. We also studied the stories of Mohammed and the spread of Islam across Arabia, the Middle East, Africa, and into Europe. Next week we'll look at more biographical stories of more of the key figures from the Middle Ages. Since the period covers a thousand years, our goal is a "symptomatic" approach to history. Our goal is to cover broad themes and stories that give the students a picture of how people lived and to gain familiarity with biographies that portray the symptoms of the time. We will discuss people with qualities worthy of emulation and those with deplorable attributes to help the students see that the past and the journey of humanity is complicated.
We will be going to Medieval Times in early February, and I'm also trying to arrange a visit to a mosque. I'll provide more details when available, but both trips will fit within regular school hours.
This week in math began our initiation into Algebra. We began with the introduction of integers and variables. The students really took off with the concepts we've covered so far and seem to easily comprehend working with integers intuitively through the real life situations and accessible language in the curriculum. I love how beautifully the Waldorf curriculum meets the students developmentally, and our math studies this week have been a lovely real life example of this.
Our Middle Ages block will be a writing intensive Language Arts block. We will write several summaries and biographies for main lesson work, and the students will also be writing their first research paper. We will learn how to formulate a strong thesis, how to utilize multiple sources for information, and how to write a bibliography.
We are also working on our Robin Hood play. Our public performance will be February 13 at 6:30pm. Please mark your calendars and let friends and family know. It's a cute play, and we're moving along nicely in pulling it together. Our play is the week of parent conferences. The school calendar will be half days that week. I'm asking that all students stay after mid-day dismissal until the evening performance to give us extra rehearsal and setup time. I will provide dinner for them.
The handwork teachers have asked me to let parents know that students will be bringing their handwork projects home over the weekends. The projects must come back on Mondays if you can pass along a gentle reminder. They are making good progress on their socks, but the curriculum for this year also includes a stuffed animal project that they need to begin soon, so handwork homework is essential for fitting it all in this year.
Have a great week!
Ki Molly
