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"I think Waldorf schools are very much in synch with the notion of Conceptual Age and the ideas of “A Whole New Mind”. They foster internal motivation in students, as well as mastery and persistence. They teach the habits of the heart that children need to do well in life after school."
~ Daniel Pink author of A Whole New Mind: Why Right Brainers will Rule the Future
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Each year all of our students participate in “J-term” devoted to a single course of study— an out-of-the-ordinary academic exploration, with teachers from all disciplines collaborating to broaden and deepen learning. Thematically, we have chosen to focus on the four elements: earth, air, fire, and water.
Subjects in last year’s study of water included the nature of water molecules, water rights and the commercialization of water, tides and currents, avalanche safety, testing water quality, watercolor painting, water symphony, and a joint Spanish-eurythmy piece working with poems about water. Field trips included visits to the Bay Model, to the Marin Headlands, to an ice sculpture artist, and to the Sierra Nevada for a snow trip.
The focus for the 2010/11 school year is Earth.
J-term generates an enormous amount of excitement, both in students and teachers. The ordinary dynamics within the school shift, and we see the learning environment we espouse so strongly manifesting before our eyes. This kind of collaborative teaching brings a cross-fertilization that is at the heart of Waldorf education. J-term culminates with evening presentations to an audience of parents and friends.
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