- Classrooms
- Preschool
- Kindergarten
- Primary Circle
(Grades 1 & 2) - Middle Circle
(Grades 3 & 4) - Oldest Group
(Grades 5 & 6) - Art
- Library
- Music
- Science
- Woodshop
- Spanish
- Service Learning and Partnerships
- Mini Courses
- Sports
- Extended Day
Classrooms
Mini Courses
Past Mini Courses
Working in SRV's Garden
With Dawn & Paul S., in the garden, all ages
Come help prepare the school's vegetable garden for winter, including working in the beds and the poly-house. Help decide what will be planted for spring, and plant some vegetables in the poly-house to harvest in the coming months.
Eva works on her clay turtle in the art room
Practical Art for SRV's Garden
With Kathy & Jodie, meet in the Art Room, all ages
We will make different needed and decorative items for the vegetable garden, including things such as wind socks, weather vanes, signs to label the plots, and decorations for the fences and paths.
Scarecrows!
With Meg & Erin, in the Oldest Group Room, all ages
Come create scarecrows for the SRV community garden! Using old clothes, hay, and your own creativity. create some new SRV "students!"
Garden Crafts
With Ali, in Ali's room, all ages
Each week we will make a different craft, including wind chimes, garden markers, scarecrows, mosaics and more. We will use many different materials, including things we find in and around the garden like twigs and rocks. Bring a creative mind!
Urban Gardening
With Kim & Robin, meet in the old Afternoons Room, all welcome
We will be visiting gardens in Philadelphia (and maybe Chester) and exploring ways that people can garden and grow food even in urban environments. View an update on the Urban Gardening mini-course.
Garden poetry!
With Sara, in Sara's room, all ages
We will look at food and gardening through the eyes of professional poets, and practice using our own poet's eyes. Some poets write songs, some write rhymes, some write free verse--which kind do you like? Come explore together.
Seed Explorations
With Gloria and Karyn, in Gloria's room, all ages
We will collect seeds, sort them and compare them. This will be a math/garden crossover with perhaps some drawing and sketching, too.
Remaking the Directional Sign
With Jane, meet in Jane's room, all ages
We will take apart, clean and repaint the direction sign (the white arrows sign in the garden below the terrace). We might even decide to make new locations for the arrows to point to.
Miniature Gardens
With Annie & Nita, in the Kindergarten room, all ages
We will look at different kinds of gardens and things that people from around the world put in gardens. Then we will make our own miniature gardens (in containers).
A small group listens as Mike reads the classic The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett in the library
The Secret Garden
With Mike, in the Library, 3rd grade and up due to some content
Listen to The Secret Garden by Frances Burnett read by Mike and learn how a garden can help people grow as well as flowers.
Folktales: a Cultural Odyssey
With Ali & Gloria, in the Main Circle Rooms, all ages welcome
Immerse yourself in new cultures with the sights, smells, flavors and folktales of a different continent each week. We will listen to music, eat snacks, and read tales from across the globe.
Folktales from India
With Anu & Jodie, in the computer lab, all ages welcome
We will hear folktales from different areas and cultural traditions in India. Then we will make characters from the stories and other decorations for the May Fair.
Storytelling with Meg (the Younger)
With Meg & Robin Rumsey-Lasersohn, in the Library, all ages welcome
Meg will share folk and fairytales from all over the world – some old favorites and some wonderful ones you might not know yet. Then we can act them out and also make some amazing fairytale decorations for May Fair.
Acting out Folktales
With Annie & Nita, in the Kind. room & Grace, all ages welcome
Explore folktales through acting! We will look at a few folktales, choose parts and act them out! If you enjoy performing this one's for you!
Woodland Folk and Fairie Houses
With Meg & Some OG kids, in the woods, all ages welcome
We will create a miniature world by making little folktale characters and fairies and their homes in the woods using natural materials (twigs, leaves, moss, etc.).
Make an Entrance for May Fair
With Erin, in the OG room, all ages welcome
Help create the May Fair entrance for the terrace – a giant book that all fair-goers will walk through to enter.
Make a May Fair Game I
With Jane, in Jane's room, all Ages welcome
We will invent, create and make up the rules for a folktale theme-related game for the May Fair.
Make a May Fair Game II
With Dawn, in the Science Room, all ages welcome
We will invent, create and make up the rules for a folktale theme-related game for the May Fair.
Make May Fair Game Prizes
With Mike & Sara, in the Shop, for 8-10 kids, all ages welcome
We will design and construct wooden prizes to be won by people playing the games at the May Fair. Unlike normal shop time, you won't make a whole project yourself – you will do parts of many projects. Also, you don't get to take one home unless you win it at the Fair.
Digital Photography and Graphic Design
With Meg, in the OG Room, up to 8 kids, second grade and up
Come to the OG and explore graphic design on our computers. We will be taking photos with the digital camera or drawing pictures and then scanning our work into the computers. We will then enhance our designs using Photoshop and Paint programs.
Make and Play a "Canjo"
With Mike, in the Shop, for 8 kids, all ages (first priority to kids who didn't get to do it last time)
Here's a chance to make a one or two string banjo. Build one of these "no wrong notes" instruments and learn to play a simple tune or two.
Calendar-making
With Jane, in Jane's room, all ages
Make a 2007 calendar complete with important dates and pictures!
Working with Clay and Wheel Throwing
With Annie and Nita, in the Art Room, 10-12 kids, all ages
All ages welcome. Older children will be able to practice their throwing skills. All children may work on new clay projects.
Career Coffeehouse
With Dana, in the Afternoons Room, 10-12 kids, all ages
Are you interested in finding out what it would be like to be a doctor, or a professional writer, or a police officer? Join Dana's mini course where each week, we'll have a guest speaker based on what you choose. Maybe we'll have a visit from a Karate instructor or a professional artist. You can ask them questions about what they do, what they like about their work, and what parts are hard for them while enjoying hot chocolate, tea, and snacks in the Library.
Trash to Art
With Dawn and guest artists, in the Science Room, up to 12 kids, all ages
We will be re-using materials that would be trash or recycling to do art and crafts projects. Molly will help us make paper. Other things we might work with include old magazines, beverage cartons and jugs, packing materials, and who knows what else?
Jewelry-making
With Ali, in Ali's room, up to 12 kids, 1st grade and up
Each week we will explore a different aspect of jewelry making. We will use beads, string, wire, and other materials to make any assortment of necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and rings. We will use jewelry making tools such as wire cutters and clamps to learn how to attach clasps to necklaces and bracelets. One week we may even use clay to make our own homemade beads.
Sewing
With Gloria, in Gloria's Room, up to 8 kids, all ages
We will do several sewing projects, starting with sewing journals to keep track of our work and progressing to sewing fabric bags. Some children may also try embroidery and might sew simple clothes for dolls or stuffed animals. Prior experience is not necessary and it's open to all ages.
Dancing
With Jordan, Molly and Erin, in the Great Room, up to 8 kids, all ages
We will do swing, salsa, jazz and hip-hop dancing. All are welcome to this fun Mini Course. No experience required.
Apple Core
With Rob, at the Apple Core, for 4 kids, 3rd and up
Come help us build the good ship Apple Core! Worthy successor to the Apple Core that was built by kids and parents back in the day, the new Apple Core was designed by kids, is being built by kids (using wood from SRV trees that were felled to make room for Grace), and will be sailed by kids.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Book Group
With Gloria, in Gloria's room, for 8 kids, must be old enough to read it or have a parent read it to you
Come and talk about the latest Harry Potter book! We'll wonder, read a bit, talk and, of course, eat snacks together as we enjoy Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince!
Gardening
With Eliza & Ridge, in the Science Room & garden, for 10 kids, 1st and up
We will work in the garden planting, observing, maintaining and harvesting the garden. On rainy days we will work indoors starting seeds, making signs, researching plants and coming up with plans for the garden.
Making friendship bracelets
With Meg, Maude & Maggie, in the OG room, 8 kids, must be able to tie shoes
Do you want to learn how to make friendship bracelets, but no one will teach you? Do you know how to make friendship bracelets but never have the chance? Then sign up for this Mini Course!
Making puppets
With Barbara & Andrew, in the OG room, all ages
All kinds of puppets - marionettes, hand puppets, shadow puppets! We will create a puppet show. Choose your character and style of puppet, make the puppets and finally perform the puppet show before the school.
Latin Dance
With Ali & Sara, in the Great Room, 8 kids, all ages
Learn the lively rhythms, basic steps, and easy partner turns fundamental to salsa and merengue dancing all while listening to the hip-shaking beats of Latin music from Latin America and the Carribean! Bring shoes that are easy to move around in and that won't fall off. No flip-flops allowed! The course is open to anyone who is interested and will meet in the Great Room. All skill levels welcome.
Testing & Repairing computers
With Mike, in Shop, for 8 kids, any age (no more than 2 from K)
Children who participate will be testing the school's recently replaced computers and deciding whether they should be recycled, reused in other capacities at the school or sold to help fund further replacements. Children will learn the names and functions of the computer's major parts, how to test and replace those parts that are broken and how to set up a new or reusable computer with the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office.
Bead Work and Sewing
With NIta, in the kindergarten room, for 8 kids, all ages
We will learn to sew different kinds of stitches, sew beads and embroider. We will decorate T-shirts using the new techniques we have learned.
Dancing
With Jane, Megan & Yassmin, in Jane's Room, for 8 kids, all ages
We will do exercises before we dance. And we will learn the dance in 5 parts. And then the last week we will do the dance all together. And we will make it as fun as possible. And we will dance to the Cheetah Girls.
Baking
With Jodie, Jackie & Haley, in the Grace kitchen, 8 kids, all ages
Jackie and Haley are doing a baking Mini Course. The first week we will brainstorm what to bake. Jodie is our teachers that's doing it with us.
Drawing Birds
With Annie, in the Art Room, for 8 kids, all ages
We will visit the Delaware County Science Museum to look at birds. We will draw birds indoors and outside, observe birds and design bird houses.
Happy Hiking with Eliza (all ages) We will hike to various parts of the woods where we will stop and draw or write stories/poems/songs about what we see. Each week we will hike somewhere different.
Painting with Nita (all ages) We will paint with and explore different types of paints – watercolors, tempera, finger paint and acrylics.
Cooking with Erin & Barb (all ages) We will cook and bake from simple recipes that everyone can follow. We might make cookies, pizza, soup, and other popular foods.
Mask Making with Meg (all ages) We will make masks of many styles with a variety of materials – maybe paper, fabric, clay and papier maché. If anyone wants to, we may also do some drama or dancing with our masks.
Yoga with Sara (all ages) "Be a Frog, a Bird or a Tree." Learn a variety of yoga poses and moves for relaxation, exercise and fun!
Non-competitive Wrestling Skills with Jane & Scott (12 students, 1st grade and up) In this Mini Course students will learn skills in the sport of wrestling. This is not WWF wrestling, but the sport seen in High School, College and the Olympics. We will play games, learn moves, and have fun.
Tone Chimes with Jodie (12 students, 2nd grade and up) Learn to play the tone chimes. No experience required, but experienced players are welcome.
King's Quest II with Mike (8 students, fluent readers) Sir Graham is now King Graham. Join him on his second expedition as you brainstorm, problem solve, clearly communicate and map your way to helping him find a queen!
"City Mouse-Country Mouse Art Partners" with Annie & Robin (8 students, with a special invitation to the Main Circle) This Mini Course will be a partnership between SRV kids and 3rd & 4th graders from the EM Stanton School in Philadelphia. We will visit our partners in the city and explore the neighborhood together with sketchbooks and journals. They will show us the things that are special and interesting about their life in the city. When they visit us here at Rose Valley, we'll do the same thing. In between the visits, we will make plans, write letters, and create all kinds of art related to our partnership. We will make new friends, explore new places, and express what we learn through the cultural arts, including music, dance, drama, and visual art.
Mysterious Bulbs With Eliza, in the Science Room, for 10 kids, any age 200 flower bulbs have been dropped off at SRV! We will plant the bulbs around campus and map out where we put each bulb. Students will draw what they think the bulbs will look like in the spring. We will also grow a few indoors and watch the roots grow over the 6 weeks of the mini course.
Making Books With Danielle and Jane, in Jane's room, for 12 kids, any age In this group we'll be making one or two different kinds of blank books that you can use for drawing or journals. There will be a different art project each week, including marbling paper, decorating covers, etc.
Digging! With Lauren, in the dirt pile, for 12 kids, any age Get out your shovels and work boots. In this mini course, we will be digging. We may dig up and move dirt to make a new garden, or help Eliza plant flower bulbs. During most of the time, though, we may make holes, tunnels, canals, dams -- whatever we want. (Projects in the pile will not last, so no new buildings for now!)
Drama With Meg, Caleb & Ari, in Grace, for 10 kids, any age In our acting mini course the first week we will decide on what type of play we will do (such as drama, action, etc.). The following weeks will be writing lines, casting and rehearsing, in that order. On the final week the grand presentation will be for the whole school. All ages welcome.
Baking and Drawing With Haley, Breanna, Sara and Robin, in Danielle's room, for 10 kids, any age We are going to bake, and while our creations are in the oven, draw together.
All Sports With Mike, Emily, Sanj and Anup, in the field or on the blacktop, for 20 kids, 1st and up Come play games of all kinds on the black top and the field.
Building Model Rockets With Scott, in Scott's room, for 10 kids, 1st graders and up In this mini course, students will be building traditional model rockets from kits. In addition, we will study some properties and aspects of flight, construct some other flying objects, and watch parts of "October Sky." We will finish the mini course by heading out to a park to launch our creations.
Recorder Consort With Jodie, in the Music Room, for 4th graders and up We will form a recorder consort for experienced 4th - 6th grade recorder players who would like to learn to play in an ensemble. There will be opportunities to learn to play different sized. A performance will follow our mini course, and possibly an appearance in the winter performance assembly.
Making Clay Pots With Annie & Nita, in the Art Room, for 3rd graders and up In this mini course, students will take turns learning how to throw pots on the potter's wheel with Annie, and hand-building pots with Nita.
Dungeons & Dragons With Erin, Evan, Austin & Donovan, in Meg's room, for 3rd graders and up Come join us in exploring Dungeons and fighting monsters! Create a hero to help you in your adventures.
Animal Allies with Robin and Chara Explore ways that human beings can be better allies to animals, in the wild and as pets. Learn about different animal advocacy efforts, such as open space preservation, pet rescue and rehabilitation, etc.
Ball Skills with Mike and Meg An opportunity for children who would like to develop their throwing, catching and kicking skills in a non-threatening environment.
Calendar Making with Jane and Scott We'll come up with a theme for a year-long calendar, fill in important school and personal dates, then illustrate our work.
Dinner Party with Eliza Plan, shop for, set up and have a dinner party.
Ethnic Cooking with Nita We will cook exotic dishes from around the world using unusual spices, lentils and vegetables. Perhaps we will try out some favorite family recipes that kids may bring along to share with the group.
Expedition to Germany with Sara Kids who choose this Mini Course will learn German words, a bit of conversation, German songs, a little grammar, play games in German, and maybe even sample some German snacks.
Jewelry Making with Erin Students will be able to create necklaces, bracelets and pins out of a variety of beads and other materials.
Recorder Consort with Jodie (Main Circle and up) We will form a recorder consort for experienced 4th - 6th grade recorder players who would like to play in an ensemble. There will be opportunities to learn to play different sized recorders. A performance may follow our mini course.
Science Challenge with Danielle We'll take on fun science challenges, such as trying to drop eggs from heights without breaking them, building bridges that we can stand on, and making volcanoes that erupt.
Throwing Pots on the Potter's Wheels with Annie (Main Circle and up, limit 8 students) Throw clay pots on the potter's wheels.
Learn to Play the Recorder (or Improve Your Recorder Skills)
With Jodie, in the Music Room, for 3rd graders and up
Introduction to recorder playing will allow new players to participate in duets with more advanced students. We'll learn new and familiar songs. No experience required, and experienced players welcome.
Make and Play a Stringed Instrument
With Mike, in the Shop, for 8 kids, all ages
Here's a chance to make a one or two string banjo. Build one of these "no wrong notes" instruments and learn to play a simple tune or two.
Hand-building Clay Pots
With Nita, in the Kindergarten Room, for up to 10 kids, all ages
Learn some basic techniques making clay pots, such as pinching, coiling, working with slabs. We will also use lots of stamps and textures to decorate our pots.
Artist Workshop
With Annie and Sarah, in the Art Room, for up to 14 kids, all ages
Children will work together to build a routine, and organize the art room. We will begin by organizing our classroom library of ideas. You will be able to work on individual projects, think of new ideas and learn about different materials. We will try using watercolors, oil pastels, markers, charcoal, pencils and cray pas. You can try something new each week, or work with one idea or one material over six weeks.
"What if we were in charge?"
With Carlye & Robin, in the library, all ages
Have you ever wondered what it would be like if kids ran things? In this Mini Course, the group will have a chance to create and run your own pretend country. Kids will decide what the country will be like, make your own maps, and design your own flag. We'll put together our own government, businesses, and our own ways of getting people what they need. Kids will solve problems and have fun.
Code-breaking and code-making
With Ali, in Ali's room, all ages
Be a detective! Solve mysteries in books like The Eleventh Hour by using clues to crack hidden codes. Learn about different kinds of codes and create totally new ones on your own! This is a course for those who like to be puzzled and to puzzle others.
Scientific Inquiry – a series of experiments with every-day materials
With Gloria, in Gloria's room, for 8-12 kids, all ages
We will do an experiment each week, investigating solids, liquids, and gases and how they behave. We will set up experiments, observe what happens, use graphs and notes to keep track of what we notice, and (by the last weeks) make up some of our own experiments.
Figure Drawing
With Meg, Erin, Margot & Aliyah, in Meg's Room, all ages
We will be looking at and experimenting with different styles of drawing faces and objects (still –lifes).
Sports Practice and Play
With Dawn, Dan & Molly, in the field, all ages
We will play a few different sports, probably including soccer and basketball. We will have a practice session when you will learn the rules of the game, skills and techniques. During the week after the practice session, we will play the game.
Simple Machines
With Jane, in Jane's Room, all ages
We will be learning about and making simple machines – gadgets or constructions that make work easier. We might build a crane, build a lifter with screws and pulleys, measure force with a tow truck. Get the mechanical advantage. Come ready to work... get it?
