grade projects

dmc thread #5

handwork bag material....I know we are suppose to use only white. but since i do not have hangers in my room for the children to hang their work. we put our work in a wicker basket and it is easier to see different colors in a basket.....I will tell you how it goes.

BUT...Dharma trading had some really good material in off white . Scenery Muslin #MUS9/10

I got linen from JOann Fabrics.
4th grade cross stitch in big rug material. this is for a fountain pen case. dark on outside and light on inside.
a gift for the new 1st grade teacher....snowwhite.
2nd grade water bottle project

I want this in my Handwork room

I saw this picture at Lupity lou's blog http://loopity-lou.blogspot.com/
and I just went nuts!
I just LOVE that it is their winter fair right now....its 120 degrees here right now

3rd grade soap sponge and dyed cotton yarn

soap sponge






yarn for puppets

sweet comments fill our hearts

The gifts I receive from children are not material items... they are compliments like this.

I went to school today to check on all the sewing machines and a woman came in to give them a fix over...thank GOD!

well while there I saw all the summer camp kids....they were ear to ear smiles full of hellos and
"look what I made this summer"

well the best was this ...
Child: "Do you know I am going to be a teacher when I grow up?"

Me: "what kind of teacher?"

Child: "A good teacher"

Me: " will you teach Big kids or small kids?"

Child: "I'm going to be you when I grow up"


MELT.........and a big hug!

playing in NY with friends from Sunbridge

NYC
The Met


do you know how many strokes of paint is in this inch? about 60!


I was able to down load my pics so now you get to see what we were up to

school's visited this summer

this building was build Anthroposophically correct
santa fe waldorf 3rd grade adobe house building project

santa fe waldorf kinder room
santa fe high school "great room" this is the social room where 4 other buildings are connected to....the high school students rotate through the 4 building in Blocks through out the year. they have no main lesson teacher like in the grades. this great room is their social room...it has a ping pong table and has very high ceilings that carry noise. it seems to be a room where the children can "breathe"
santa fe high school...these are paper art done like tiles
taos toy store
Taos toy store
this is the enclosed play yard outside the toas toy store
this is the side of the grades building. Taos waldorf school

The Taos school with their Yurt Eurythmy room

pictures of Sunbridge college

This place is a small haven....fairies and gnomes roam free here......I'm not kidding!!!!!!

Thoughts for waldorf kindergarten class handwork

I don't have pictures because I am still out of town....

But a few people have asked for Kindergarten handwork ideas.

In the early childhood class the most important crafts which support their senses, nourish their soul and help in fine motor skills would be:

Note: Please only use pastel colors...save the darker colors for later years. plant dyed is best.

1) Wet felting. this can be making small balls with just a very small hand full of felt. make a bunch and sting into a necklace.
wet felt a big ball with a bell inside. this can be used to play with or as an ornament.
wet felt a mouse on your thumb (you will need pictures to see this)
wet felt a chick (again you need pics)\
wet felt a mat. put a shower curtain on the ground and lay sheets of batting on the ground. cross layers so that the batting will felt. Now put some warm soapy water on top and have the children felt with their feet by stamping on the roving.
2) sewing
very important for fine motor skills.
sew a knot baby
sew a gnome
sew a tooth fairy pillow
3) roll balls of yarn. always roll away from the self. you are rolling the ball for the world. even if you are making the item for yourself. you are still helping others. so you wrap it down and it comes up and over and wrap forward towards the world.
4) finger knit and finger weave. I should do a u tube on this......
5) weaving

supply source

since I am doing lots of ordering right now I will share some places to order waldorf Handwork supplies


1) brown sheep for yarn...I like bulky because when you make animals and you stuff them it does not show as much. worsted is thin and can show the stuffing....you get further faster with the bulky as well www.brownsheep.com

2) earth guild for plant dyes.....and there is the place in england that I got a bunch of stuff but I can't remember the name at the moment. www.earthguild.com

3) www.Eugenechernin.com for cross stitch stuff.

4) dowels for knitting needles www.dowelsondemand.com/

5) darma trading for silk and cotton/ hemp material for handwork bags http://www.dharmatrading.com/

6) bamboo and metal crochet hooks from joann fabrics size G or H www.joann.com

7) roving and doll supplies ...weirdolls.com

8) wool batting and roving. they only do phone orders...there is no web site....$5.85 per pound! West Earl Woollen Mill, Ephrata PA 717/859-2241

more on book

THe more I think about it the more I want a bunch of people to be involve in this book.

I want it to be collection of handwork lectures, patterns, thoughts, verses, songs, and experiences from teachers, parents and children.!!!!!!

oooooooew I love it!


What do I name it?

If you can think of a name I will put a thank you to your family for naming the book.



And if you want to put a story in the book, a pattern, thoughts, songs experiences.....you will receive a free book

My Curriculum this year

Just putting thoughts down....are you ready?

grade one:

Story about sheep and wool
intro to wool spin with stick
make knitting needles size 8
learn slip knot
finger knit bulky wool for handwork bag draw sting
finger knit Golden chain to take home and wear that day
learn to cast on
Knit Cat...cast on 16 stitches make a square white wool
Knit a Bird...cast on 14 st make a triangle plant dyed wool
sew on to bird, felted wings and beak
Knit a pentatonic flute case. cast on 30 st. 8 different colors. change colors every 2 ribs (4 rows)
Knit Bear Plant dyed wool brown shades
Knit rainbow ball

Grade 2

Braid string for their new handwork bags.
Knit a mouse. cast on 10 stitches knit into a square. sew on ears and tail. we will plant dye wool
Knit/ pearl an owl.
Knit a Gnome
Learn to crochet a chain as long as you are tall
Crochet a bracelet. chain 5, turn around stitch, single crochet back and forth to make a cuff.
Crochet a potholder. crochet 20 stitches. back and forth
Crochet a bag
Knit a lion

Grade 3

Crochet a chain for the new handwork bags
Plant dye wool for their recorder cases 2 colors per bag
Tell story of Stone soup. have children choose characters
Crochet hand puppets for Stone soup puppet show for Kindergarten
Make spindles
Learn to Spin.
Crochet with spun wool
Learn to weave on Lap looms
Make place mats or bags

Grade 4

Draw pictures of how to embroider handwork bags. use embroidery hoops
Make Handwork bags
Make cross stitch fountain case
Cross stitch pouches using mirrored image

Grade 5

Make new Knitting needles
Make a horse this is their "remember how to knit" project
Go to first grade for 2 classes to help teach knitting
receive 5 double pointed needles and learn to knit in a round
Knit a Hat
Knit fingerless gloves.
Penpals with the Flagstaff waldorf school

Grade 6

Talk about what endangered animal they want to adopt as a group. ( ie the polar bear)
Make a pattern on paper of the animal.
have each child bring in $4 to adopt the animal.
cut out the pattern and pin onto felt. cut out felt pattern and pin. Must be a gusseted animal
Make a table puppet
Make a marionette. assign parts before beginning for the Kindergarten puppet show.
Make a sock monster http://www.stupidcreatures.com/gallery.html

Penpals with the Chicago waldorf school

Grade 7

Make Lesson Books. sew paper together. Make cover....( we might make the cover paper from scratch)
Wet felt ball for pin cushion
Make embroidered Pencil cases for the 2nd grade
Needle felt people and choose where they are from (ie India) skin, hair , clothes must match
wet felt Renaissance hats
Pen pals from South Africa

Grade 8

Make Lesson books
Draw, label and name their sewing machine
history of the sewing machine.
sew jewel pouches for the 1st grade
sew pumpkin pin cushions
sew fleece hats learn to read a pattern
sew quilted pillow case
sew fleece gloves. make up pattern with their own hand. or Bags
Pen pals from Costa Rica

A picture from Sunbridge

I went over to my friend Julia's site (http://ithacawaldorf.blogspot.com/
and she had a picture of our handwork room...I am on floor making....something........


since I am not home I had to swipe her picture...I like her pictures better than mine anyway....she is a profession photographer as a second profession that she keeps in her back pocket for occasional use
I will post a picture of her hard at work ....when I get home...we ran around NY city with another friend (Sarah) on the weekend....we had a great time! Sending Hugs to both of you!


I won't be home for another week and a half.....New Mexico weather and our friends are just keeping us out here....we can't leave




NEWS
I have been invited to go to the Santa Fe waldorf school tomorrow and chat it up with their Handwork teacher!!!!!
Apparently she is a new Handwork teacher this year but has been a graders teacher for many many years and would like to talk about my curriculum and what I learned at sunbridge!

You know how I love to share!!!!!!!!!


I am so honored....Pictures to come!

A book you MUST read

so I am reading several books....

The one that I got totally sucked into on my flight was eat pray love

you have to read it........you just have to!!! its a great summer book, she is funny, real and a good read.....buy it, check it out from your library or ask a girl friend if they have it....I'm sure you have a friend who is reading or read it.

back from Sunbridge

wow what a great 2 weeks!

Like I said before it is a time for rest and learning. A time to grow as a person and as a teacher.

Have you ever had a chance to be with other women in a creative setting where you can totally relax and have fun ? I kind of feel it is a rare treat...no kids no husbands, no work....just play. when not in class we would joke around, sing , spin, swim, eat, go to plays, run into NY city and visit the Met.....we even made gnome houses in an area where the local kids would find them and play.

what a fine time to sing, dance, eat organic, talk about spirituality and be in a group from many different religions....therefore taking religion out of the talk and only talking about spirituality.

It fed my soul! it has to be one of the most important times of year for me....I may not know it at the moment, I may get caught up in how much money it took to get me there and how I miss my kids so much and how I want to be challenged to the hilt so that I can get my monies worth....but once I get to reflect on the situation, I see that I have been blessed!

life on campus at sunbridge college

Life on campus is next to paradise for a Waldorf teacher....you sit on a grassy knoll and you watch the student teachers walk around campus with smiles on their face, discussing the lecture they just came from or the painting they just did etc.....as I look around I see a group of early childhood teachers focusing with lots of energy on a plant...I ask another student what they are doing..."they are meditating on the plant"

I hear a song on the wind.....a woman in the Music training is singing some songs she must have learned this morning.....

I see children running to the pond to swim and a mother breast feeding her infant under a tree where a small bunny is eating near by..............

Yah......wow


Happy to be here