October 11
From Ms. Ivey:
Finding these vibrant orange caterpillars with black spikes and searching the caterpillar guidebook to identify them was fascinating a few years ago. Then watching them continue their life cycle to an adult gulf fritillary butterfly was beautiful. We learned what the caterpillar ate and where to search for them, so each year as Continue Reading
October 10
From Ms. JoAnna’s math class: We have been multiplying fractions using pans of brownies as our context this week, and everyone has been getting hungry as we talked about math each day. So, Davis brought a real pan of brownies today to curb our cravings. Here is our class question for you to solve:
Assuming everyone Continue Reading
October 4
Yesterday our school celebrated the person of Saint Francis by listening to stories about him, creating icons, composing prayers from animals we love, and processing to the park with our animals for prayers and a blessing.
September 12
We in the Upper Form are so grateful for Kristi Crump, who has been sharing and discussing the periodic table and atomic theory with us. One of our 7th graders was inspired to make these atomic cookies. Notice that one is “unstable”!
June 18
“Children educated upon some such lines as these respond in a surprising way, developing capacity, character, countenance, initiative and a sense of responsibility. They are, in fact, even as children, good and thoughtful citizens.” Philosophy of Ed, p. 20
June 18
Our school offers a ‘time away’ for families and friends of our work here. Last year our friend Laurie Bestvater attended and now we are taking our summer offering to her neck of the woods, in Niskayuna, NY.
We are planning our winter ‘time away’ for the weekend of February 8 and 9, 2013 to be Continue Reading
May 9
from an interview with Wendell Berry. . .(we recently heard he was the most quoted man in America today)
“As we begin to descend, I am thinking about boyhood and Berry’s poetry, and I ask Berry if he agrees that school children should be reintroduced to the lost institution of memorizing and reciting poems.
“Yes,” he replies, “you’ve Continue Reading
November 9
A few weeks ago our school enjoyed a day with Jim Davenport, local naturalist and author of Nature Journal. One of our parents joined us for the first time. Her narration of the day was so beautiful. We asked her if we could post it here and she said yes!
My daughter, Clementine, has found a Continue Reading
October 25
Earlier this year RMCS collaborated with Night Owl Paper Goods to create what Mason calls ‘A Book of Firsts.’ We choose our kinds of notebooks carefully and intentionally. Mason suggested a variety of notebooks that in using end up training one in habits that will benefit the learner his whole life through. It is Continue Reading
August 21
Awakening
“The Poet Dreams of the Classroom”
by Mary Oliver
I dreamed
I stood up in class
and I said aloud:
Teacher,
Why is algebra important?
Sit down, he said.
Then I dreamed
I stood up
and I said:
Teacher, I’m weary
of the turkeys
that we have to draw
every fall.
May I draw a fox instead?
Sit down, he said.
Then I dreamed
I stood up once more
and said:
Teacher,
my heart is falling
asleep Continue Reading