Dear Sixth Grade Families,
Thank you for joining our Sixth Grade Curriculum Night! It was lovely to be together with you all in our forest classroom and to share what our year ahead will hold for our students.
Last week, we enjoyed closing our geology block with a fun opportunity to work with Mr. Thomas Hemelaar, a visiting Waldorf teacher from the Netherlands. Mr. Thomas told his personal experience living on the Canary Islands and the history of the volcanic eruptions that regularly occur there. He shared about volcanic eruptions occurring approximately every 50 years where he lived and how scientists now keep track of the building energy and gases beneath the earth’s surface using scientific instruments. He said that previous eruptions were in a remote area on the island and offered a lovely display of the earth’s might at night - until this most recent eruption. The most recent eruption was in a place where many people lived and lasted for three months(!), causing irreversible damage and displacing many families, many of whom lost everything and have not had homes for over two years. This story was very impactful for many students. Following this account, Mr. Thomas led the students in harvesting clay at our creek and working in groups to build twin volcanoes found in Nicaragua. The students thoroughly enjoyed this activity, and we deeply appreciate Mr. Thomas for this experience.
We also began our first block on Ancient Rome with the story of the founding of Rome. We began at the end of the Trojan-Greek war, following Aeneas, the only surviving Trojan, and his journey that eventually brought him to Italy. The students heard about Romulus and Remus, the twin brothers who founded the city. As it goes in many stories, when a civilization or society is founded, babies are cast out, and one sibling slays the other. The students shared their collective memories of such stories as we looked back through the many ancient histories we have learned over the past two years. Seeing the similarities between ancient cultures around the world (babies going down rivers in baskets, the testing of the leaders, etc.) brings a connectedness that should stay with the students throughout their lives. Roman history continues to influence our lives today, something our students will discover in this block.
Announcements and Reminders:
Please send your child in with bug spray; the mosquitos are active! The Repel brand seems to be the most effective.
Bring rain and creek gear, including boots, daily! These can be left at school and stored in the shed by the Dome.
Hard-soled, closed-toe water shoes or old sneakers are required at Creekcess.
Please send your child with an extra, labeled sweater or light jacket as the days are turning cooler, especially in the forest.
Upcoming Events:
9/16 Community Workday 9 am - 12 pm
9/22 Half Day - Day of Courage
9/25-9/29 Fall Break (No School)
10/2 Teacher In-Service (No School)
10/12 Half Day - Parent Conferences
10/13 No School - Parent Conferences
10/21 Community Work Day 10 am - 1 pm
10/21 Kingdom of Halloween
With gratitude,
Melissa
