Tree House!
It's 5 a.m. on the last day of school. I'm up baking THE LAST BATCH of treats for class parties this year :) It's been a full week with a French play, graduation, and a treehouse-warming party. There's an ice cream social this afternoon.
Every year the 3rd grade builds something pretty major at the school as part of the shelter block. The playground is speckled with garden sheds, playhouses, a cool tower, a stone house, and this latest project. Of course the children have lots of help, but feel like it's their project.
For the housewarming, they gathered in a circle around the tree house, said a verse, sang a beautiful song in a round, and then ate many treats (I clearly didn't have to bake, although apparently Lou raised her hand in class and announced that I WANTED to bake lemon squares!).
There are fun little details throughout. Here's the hammer they broke:
They all signed it. I searched for Lou's initials, but couldn't find them. It turns out that she has decided that she doesn't like her middle name, so changed it to Isabelle. Thus there is an "I" for her middle initial. No wonder I couldn't find it :)
As you can imagine, this is a very popular spot on the playground right now. It's requiring a bit of work on the 8th graders' part (our playground mentors) to keep the young ones taking turns.
Well, only 6 more hours of work-time left for me. Hmm. Can I finish the text for two web-sites by 3 p.m.?
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Wow - that tree house is just so amazing. Waldorf schools are so great for things like that.
Hang in there. :-)
The house they built looks beautiful!
I just typed the last parent letter for the year... 1/2 day left...
Bright blessings to you!
I love the railing detail! I bet that treehouse will provide years and years of fun for many students. All the kids who participated in its building should be very proud.
What an amazing tree house - kids love to get up off the ground to play - always makes it more interesting with a different perspective.
I just finished my end of year letters for my kids in the handworks class and it is a relief to finish.
I went to school in Stockholm so our tiny schoolyard, which we shared with another school, didn't allow this kind of projects. My school moved out of the city the same year I finished grade 12 though, so I believe there are more projects of the kind now.
That tree house is amazing — makes me want to build one.......
Margaretha
I love the tree house. I can imagine how that's such a popular spot. My kids have a big play structure that was bought but they still prefer to make their own little forts and climb in the tree. I think ownership is a big part of what makes that tree house your daughter's class made so special.
Wow! Such a cool treehouse! I would LOVE to see other pics of that playground! I'm always interested in seeing other's play spaces!
3rd grade remains my favorite Waldorf year! How cool to learn to build something like that.
Oh how I wish we had a great Waldorf school near us!
Amazing. You must feel so pleased that your children are going to a school like that.
I laughed at your dd changing her middle name! I was always changing my name as a kid (okay and as an adult too) and now mine has started also. At least with yours it is just the middle name!
Wow what a big project !!. Do you really have summervacation already? we still have three more weeks to go, our summer vacation starts in July and we start school again in september.
Have a nice vacationstart. And congratulations on the 3dr grade, what a wonderfull job you all did !!
Patience--it's not just the middle name. She goes by THREE nicknames :)
That's amazing. I've been listening to Donna Simmons' talk on 3rd grade and the building project intimidates me. Something I would have to delegate to my husband. Good thing your daughter is in school!
Great tree house! The Third and fifth grade years are my favorite Waldorf curriculum. Have a super, great summer with your girls. We will be up in NH & Vermont area this summer, I am looking forward to it, we spent some time in the Rutland area a few years ago. It is such a great area to live.
We have a tree house, but my kids are teenagers, so nobody goes near it.
so sad, so lonely out there.
:0(