In These Hills: May 2011

Teaching History

>> Tuesday, May 31, 2011 – History

I have also been busy with hands-on-history this spring. Recently I took a group of teachers to Plimoth Plantation. We had been studying early exploration and I wanted them to jump from our book discussions to real life. Here we are on the Mayflower's tender getting ready to row about Plymouth Harbor. I'm in the front in the blue jacket.

We managed to not hit any pleasure boats in the harbor!

We used a windlass to hoist a barrell on the Mayflower.

We got to eat ship's food--prunes, hard tack, salt pork, and candied ginger.

But the big part? Spending the night on the Mayflower. What an experience.

The next week found me out in the cemetery with artists and kids learning what historians can find in a cemetery.

Great Job I Have!!

The Middle Ages

>> Monday, May 30, 2011 – main lesson, Spring, waldorf

We have all enjoyed stepping back to the Middle Ages with Liz and her class this spring. They have studied history, learned traditional English folk songs, played Medieval tunes on the recorder, drawn castles, and acted ancient tales. Here are some highlights. My photos aren't super-great because I had to crop out kids.

They studied heraldry and designed their own coats-of-arms and shields.

Even P.E. took on a study of the Middle Ages~
They learned to pillow-joust.

They learned various forms of archery.

They wrote their first biggish research reports.
Liz took up the topic of "Peasants in the Middle Ages."

The culmination of the spring was the production of Robin Hood.

Liz was King Richard.

What a wonderful way to learn history.

Fifteen!

Our girl turned fifteen last week. We celebrated in little fits and spurts as it was a very busy time. Luckily for me, she wanted a Pepperidge Farm coconut cake....so we went the boxed cake route. Blasphemous, but sometimes one just has to have boxed cake.

This past year has been so full of change for Helen. First she graduated from the Waldorf School.

Then she went away from home for the first time to sing with Village Harmony, touring for three weeks across Canada.

She started high school, attending public school for the first time.

She joined the backstage crew for the Christmas Revels and learned to make up the cast.

She joined the high school crew team, participating in organized sports for the first time.
Made new friends.

Winning a silver metal at her first race (and continuing to place in the top 3).

All the while maintaining high honors.

Happy Birthday dear girl. We are so proud of you!

Gather 'round the May Pole

>> Wednesday, May 18, 2011 – Spring, waldorf

It finally feels like spring in Vermont and last Friday we celebrated!
Here is Elizabeth with her class launching the festivities with a Morris Dance.

Each class then performed increasingly intricate dances accompanied by Liz and friends on the fiddle.

After the dancing we all visited and ate strawberry shortcake. Yum.

Of course there was lots of cuteness--spring chicks, for instance.

The cake walk is a beloved annual event--sort of like musical chairs, but children move around a big circle stepping on tiles. When the music ends, the leader pulls a little tile from a basket. Whoever is on the matching tile wins a cake.

The most important event of all, though, is the debate between King Winter and Lady Spring about who is better. They lead all the children off to a giant tug of war. Lady Spring ALWAYS wins (even if it means a few adults need to join in at the last second!).

The year's at the spring
And day's at the morn;
Morning's at seven;
The hillside's dew-pearled;
The lark's on the wing;
The snail's on the thorn;
God's in His heaven -
All's right with the world!
~Robert Browning

The Medieval Games Tournament

>> Wednesday, May 11, 2011 – Spring, waldorf

The day after our 6th graders were knighted, they participated in a Medieval games tournament and quest. They competed in archery, jousting, and other similar events. Liz broke the school record for flu-flu archery. She was so proud.

After a lunch put on by the parents--with this castle cake I made for dessert--they divided into pairs and went on a quest that tested the virtues of humility, kindness, generosity, and diligence. It was basically a treasure hunt with clues. At each stop around the school they had to solve a riddle and complete a task, collecting golden rings as they went.

At the end of their big day, they gathered their shields and walked down to the field for a big secret capture the flag (medieval style) game. They had no idea that waiting for them was a huge crowd of parents, older siblings, and alums. Somehow, this event has been kept secret from the younger students at our school for years. Here we all are waiting.

The high schoolers (and their parents) had so much fun reuniting during the wait. It was hard to get quiet when the kids were approaching.

Here they approach, cresting the hill.

Here they come!

They were so surprised to see us all.

Parents and siblings tied ribbons onto the 6th graders so they would know what teams they were on.

Here is just a few of the people on the field. What a beautiful spring day.

Wow were we all tired by the end of this great afternoon.
It is such a huge game, with parts for all, that parents were able to dip in and out and the game just went on.

Liz is excited for next year when she gets to be part of the big secret.

The Squire's Challenge

>> – Spring, waldorf

Thou must do good works.
Ten hours of community service must be accomplished before thy knighthood shall be achieved. Thou must find an elder to vouchsafe and sponsor thee, and to speak for they good name.
Thou must represent thy heritage with a family crest.
Thou must fashion a sword with which to be knighted.
Thou shall uphold a vow of silence on the eve of thine knighthood.
Thou shall compete in a tournament of medieval games and embark on a quest, requiring the eyes of an eagle, the cunning of a fox, and the courage of a lion.

These were the tasks for Liz over the past few weeks and she rose to the challenge admirably. She sorted clothing at a thrift shop, worked on files at the music center, participated in Green Up day, helped with a concert, and played her violin for the first grade play.

She made a sword and designed a shield with a crest that defined herself and she got up the courage to ask an adult in our community to be her sponsor.

After completing their tasks, Liz and her class were "knighted" in a beautiful ceremony. The whole idea behind the ceremony and ensuing games is to recognize that the 6th graders are becoming adolescents...that the adult world recognizes them, welcomes their contributions, and supports them in their challenges...and that they are now part of the middle school.

The ceremony involves beautiful music sung by the students and a King and Queen who solemnly ask the students to step forward one at a time and explain why they are there. The students' explanations were given in English, French, or German.

It is a solemn, quiet, beautiful ceremony that invites the students each to step out alone and speak up for himself, yet at the same time have a sponsor then stand up saying s/he will be of support--just what adolescents need to do and hear. Here are the new knights of the realm.

Here she is with her sponsor, lips pressed tightly together as her vow of silence had begun.
She was so happy and proud, yet couldn't speak which I like to think left her with some time for her own thoughts through the night and next morning.