In the discussion on Class Six curriculum, we are pulling information from Waldorf Curriculum.com and also from Eugene Swartz at Millennial Child.

For History, Class Six children will study the rise and fall of Rome and the affect Greek and Roman culture had on European civilization up through the Middle Ages. Swartz says, “[These studies are] appropriate for the sixth grader [who] now stands like an ancient Roman, solidly on the earth, and craves facts and their relationship to one another. Now we study history in relation to space and will make a time line to show events unfolding in chronological order.”

Language arts tie into Roman times with the study of grammar and its roots in the ancient Roman language Latin. The students will also expand their world by studying World Geography and Foreign Language and culture. Singing and Orchestra, Handwork, Woodworking, Eurhythmy, Painting and Sports also continue to enrich and mold the daily curriculum for Class Six.

According to Swartz, Physics becomes the “introduction to laboratory science, and therefore provides a different experience from the natural science/natural history [studies from earlier grades]. No longer is it sufficient for the children to “take my word” about natural phenomena — now they must see it, feel it, and hear it for themselves!”

But Natural Sciences are still studied in the form Astronomy and Mineralogy. In this regard Swartz says: “’Natural Science’ divides in two in the sixth grade. Astronomy will draw our attention to heaven, and, as a counterbalance to such imaginative soaring, Mineralogy will draw us into the earth’s depths to view its many marvels. The skills that the sixth graders develop [in geometry] with compass and straight edge will be put to use again as we depict the arcs and circles that describe the paths of the stars in different quadrants of the sky.”

Geometry takes literal form through geometrical drawings with great focus on “neatness and accuracy.” A picture is worth a thousand words! Here is a beautiful example of the study of geometry in Class Six.

To see more of these inspiring images of Grade 6 work, visit this page on Pinterest. 

And finally, in addition to Geometry, Class Six students, as Swartz says, “…will begin reviewing the arithmetical concepts of earlier grades and honing … skills in the four operations, fractions, decimals and simple formula (area and perimeter of regular figures).”

To learn more about the curriculum of Class Six at Spring Garden Waldorf, please visit the primary source of this article and speak with our Admissions Director who can get you in touch with Spring Garden’s Class Six teacher.

Come and bring friends to Spring Garden’s 25th Annual Auction Benefit on Sat., April 20, at Rosemont Country Club in Fairlawn.

CLICK HERE  to buy your tickets today. Buy a GOLDEN TICKET for $40 and join in a chance to win $1000 on auction night! Buy a $25 raffle ticket for an opportunity to win $500 off tuition!

If you won’t be able to make it to this year’s auction, sign up for an absentee bidder paddle so someone can bid for you the night of the auction and you can get all the wonderful items in which you were interested. The catalog will be available on the SGWS website and in hard copy in the office all next week. Absentee bidder numbers are only $20 each!

Thank you to parent, Julie Fields, for making this picture montage video of the Grade 8 students woodworking over Spring Break. The students have taken a log that was dropped in the field at school at the start of the school year and they are making chairs out of the log using nothing but hand tools and man powered machines. They will make enough chairs during the school year for each graduating child to sit on at graduation and take home with them.

Welcome to Summer Camp 2013 at Spring Garden Waldorf School! Check out our age-specific options below. Click the Title to Register.

Ages: 5y-9y
Mr. Leo’s Amazing Animals
Cost: $200
Week: June 17-21
Time: 9a-3p
Calling all animal lovers! This week-long camp is an animal lover’s dream camp. Packed with animals of all shapes, sizes, and colors, wild, domestic, farm, and exotic, this camp is sure to thrill all who participate. Campers will meet local wildlife rehabilitators and some of the wild creatures in their care and exotic animal breeders and some of their newest babies. Every day of Amazing Animals Camp will include visits from Mr. Leo’s animal friends.

Ages: 5y-9y
Science Comes Alive
Cost: $200
Week: June 24-28
Time: 9a-3p
Calling all Jr. Scientists! Let your budding scientist bloom as they explore, experiment, and enjoy a taste of many scientific disciplines with Mr. Leo. Students will: mix, shake, and discover the fun of chemistry; they will dig, scrape, and hammer their way into geology and archeology; they will invent, engineer, and test their way into physics; they will observe, experiment and explore the wonders of our biological world of plants & animals, all in just one action-packed week of science fun with Mr. Leo. The week will also include a mix of art/craft projects, outdoor exploration, and just kids having fun! Let your budding scientist bloom with Mr. Leo during this activity rich week of science exploration, learning, and of course, fun!!

Ages: 5y-9y
Rainforest Rapture
Cost: $200
Week: July 8-12
Time: 9a-3p
Let your child’s adventurous imagination, and Mr. Leo’s animals and experiential style, take your child to the tropical rainforests of the world. A week at Rainforest Rapture camp will leave your child with memories of all of Mr. Leo’s great child- friendly animals they encountered over the week, but a deeper appreciation of the intricate connections between the plants and animals that call the rainforest “home.” The week will offer a balance of animal interactions, rainforest lessons & stories, outside exploration, rainforest art & craft projects, and of course just being kids and having fun! Set your child’s imagination free for a week of Rainforest Rapture with Mr. Leo and his amazing animals.

Ages: 5y-9y
Down on the Farm
Cost: $200
Week: July 22-26
Time: 9a-3p
Howdy folks! Let your child have a great “down on the farm” experience, without the actual farm! Mr. Leo will bring his one-of-a-kind farm experience, plants and animals alike, to SGWS. This week of farm life work and fun will introduce students to the many chores that living on a farm can entail. From feeding the livestock (mini horse, mini donkey, goats, sheep, alpacas, chickens, and pigs), cleaning their pens, gathering eggs, and milking the goats, campers will get a real taste of farm life, without the actual farm. With all of that hard work will come plenty of time for farm fun games and activities, farm arts & crafts, outdoor exploration, and of course just being kids and having fun! Let your child have a fun filled week down on the farm without the actual farm, at Down On The Farm camp with Mr. Leo at SGWS.

Ages: Entering 4th grade-8th grade
Music Maestros
Cost: $200/wk
Week of June 17-21
Times: 9a-1p Monday-Friday
This week will feature intensive strings work for budding or advanced violin and cello players. Each day will include time for group work as well as one-on-one instruction with professional musicians. For students new to their instruments, this will be a wonderful introduction. For more advanced students, this will be an opportunity to enhance their playing skills in smaller group and private settings. The last day of camp will be an informal performance for families.
Students will be taught by professional musicians, Julie Carpenter and Christina Rosser. Julie, in addition to teaching, has performed with famous celebrities including Josh Groban, Barry Manilow, Olivia Newton-John and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. She performs regularly with the Akron Symphony Orchestra and at local venues and weddings. Christina is a professional cellist and has performed with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Josh Groban, Barry Manilow, Olivia Newton-John, Rod Stewart, Dave Stewart, Tommy Lee, and Kanye West. Christina currently plays with the Akron Symphony Orchestra and has a private teaching studio.

Ages: Entering 5th grade – 8th grade
Hardcourt Academy Basketball Camp
Cost: $175/wk
Offered week of June 10-14
Times: 9a-1p Monday-Friday
In this week-long basketball workshop, participants will practice the skills and drills needed to advance their game beyond the basics. Taught by a team of local coaches and former collegiate players, this program is open to both boys and girls entering grades 5-8. Campers who complete the workshop will receive a campt-shirt and certificate.

Ages: Entering 6th grade – 8th grade
Internet Research Camp
Cost: $175
Week: July 8-12
Time: 9a-1p
Students will be introduced to web researching basics which will cover the content landscape and trustworthiness of the web, copyright issues, advanced searching, and how to structure verbage to get the info desired. During this week-long course, students will also have the opportunity to choose a content research project, create a site (WordPress website or blog), and then create content for their site based on the research.
This week-long course will be taught by Social Media Marketing professional and father of an SGWS student, Sage Lewis. This offering is a great bridge to high school for students in the middle school years.

Camp Information:

• Lunch — Campers are to bring a packed lunch with them each day and extra food for a snack.
• Transportation — Parents are responsible for transporting their children directly to and from camp offerings.
• Cancellation — Registrations cancelled at least 7 days prior to the start of camp are eligible for a full refund. Registrations cancelled within 7 days of the start of camp will receive a 50% refund. Registrations cancelled after the start of camp are non-refundable.
• Pick Up and Drop Off — Campers will be signed in and out at pick up and drop off in the main lobby of the school.
• Absences — If your child will be absent from a day of camp, please notify us by calling 330-666-0574.

Sarah Caley, Kira Cseak, and Grace Hecky won the grand prize in the Great Lakes Theater Company song writing contest.  Music teacher, Julie Carpenter, presented the contest to our middle school students at Spring Garden as an extracurricular opportunity. These innovative sixth graders created their song, “Hero’s Shame,” a composition written for piano and two cellos. The students created the piece to be played in the opening scene of Act IV of Much Ado about Nothing.

Watch them perform their composition:

The students have won $250.00, a professional studio recording of winning song, a CD including their song and the songs of three other winners, and their song and interview played on WCPN 90.3 FM, on April 23, 2013 at 12:15 p.m. The students have also won free tickets to the Great Lakes Theater company’s performance of Much Ado about Nothing.

Sarah, Kira, and Grace have decided that they will each get $75 from the $250 prize and they will donate $25 to the music program at SGWS. Thank you ladies for your generosity and your inspiring ingenuity. Congratulations!