The brilliant goldenrod, abundant harvest, and foggy mornings highlight the beginning of our new school year. Sounds of laughter and learning fill the hallways and school grounds, as children settle into new classrooms and new rhythms.
A Visit from Michael Laughing Fox Charette
On a sunny Friday in January, the lower grades were thrilled to welcome Michael Laughing Fox Charette to campus. Michael Laughing Fox, a member of the third largest indigenous community in the United States, shared stories and music with grades 1-5 about the creation of the flute, a boy who thought he knew everything, Tailfeather woman, and the importance of animal relatives. Brought to us by Scrag Mountain Music and accompanied by Evan Premo on the Double Bass, the children were enthralled by stories and music, spreading the message that “stories show us there are more things connecting us than disconnecting us.”
New Sheep Arrive at Grace Farm
An Exploration of the Twelve Senses
As it gets cold we are often invited into greater consciousness about what supports our sense of wellness. This sense of wellness is one of twelve senses described by Rudolf Steiner that we consciously endeavor to cultivate in our learning environment. Of these twelve senses we particularly work to develop four foundational senses in early childhood from birth to 7 years.
My personal dragon’s name is Fear.
I didn’t realize how grounding it was to look my teacher in the eye every morning and be met with a firm and kind handshake and a welcoming “good morning.”
The day was filled with a focused main lesson, artwork, singing, and purposeful movement, which left me feeling alive. I did not realize my curiosity about the public school and my strong desire to leave the Waldorf school would cast me out on my own, leaving me to face my personal dragon, Fear.
Help us give Sweet Clover Nursery a Forever Home at the Child's Garden
Remembrances at Orchard Valley
On November 2 we welcomed members of our community and beyond to remember those who have crossed the threshold between life and death.
Rudolf Steiner offered that death is perhaps the most significant stage of human development and provided glimpses of human life after death. Our embodied life on earth provides us the opportunity to spirited, moral action that lives on.
We remember some individuals from our Orchard Valley Community whose deeds in life created and nourished this learning environment.
OVWS Celebrates the Formation of a Collegial Circle
The Orchard Valley Waldorf School would like to announce the formation of our Collegial Circle. The forming of a Collegial Circle, in addition to collaborative child focused decision making, acknowledges our growing consciousness that our endeavor in teaching the rising generation is a spiritual one. Our learning environment welcomes the whole human being: body, mind and soul. When we come together in collaboration we engage in the formation of spirited human activity, supported by unseen spiritual beings including the spiritual being of the Orchard Valley Waldorf School. Every person in our community contributes to the strength of our connection with the unseen force that is our school.
Alan LePage Grows Beautiful Vegetables at Grace Farm
A 7th generation Vermont farmer of the local LePage family, Alan evolved farming methods on his family land in Barre, VT towards biodynamic and organic practices to serve the Central Vermont community for over 30 years. Alan and a few others laid the foundation of the Montpelier Farmers’ Market from the ground up.
Now he shares his passion and dedication with Grace Farm, growing a productive vegetable and melon garden, hand-remediating soil health, and preparing beds for some 400 heads of garlic to be planted this fall.
Lazure Workshop with Charles Andrade
This summer the Grades Building and the cubby room of the Farmhouse on the Grace Farm campus were transformed by a group of OVWS parents, grandparents, alumni parents, and teachers who gathered together to learn the art of Lazure from master Lazurist Charles Andrade.
