Until one is committed there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation) there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: The moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too.
W.H. Murray
Due to unforeseen turn of events, Oak Circle was retired shortly before its doors were to open for the first day of school. Unbeknownst to me, the local school district was beginning to form a Waldorf-inspired Charter school and most of the core families who had committed themselves to Oak Circle reneged on their contracts and chose the free school instead.
It was a painful life experience, through which I learned that the challenges, risks and investment involved in forming a community school need to be shared among the interested families and that the burden should not be carried by one person alone.
I came to the conclusion that I did not need to create my own Waldorf community in the town of Cool when a vibrant, committed Waldorf community was already present within driving distance. Thus I chose to let go of the beautiful vision of Oak Circle.
My family and I joined Live Oak Waldorf School in Meadow Vista and my children are thriving there, fully engaged and embraced by the community we were looking for. As a teacher, I am thrilled to be surrounded by many gifted colleagues and I enjoy my positions at LOWS teaching singing to the grades, foreign language and also working as an assisting teacher in the Kindergarten.
Everything works out as it is meant to be. Life is about the journey, not the destination!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Vision for the School
Oak Circle is the Waldorf-Inspired class that I have created for my two daughters, Asherah and Neshama and for the children in the community who are destined to join us as we begin this nurturing, inspiring journey together. Combining the beauty of a Waldorf class with Home Schooling, I will begin Fall 2009 with a group of children ranging in ages from 2 1/2 to 5 years old on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings from 9:15-12:00. For the next few years, Oak Circle will be a Waldorf Kindergarten/Early Childhood environment.
The same group of children will then journey through the Grades together. (Thus our enrollment age for Oak Circle will correspond with the ages of the current group of children.) When the older children are ready for First Grade, the class will be divided into two separate groups based on their ages. All of the children will stay as one class for music/circle/games, and then I will teach one group their main lesson (academics) while the other group does an activity with my assistant. The groups will then rotate and I will teach the second group their main lesson work.
We will have one community of children that contains two mixed-age Waldorf main lesson classes. The families will come together for field trips and festivals. As Oak Circle is only held three mornings a week, the parents are active participants in their child's education and homeschool during the afternoons, Thursdays and Fridays. I will provide suggestions and support when needed to the parents so that everyone will be successful in their homeschooling endeavors.
Sheryl Adler-Eldridge
The same group of children will then journey through the Grades together. (Thus our enrollment age for Oak Circle will correspond with the ages of the current group of children.) When the older children are ready for First Grade, the class will be divided into two separate groups based on their ages. All of the children will stay as one class for music/circle/games, and then I will teach one group their main lesson (academics) while the other group does an activity with my assistant. The groups will then rotate and I will teach the second group their main lesson work.
We will have one community of children that contains two mixed-age Waldorf main lesson classes. The families will come together for field trips and festivals. As Oak Circle is only held three mornings a week, the parents are active participants in their child's education and homeschool during the afternoons, Thursdays and Fridays. I will provide suggestions and support when needed to the parents so that everyone will be successful in their homeschooling endeavors.
Sheryl Adler-Eldridge
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Head, Heart, Hands
Head, Heart, Hands
Understanding head, heart, and hands is the primary educational paradigm in Waldorf. Children have three forces impelling them forward: mental, emotional, and physical activity. Rather than focusing the educational work around the objective of acquiring knowledge, creating a meaningful learning process itself becomes the focus. Through multi-sensory learning experiences, teachers and students use of a variety of intelligences to develop capacities for thinking, feeling and intentional, purposeful activity (willing).
Head/Imaginative Thinking:
Enables a person to perceive events with clarity, to comprehend situations fully, and envision new solutions for seemingly unsolvable problems. Mainstream schools focus on fact-based instruction, yet this is flawed. The world changes so quickly that information becomes outdated (for example, Jack Petrash remembers learning in school about the miracle fiber, asbestos and how wonderful it was.) In Waldorf learning, we learn through wide-awake perceptive observation that gives rise to questions rather than answers and the knowledge is a by-product of an ongoing learning process.
Heart/Feeling/Emotional Involvement:
This is being sensitive and resilient to inevitable emotional storms, and being able to look beyond the obvious to hear what is unspoken. It is imperative that education directly touch the hearts of children, to help them care about their fellow human beings and to reassure them that there is beauty and goodness in the world and that they play a role in preserving it. Emotional involvement is developed through the arts. Painting, drawing, drama and music foster heartfelt connections, making everything more meaningful and memorable.
Hands/Resolute Determination/Willing:
This is the ability to turn hopes and dreams into reality. To implement your intentions with resolve, discipline and purpose engenders confidence and self-esteem. Self-directed activity, actions with focus, intention and self-determination are vital components of strong character. The power to make a difference is in the will. This is developed over time through conscious repetition and gentle insistence on good habits.
To foster a child’s healthy development, we need to encourage a balanced growth of all three aspects so that in the end, clear, insightful thinking will rest upon a strong foundation of purposeful activity as well as a framework of emotional development.
These three influences are applied differently in the kindergarten than in the grades.
(From Jack Petrash's 'Understanding Waldorf Education')
Understanding head, heart, and hands is the primary educational paradigm in Waldorf. Children have three forces impelling them forward: mental, emotional, and physical activity. Rather than focusing the educational work around the objective of acquiring knowledge, creating a meaningful learning process itself becomes the focus. Through multi-sensory learning experiences, teachers and students use of a variety of intelligences to develop capacities for thinking, feeling and intentional, purposeful activity (willing).
Head/Imaginative Thinking:
Enables a person to perceive events with clarity, to comprehend situations fully, and envision new solutions for seemingly unsolvable problems. Mainstream schools focus on fact-based instruction, yet this is flawed. The world changes so quickly that information becomes outdated (for example, Jack Petrash remembers learning in school about the miracle fiber, asbestos and how wonderful it was.) In Waldorf learning, we learn through wide-awake perceptive observation that gives rise to questions rather than answers and the knowledge is a by-product of an ongoing learning process.
Heart/Feeling/Emotional Involvement:
This is being sensitive and resilient to inevitable emotional storms, and being able to look beyond the obvious to hear what is unspoken. It is imperative that education directly touch the hearts of children, to help them care about their fellow human beings and to reassure them that there is beauty and goodness in the world and that they play a role in preserving it. Emotional involvement is developed through the arts. Painting, drawing, drama and music foster heartfelt connections, making everything more meaningful and memorable.
Hands/Resolute Determination/Willing:
This is the ability to turn hopes and dreams into reality. To implement your intentions with resolve, discipline and purpose engenders confidence and self-esteem. Self-directed activity, actions with focus, intention and self-determination are vital components of strong character. The power to make a difference is in the will. This is developed over time through conscious repetition and gentle insistence on good habits.
To foster a child’s healthy development, we need to encourage a balanced growth of all three aspects so that in the end, clear, insightful thinking will rest upon a strong foundation of purposeful activity as well as a framework of emotional development.
These three influences are applied differently in the kindergarten than in the grades.
(From Jack Petrash's 'Understanding Waldorf Education')
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Spring Flower Garden
Our school is a garden where the children are immersed in the beauty, wonder and truthfulness of the changing seasons.
"The garden is not only the richest setting for play, but it holds the secrets of all life's lessons to be discovered by the child. It truly is the source of wisdom and the basis of all art."
(Betty Peck in 'Kindergarten Education')
"The garden is not only the richest setting for play, but it holds the secrets of all life's lessons to be discovered by the child. It truly is the source of wisdom and the basis of all art."
(Betty Peck in 'Kindergarten Education')
2009-2010 Calendar
Important Dates:
Sept. 14 First Day of School
Sept. 28 No School– Yom Kippur
Nov. 25 No School-Thanksgiving Break
Dec. 21-Jan.3 Winter Vacation
Jan. 18 No School-Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Feb. 1 No School-Teacher Development
Feb. 15-17 No School– Teacher’s Conference
Mar. 29– Apr. 11 No School– Spring Vacation
May 31 No School– Memorial Day
June 2 Last Day of School
Parent Handbook
School Week:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: 9:15-12:00
Our Program
Oak Circle is a loving, secure, beautiful, home environment where the children are nurtured by the comfort of a daily, weekly and seasonal rhythm. They explore the natural world around them with their senses; play freely with objects that can be transformed through their creativity; and develop listening and language skills by listening to, reciting, and acting out stories, poems, nursery rhymes and songs. The children experience healthy, active, gross and fine motor movement through play and life skills such as gardening, handcrafts, painting and housekeeping. The adults in the Kindergarten model life skills that the children learn through imitation. Imaginations are developed and cherished at Oak Circle, enabling the children to experience many aspects of life more deeply and providing a foundation for future creative and critical thinking.
Daily Rhythm
9:15-9:30 Arrival, Outside Play
9:30-9:50 Morning Circle (seasonal songs, movement, verses)
9:50-10:20 Creative Free Play/Crafts/Art
10:20-10:30 Clean Up
10:30-10:50 Story Time, Puppets, Drama
10:50-11:00 Rest
11:00-11:20 Snack
11:20-11:55 Outside Play/Gardening/Painting/Nature Walk
11:55-12:00 Closing Circle
Daily Organic Grain
Monday: Baked Oat Bars
Tuesday: Brown Rice
Wednesday: Barley and Vegetable Stew
Day's Activity
Monday: Handwork, Painting
Tuesday: Beeswax, Seasonal Craft, Gardening
Wednesday: Coloring, Nature Walk
Waldorf–Inspired Education
“Accept the children with reverence, educate them with love, send them forth in freedom.”
This is the purpose of all schools inspired by Waldorf Education.
The philosophy of teaching to the head/heart/hands of the child is honored. The children's thinking capacities and imagination are developed through thoughtful, engaging and inspiring lessons. Their heart/feeling/emotional capacities are nurtured directly through the arts and music, enabling them to deeply feel a heart connection to the world and to one another. Their ability to take action in their lives is addressed through hands/kinesthetic/doing activities, strengthening their self confidence and character.
We strive to teach to the whole child, nurturing the multiple ways in which they learn (as defined by Howard Gardner): linguistic, logical/mathematical, spatial, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalist, and bodily/kinesthetic. All of these skills are equally valued, and a meaningful learning process becomes the focus rather than simply the objective of acquiring knowledge. This well-rounded education overcomes gender stereotypes, expands individual interests and brings a sense of fullness and completion to a child. The purpose of Waldorf inspired education is to help children become creative, independent, and moral individuals, able to impart meaning and purpose in their lives.
TV and Videos
Children in Oak Circle should be as TV-free as possible. Allowing your child to watch TV and videos directly conflicts with our pedagogical approach. Through storytelling, imagery and imagination, we are developing a deep capacity within the children to create their own vivid, internal mind-pictures, and incredible abilities for listening and remembering details. Watching TV and videos, regardless of the content, replaces the children’s internal images with those from the TV screen. There are many other physiological, emotional and social reasons to exclude or limit TV/Videos from young children, and I can provide further reading material on this subject to help you make an informed decision. Please note that most parents have chosen to send their children to Oak Circle secure in the knowledge that it is an environment free of the influences of television and videos, and it is my responsibility to uphold this.
Calendar
School starts September 14th 2009 and ends June 2nd 2010. Parent meetings, fieldtrips and seasonal festivals will be planned throughout the year.
Payment Policy
The entire school year costs $3000 for 3 days a week, $2000 for 2 days a week, and $1000 for one day a week; this will be divided into ten payments. The monthly fee for three days is $300, two days is $200, and one day, $100. The monthly fee will stay the same, regardless of the number of school days per month or absences. All payments will be due on the 1st of each month: the first payment is due on 8/1/09 (minus any deposit already received) and the last payment is due on 5/1/10. Payments cover tuition, materials, and a healthy organic snack. It is very important that payments are received on time; otherwise, late fees of $5 a day will accrue. If you experience financial hardship, please communicate with me right away. Credit cards will be accepted with an additional $15 surcharge per month.
If Oak Circle is an approved Vendor for a Charter School your child is enrolled with, vouchers may be used towards the cost of the tuition.
Clothing
We will go outside every day, rain or shine. Please dress your child in comfortable clothing that does not inhibit their full range of movement. Their clothes may get soiled with mud or paint. Clothing should not have any commercial/media related images on them (Disney characters included) and preferably no words. The children will need seasonally appropriate attire:
-Long raincoat and rubber boots (rain pants if you can find some)
-Sunhat in hot months, Warm hat in cold months
-Complete change of clothes left at school each day
-Winter coat in the cold months
-Extra pair of socks to be worn just in the classroom; lightweight in warm seasons and thick socks in winter
Medical Emergencies
If your child requires immediate medical attention, we will first call 911 and then contact you. If we can administer first aid and your child still requires medical attention (such as stitches), then we will call you to take them to the Emergency room. If we cannot reach you, your secondary contact, or primary physician, we will take your child to the nearest hospital.
Communications
Please feed your child a healthy, protein based breakfast before bringing them to school. It is imperative that the children are well nourished before arrival.
Please call if you are going to bring your child late, if they will be absent, or if you will be late for pick-up. If late pick-up becomes a regular occurrence, there will be additional charges at the rate of $10 for every fifteen minutes after the 12:00 pick-up time.
Please keep your child home if they have a fever, communicable disease, serious cold, sore throat or cough. If they are in a contagious state or feeling unwell, please let them stay home and rest.
Feel free to call me with any questions or concerns you may have.
Yours Truly,
Sheryl Adler-Eldridge
Oak Circle
530-885-4052
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: 9:15-12:00
Our Program
Oak Circle is a loving, secure, beautiful, home environment where the children are nurtured by the comfort of a daily, weekly and seasonal rhythm. They explore the natural world around them with their senses; play freely with objects that can be transformed through their creativity; and develop listening and language skills by listening to, reciting, and acting out stories, poems, nursery rhymes and songs. The children experience healthy, active, gross and fine motor movement through play and life skills such as gardening, handcrafts, painting and housekeeping. The adults in the Kindergarten model life skills that the children learn through imitation. Imaginations are developed and cherished at Oak Circle, enabling the children to experience many aspects of life more deeply and providing a foundation for future creative and critical thinking.
Daily Rhythm
9:15-9:30 Arrival, Outside Play
9:30-9:50 Morning Circle (seasonal songs, movement, verses)
9:50-10:20 Creative Free Play/Crafts/Art
10:20-10:30 Clean Up
10:30-10:50 Story Time, Puppets, Drama
10:50-11:00 Rest
11:00-11:20 Snack
11:20-11:55 Outside Play/Gardening/Painting/Nature Walk
11:55-12:00 Closing Circle
Daily Organic Grain
Monday: Baked Oat Bars
Tuesday: Brown Rice
Wednesday: Barley and Vegetable Stew
Day's Activity
Monday: Handwork, Painting
Tuesday: Beeswax, Seasonal Craft, Gardening
Wednesday: Coloring, Nature Walk
Waldorf–Inspired Education
“Accept the children with reverence, educate them with love, send them forth in freedom.”
This is the purpose of all schools inspired by Waldorf Education.
The philosophy of teaching to the head/heart/hands of the child is honored. The children's thinking capacities and imagination are developed through thoughtful, engaging and inspiring lessons. Their heart/feeling/emotional capacities are nurtured directly through the arts and music, enabling them to deeply feel a heart connection to the world and to one another. Their ability to take action in their lives is addressed through hands/kinesthetic/doing activities, strengthening their self confidence and character.
We strive to teach to the whole child, nurturing the multiple ways in which they learn (as defined by Howard Gardner): linguistic, logical/mathematical, spatial, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalist, and bodily/kinesthetic. All of these skills are equally valued, and a meaningful learning process becomes the focus rather than simply the objective of acquiring knowledge. This well-rounded education overcomes gender stereotypes, expands individual interests and brings a sense of fullness and completion to a child. The purpose of Waldorf inspired education is to help children become creative, independent, and moral individuals, able to impart meaning and purpose in their lives.
TV and Videos
Children in Oak Circle should be as TV-free as possible. Allowing your child to watch TV and videos directly conflicts with our pedagogical approach. Through storytelling, imagery and imagination, we are developing a deep capacity within the children to create their own vivid, internal mind-pictures, and incredible abilities for listening and remembering details. Watching TV and videos, regardless of the content, replaces the children’s internal images with those from the TV screen. There are many other physiological, emotional and social reasons to exclude or limit TV/Videos from young children, and I can provide further reading material on this subject to help you make an informed decision. Please note that most parents have chosen to send their children to Oak Circle secure in the knowledge that it is an environment free of the influences of television and videos, and it is my responsibility to uphold this.
Calendar
School starts September 14th 2009 and ends June 2nd 2010. Parent meetings, fieldtrips and seasonal festivals will be planned throughout the year.
Payment Policy
The entire school year costs $3000 for 3 days a week, $2000 for 2 days a week, and $1000 for one day a week; this will be divided into ten payments. The monthly fee for three days is $300, two days is $200, and one day, $100. The monthly fee will stay the same, regardless of the number of school days per month or absences. All payments will be due on the 1st of each month: the first payment is due on 8/1/09 (minus any deposit already received) and the last payment is due on 5/1/10. Payments cover tuition, materials, and a healthy organic snack. It is very important that payments are received on time; otherwise, late fees of $5 a day will accrue. If you experience financial hardship, please communicate with me right away. Credit cards will be accepted with an additional $15 surcharge per month.
If Oak Circle is an approved Vendor for a Charter School your child is enrolled with, vouchers may be used towards the cost of the tuition.
Clothing
We will go outside every day, rain or shine. Please dress your child in comfortable clothing that does not inhibit their full range of movement. Their clothes may get soiled with mud or paint. Clothing should not have any commercial/media related images on them (Disney characters included) and preferably no words. The children will need seasonally appropriate attire:
-Long raincoat and rubber boots (rain pants if you can find some)
-Sunhat in hot months, Warm hat in cold months
-Complete change of clothes left at school each day
-Winter coat in the cold months
-Extra pair of socks to be worn just in the classroom; lightweight in warm seasons and thick socks in winter
Medical Emergencies
If your child requires immediate medical attention, we will first call 911 and then contact you. If we can administer first aid and your child still requires medical attention (such as stitches), then we will call you to take them to the Emergency room. If we cannot reach you, your secondary contact, or primary physician, we will take your child to the nearest hospital.
Communications
Please feed your child a healthy, protein based breakfast before bringing them to school. It is imperative that the children are well nourished before arrival.
Please call if you are going to bring your child late, if they will be absent, or if you will be late for pick-up. If late pick-up becomes a regular occurrence, there will be additional charges at the rate of $10 for every fifteen minutes after the 12:00 pick-up time.
Please keep your child home if they have a fever, communicable disease, serious cold, sore throat or cough. If they are in a contagious state or feeling unwell, please let them stay home and rest.
Feel free to call me with any questions or concerns you may have.
Yours Truly,
Sheryl Adler-Eldridge
Oak Circle
530-885-4052
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