random pics from this week

drawing with my preschooler
our current nature table at home. My preschooler set it up....You can't see it very well. but the gnome is holding a lantern
Storming of Bastille. french revolution
storming of Bastille
this is my picture. Its Napoleon. 8th grade is learning the French Revolution
the 8th grade teacher painted this one. She is so cool I really like her. it's so wonderful when you find teacher's you bond with.

THANK GOD!

"YES WE CAN"

I cried I was so happy

Pumpkin Festival and penny faire

animals at our school


this is one of the stations. Little jack Hornier sat in the corner......
Early childhood pumpkin patch

To begin the day the ENTIRE SCHOOL 200+ kids carves pumpkins


At our school we have a Penny fair in the early childhood where they dress up in magical theme customs and the parents set up fairytale stations for the children to come to. they are all fairy tale or nursery rhymes. we have Rapunzel in her tower (this is a parent) who has long hair (braided yarn) and the children put a penny in a bucket that is attached to her hair and she pulls it up and she puts a gift in the bucket (a shell, a jewel etc) and down it goes back to the child. the pennies are collected for UNICLEF . There is the sleeping giant, the plum and pie nursery rhyme, and some others I just can't remember at the moment.
any way it it lots of fun for them, they have about 10 stations that they go to to collect gifts at and than there is a big feast and they all eat together.....lots of fun!

The older children carve pumpkins and then go on a parade starting from the 8th grade and walking through each class and as they pass through the class, the next class follows and picks up at the end of the line , we end up with a very long line. The parade ends with an assembly and a performance. I had my Handwork 8th grade boys put on a skit and they ended with an explosion of party poppers into the crowd....it was fun and entertaining.

I got a spinning wheel!

A family at school just donated a Spinning wheel to the handwork room!!!!!!!!! score!!!!

But here is the bad news.....I had this spinning wheel for not even an hour when my 6th grade class comes into the room and one of the children walks over to the spinning wheel (behind me) and starts to jump sideways on the wheel. I hear a crack......I turn around quickly and say, "you did not just crack our new spinning wheel did you?"
He did not break the wood but he broke the leather strap that connects the peddle to the wheel. I was so upset, I actually wanted to cry...for about 5 seconds...that's an eternity for a teacher.
To explained to him that he was not invited to use the wheel, he needs to always ask a teacher before using a new item in a room, it doesn't matter what room he is in or who he is with. He should never start to jump on something that looks like a tool for a class.
It took me another 5 or so minutes before I was able to really calm down....I was so upset and this class had never seem me upset before.
so I told him he had to fix it with his dad.

After school another father came into the handwork room and actually fixed it with me...we used thick wool felt to make the strap.

All is well, but there was a very big lesson for this child to learn......DON'T touch tools in the handwork room unless you are invited to first or you ask to touch them....SECOND don't climb on every fun looking object you see, it might be VERY expensive!

Good news is I was able to take it home and will begin spinning....once I am done with this post :)

AND our 9th grade will be able to use this next year......can't wait!

"Mrs. K, you smell like cookies"

This is a first grader who is on her second project. she did a cat and now she is doing a blue bird. This yarn was plant dyed by the 3rd grade. it is Brown sheep untreated bulky single ply yarn with indigo dye.
The Knitting needles are dowels from Dowels on demand http://www.dowelsondemand.com/prices.html
I think it is size 5/16th?
Julia is that right?
1st grade rubbing the handwork pumpkin for "handwork luck" .....they are so funny!
4th grade embroidered bags

felted picture from 7th grade
Wet Felting felt for making Renaissance hats. 7th grade

These are 2 of the felted people. its a 7th grade project . the children think of a country they are from and make felted people. This is a sumo from Japan and a Russian. and wet felted balls.

So yesterday while teaching 8th grade sewing, a student leans over and starts to smell my arm, "Mrs. K you smell like a cookie, guys come here and smell Mrs. K, doesn't she smell like cookies." From here I had 5 students come over and start smelling me....very strange experience, my first reaction was to run away from their noses, but I was kind of pinned, so I allowed them to smell my arms. From there they announced that Yes I did smell like a cookie, hence we must make cookies so that they can eat some. This conversation lead to what they could sew that would go with cookies, pot holders, mits, aprons and place mats. How interesting......I guess we will be making cookies one of these days....I do have an stove in my building.

Every teacher should take vacations

Yah, those are my feet....that's as much of me as you get to see




My family and some friends took my husband, my kids and I to Mexico for a week on the beach....I just turned 30...............Yippeeeee for me. We had a BLAST! I love going with lots of people places....I love caravaning and organizing meals and staying up late playing board games...FUN!

Waldorf Handwork Teacher Training

This is Chris Marlo, she co-Teaches with Renata and I think she is probably one of the nicest humans on earth. I am not kidding, you can't get her mad, she has only nice bones in her body. Really, a truly kind soul, we should all learn from her example. She also teaches the grades handwork at Spring Valley school
This is Renata Hiller. She is the Mother of all Handwork teachers. She taught the first Handwork teacher training in America. So all the other trainings are based off of her teachings.





Just so you all know. I am getting my training at the Three Fold Craft studio...formally known as Sunbridge College Craft Studio in Spring Valley NY. I am going into my 3rd year and it is a 4 year program

http://www.threefold.org/fiber_craft_studio/applied_arts_program.aspx

more waldorf middle school art work from the kids

7th and 8th grade Waldorf School painting and charcoal

Just a few shots of some of the kids work. I have 20 8th graders and 18 7th graders.











Here are some of their latest work

4th grade in politics

So my 4th grade are REALLLLLLY into politics.....its not in their main lesson, its a self induced passion.

For the past 3 weeks they only want to talk about Obama and every teacher they pass on our walk to the Handwork room they ask "who are you voting for"

So to scratch this itch...so to speak

I decided that we would have an election in Handwork class. A book Election and the winner would be the president and they should all read the winning book.

They were very excited. They had to choose a party (a color) and the book (the candidate).

Then a week later I would have them cast their ballets in the voting box.

Sooooooo, yesterday was the day....we had an election I had little pieces of paper cut and a box with a slit that was on a table behind a screen and they each went over one at a time and cast their ballet.

THEY LOVED IT!!!!!

and the winner was

DRUM ROLLLLLLLLLLLLL

the winner was a book I can't even find a picture for

"story of an Ugly Kid"

and the Vice President book was

Obama's book (which they have not read but some said they want to get it on Audio and listen to it in the car)

and then there was Harry Potter as 3rd place.


Without getting to much into the whole REAL aspect of politics. this seemed to make them really happy and satisfied.

First grade finger play and verses

after we say our first grade verse I go into saying small poems or songs that play with your fingers.

so I thought I would share my monthly poem rotation with you.

My first one for Aug/ Sep was

Pea Pod
Seed Pod
Bean Pod and
Poppy Pod
Split when they ripen and
open with the pop

take thumb and pointer and touch them together and rob them together in a circle.
then thumb and middle , rub in a circle. kind of like rolling a small piece of wax between your fingers.
go to thumb and ring and last thumb and pinky

change hands.


two first graders meet in the lane and bow most politely and bow once again
How do you do
and how do you do
and how do you do again. etc......
(I think i put this song in a post about a month ago)



late september:

A Knight and a lady went riding one day
far into the forest away, away
The Knight said oh lady pray have a care
this forest is evil beware beware,
A fiery red dragon it lay on the path
the lady wept sourly alas alas
The Knit slew the dragon the lady was gay
they road off together away away



October:

Five little witches on a Halloween night
Made a very, very spooky sight.
The first witch danced on her tippy tiptoes.
The second witch tumbled and bumped her nose.
The third witch flew high up in the air.
The fourth witch combed her fuzzy hair.
The fifth witch sang a Halloween song.
Five witches played the whole night long!
- Anonymous

Thank you fairynest for the poem

farting shoe

So I walk into 8th grade and shake the 8th grade teacher's hand and my berks fart!

Yah they fart! My heel and the sole of my shoes makes a pocket of air and FAAAART!

I look around at my shoe and .....I didn't say what I should have said "my shoe farted!"

I just say "good afternoon 8th grade"

Yah.......so what to do? new shoes?

Michaelmas time

As Michaelmas is right around the corner I see that our community needs the courage and strength that this time of year brings.

The symbol of St. Michael taming the dragon really means that the human needs to go within and find the inner strength that lives with in each of us. Fear, depression, and hate is the dragon. Strength, courage and joy is the angel light within each of us.

This past week our community has been struck by different very challenging and sad events. 3 beautiful souls passed away. One was a teenage girl and the other was a pregnant mother and her baby.

We had a child diagnosed with cancer

and another child broke his arm.

It has been a very challenging week for our community.

a funny moment

yesterday as I was walking 4th grade to the Handwork room the line leader asks me, "Do teachers go to the bathroom?" I told her of course we do. She said. "you must have SUPER bladders. My main lesson teacher hasn't gone to the bathroom once this year."


I got a good laugh out of that

3rd, 2nd, and 1st grade updates

This is more a note for me to see how the year is going so that next year I can look and see where we were at this time.

We are exactly 4 weeks into the school year. My 2nd graders re sanded and waxed their needles, we plant dyed yellow wool for lions and I told the story of the lion and the mouse. They finished their mice....except 2 children who are new to the class. And they have started on their lions. 20 children in 2nd grade. 1/2 are on their second leg....first leg is 11 stitches and 9 bumps (2 rows per bump).

The mouse was 10 stitches knitted until you make a square. sew together and stuff. add felt ears and sew them on.

I have a story teller in 2nd grade and she is reading Stuart Little....perfect for the mouse project. they were really into it!

3rd grade is continuing crochet from the second half of last year. 26 kids in this class.
in the picture you can see my fast crocheters have almost finished their recorder cases.
next we move to the Stone soup puppets.

1st grade: They made their needles, they finger knitted they draw stings for their handwork bags (I make handwork bags for 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade. In their class colors. Pink, orange and yellow)
They wound their balls of yarn from small skeins that I made. They learn to cast on and caste on enough stitches to fill the needle.
Most have knit 2 rows at week 4.

that 's all for now

7th grade wet felted renaissance hats

I think that we should all throw in some ideas on craft ideas.....if you have an idea let it out!

I just got a question on how to wet felt hats. we wet felt hats in 7th grade.

So I use the book "Felting by Hand" by Anne Einset Vickrey

http://www.snoods.com/hats.html

http://www.vertetsable.com/demos_elizabethanhats.htm

http://www.vertetsable.com/demos_feltboots.htm

http://www.vertetsable.com/demos_feltapplique.htm


these sites will help too.

life was different 100 years ago!

Picture taken in Culver city in 1912

Rule for Teachers, 1915

1. You will not marry during the term of your contract.
2. You are not to keep company with men.
3. You must be home between the hours of 8 PM and 6 AM unless attending a school function.
4. You may not loiter downtown in ice cream stores.
5. You may not travel beyond city limits unless you have the permission of the chairman of the board.
6. You may not ride in a carriage or automobile with a man unless he is your father or brother.
7. You may not smoke cigarettes.
8. You may not dress in bright colors.
9. You may, under no circumstances, dye your hair.
10. You must wear at least two petticoats.
11. Your dresses must not be any shorter than two inches above the ankle.
12. You will keep the schoolroom neat and clean, sweep the floor at least once daily, scrub the floor at least once each week, clean the blackboards once a day, and start the fire at 7 AM so the room will be warm at 8 AM.

-Cabell County, West Virginia
Board of Education, 1915



Rules for Teachers, 1872

1. Teachers each day will fill lamps, clean chimneys.



2. Each teacher will bring a bucket of water and a scuttle of coal for the day's session.



3. Make your pens carefully. You may whittle nibs to the individual taste of the pupils.



4. Men teachers may take one evening each week for courting purposes, or two evening each week if they go to church regularly.



5. After ten hours in school, the teachers may spend the remaining time reading the Bible or other good books.



6. Woman teacher who marry or engage in unseemly conduct will be dismissed.



7. Every teacher should lay aside from each pay a good sum of his earnings for his benefit during declining years, so that he will not become a burden on society.



8. Any teacher who smokes, uses liquor in any form, frequents pool or public halls, or gets shaved in a barber shop will give good reason to suspect his worth, intention, integrity, and honesty.



9. The teacher who performs his labor faithfully and without fault for five years will be given an increase of twenty-five cents per week in his pay, providing the Board of Education approves.