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Mountain School, Steiner felt that people had a much too materialistic view of the world and that this was harmful to peace and harmony. His theory of education took into account the nurturing of a being’s physical, intellectual, moral, emotional and spiritual needs. Waldorf education places as much emphasis on art, music and handicrafts as on reading, writing and arithmetic.
Spring Mountain School follows these guidelines. The children spend much time on activities other than the basic three. Each child will learn how to knit, sing, sew, model with beeswax, paint, dance, read music, play the recorder in early grades and another musical instrument in later grades, work with wood, and more. Beth Craig stated, “Everything I had read about Waldorf education resonated with what I knew to be true with my son’s development. This seemed the best way to go for my son.”
You will find no textbooks in this school. Students construct their own workbooks, interspersed with art. The act of putting together the workbook is just as much a learning experience as the studying of it later on in the classroom, according to Paige Noel, who teaches the older children.
There are no written tests in this school. Students are tested verbally every day. At least twice a year there are parent-teacher conferences, at the beginning and middle of the school year. Conferences can also be scheduled as needed either by the teacher or parent.
Each grade begins the day with a “circle” attended by all students and their teacher. In this circle, many experiences can take place: singing, dancing, poetry, free-form movements, or games. A candle is lit to signify unity. It will burn until the class leaves the building for recess or a nature w alk.
In the nursery school classroom the children have a lot of hands-on experience. After the sandbox episode, everyone washed up and ate snacks on a table set with cloth placemats and fresh flowers. Next came the big excitement for the day, making applesauce from apples the children had picked themselves. There was a wonderful scent of the apples cooking all morning in the classroom, and the kids could hardly wait their turn to “squish" them into applesauce. Actually, they used a food mill, and each had a turn. Eyes grew large when they saw' the applesauce they had made.
These children also make yeast bread once a week to take home with them, and soon they will be churning their own butter with cream from Miriam Harris of Jordan River Farm.
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