Michaelmas Week~ 3rd week of school

Michaelmas ended up filling a whole week!

The autumn winds blow open the gate,
St. Michael for you we wait.
We follow you, show us the way.
With joy we greet this autumn day.

Michaelmas Morn~ You can feel the dragon coming!

Rosy Mist Hanging On...

Later that day, in comes the blustery autumn

The silver rain, the shining sun,
the fields where goldenrod does run,
the fallen leaves winds lift away,
with joy we greet this autumn day.

We heard many stories of conquering the dragon from many different lands throughout the week. We sang it, spoke it in verse, painted it, sculpted it, drew it…

The Battle~ in chalk

Li Chi slays the serpent with her sword and snake~hunting dog.

Can you find the letter "D" in the dragon drawing?

Dragon in Clay

Form Drawing~ the Sword

Silent and Focused...

Sword of Michael brightly gleaming,
Down to earth its light is streaming~
May we see its shining rays
In the winter’s darkest days.

We boiled our annual Michaelmas goldenrod dyepot:

Goldenrod Simmering Overnight

Add the alum, and the sun appears!

Simmer the Wool

Wool is drying. Yes, a little colored wool for fun!

Michaelmas Wool Ready to Spin~ Look at that sunny goldenrod wool peeking out! The beige is goldenrod with iron.

Spinning Michaelmas Wool

The forge, designed by the children and fired up on Michaelmas:

Michalemas Forge

Michaelmas Forger! Crafting a Fine Blade...

And somehow, we fit in so many other things:

Drawing Collected Treasures

Making our own felted woolen chalkboard erasers.

Yes, they really work!

See the turtle one on the left?

"Frau Feder" visits two time a week for German class. Do you remember Madeline? In German?!

Making Maple sugar for cake baking:

Boil to 244°, cool to 180°, and stir as fast as you can!

Quick! Swipe it warm and soft into the mold!

Then, stir it till it cools for baking sugar! Mmmmmm...

And now, for a good book…

Silent Reading time...

As if the week weren’t full enough, the children all met on Saturday morning at the Newark Valley Apple Festival to hear Johannes’ perform with the Toast n’ Jammers Fiddle Club.

The "Boat Song"~ Johannes' own piece

And home we came, to the last rose of summer:

We named it the Michaelmas Rose

 

Autumn Drive

On Saturday morning, Morgan and I took a drive to the local spinning guild meeting. A very short drive became very long… and you will see why!

First Stop

Second Stop

Third Stop

Fourth Stop

Fifth Stop

Sixth Stop

Seventh Stop

Eighth Stop

Ninth Stop

Tenth Stop

Can you believe we live in such a beautiful world?

Week Two in Review

I can’t believe how much we accomplish in a week~ these are only highlights!

Monday Morn

Unexpected school visitor:

Scamper peeks in!

Ready to Paint

We can get it!

Claywork

Earth Puzzles project~ Experimenting with “surface tension”, paper boats propelled by dish detergent on milk:

On your mark, get set...GO!

The Winner!

More Earth Puzzles~ Making Paneer Cheese ...mmmmmm

Tuesday and Thursday handwork:

Spinning Committee

Making a present for mommy's homecoming...

This week embraced the first day of autumn:

Last popsicle of summer...

First Touch of Autumn~ Equinox morn

Equinox Bonfire

The projects this crew produces are ever amazing. This week:

Launchers for Planes

Machete Forge

T-Wal Machete Company product~ Yes, this really can cut through the brambles!

The woodman came to cut some trees down:

Timber! Best view is from the hen-run roof, of course...

The week winds down:

Wylie Brook Whale Watch~ fiddle band practice

Friday Tea~ The week is done

A Few More First Week Fruits

In spite of a sick day on Thursday, we had a productive first week. Recorder and fiddle are moving right along, I’m beginning to figure out who is where in math, four new singing songs accomplished, adjustments to the curriculum, daily schedule, and year are beginning to take shape. I am eternally amazed at the pace at which children take up new work. Everyone has already gained new skill, willingly challenging themselves to meet new difficult tasks.

Some excerpts from the children’s books:

Norse Myth~ The Sun in Her Chariot

Norse Myth~ Nidhogg Under Yggdrasil

Norse Myth~ Three Gifts

Number Journeys:

Who can do what?

Earth Puzzles:

Milk in dish. Dip in plain Q-tip, nothing happens. Q-tip in dishsoap, magic! But was the color moving underneath, they asked? A glass dish illuminates the answer- not so! What is happening?

Their ideas are moving closer and closer. First thought was that the soap repelled the color. But was the milk moving as well? Then the glass dish question. It hit- it’s all on the surface! On Monday we add little boats to the dish…

Magic Happens With Dishsoap!

Another Touch in Another Spot...

Starting Over With a Glass Dish

Only on the surface, they discover!

Painting:

Dragon Under Yggdrasil

Uh oh! Colds and coughs in the air. We made good use of Thursday’s sick day We decided to have a play day with school breaks instead of a school day with play breaks. Planes underway, we began constructing the doors for our schoolroom, potholder in progress. It was a fun day.

Planes in Progress

Building the Door

Almost Finished

On Friday, the schedule fell right back into place as if we’d been doing it for months. In the afternoon, we had our “weekly review”, closed school for the week, and hadFriday Tea. It was a wonderful first week.

Reviewing the Week

Friday Tea at Week's End

2nd Day of School ~ As the Days Unfold…

It was quite a second day. An experiment in the kitchen has dropped us headlong into molecules (go figure, not so Waldorf, eh?:). First entries into the Norse Myths main lesson books, tunes emerging on recorder and fiddle, beginning to make heads or tails out of varying math skills, form drawing, handwork… Iris, Morgan and Owen all learned to spin in about 15 MINUTES! The girls stayed in to keep working at it, in another few minutes they were both spinning independently. My fastest spinning students ever!

Recorder Fleet

Practicing Recorder in Between Activities

Form Drawing ~ First Practice in Chalk

Form Drawing ~ Forms Drawn in Books

Finishing Touches

Fiddle Fleet

Main Lesson Supplies ~ Painting Supplies

New Spinners ~ 15 Minute Wonder Girls!

Iris Spins on Her Own, Age 6!!!

Morgan Spins on Her own, Age 10!