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SRV 1930 to 2010
January 2010
80 Years Ago
Candle–making may not have occurred during SRV's very first year, but was an early tradition. The school's emphasis on hand–crafts and making things from scratch was probably influenced by the local Arts & Crafts community that had existed in Rose Valley a generation earlier. Many of the first students were the grandchildren of that community's founders. Here, Mike Nowell's Uncle Sam, among others, was learning to "Wax, Water, Wipe!"
January 2010
When I have the privilege of talking to prospective parents about SRV, I usually begin by naming the basic tenets of our progressive philosophy of education. Then as we tour the classrooms, I show them concrete examples of how these principles are played out at the school.
I'd like to invite all of you to come to school one day to walk around the campus to see what is happening in various classrooms, as it is both inspiring and grounding. In the mean time, please enjoy the following "snapshots" that illustrate how we actualize some of our fundamental philosophical principles on a daily basis. (The quotes are from our Mission and Philosophy Statement.)
OGers make a working cantilever.
Core values – Children's perspectives and needs inform all aspects of our school. The 3–Day preschoolers were in shop. Mike had greeted them at the door and reminded them about his safety expectations. At each table were the tools they needed, but there were not enough for each child to have one (though there were more on the tool wall) – they would have to take turns and share. The children selected pieces of scrap wood that he had carefully prepared for them in advance. Some were busy hammering. Others were waiting patiently for their turn for help, trusting that their needs would be met. Mike taught most of the class on his knees. He reflected back to the children what they were learning: "Do you remember why we put in two nails? It must feel good to be able to do it your self." He drew them into pretend play – "That shark isn't going to eat me, is it?" Giggle, giggle. Of course it is!
"Child–centered" is a popular phrase nowadays, but at SRV it is central to our philosophy, curriculum and teaching methods. Not only do the children get to make what they want in shop, but their entire experience here is built around what they need and how they learn, whether they are three years old or twelve.
Curricular priorities – Students build higher–order skills– investigating, evaluating, problem–solving, and communicating–in their ongoing collaboration with peers and teachers. In a recent discussion, one of the Oldest Group students suggested, and the others agreed, that it would be fun to study architecture. So Meg taught the group about tension and compression, two opposite forces in engineering, and explained how they work. They looked at pictures of structures that employ this principle, including a suspension bridge and Frank Lloyd Wright's "Falling Water" house. She asked the students to design a fantasy building for a homework assignment, and the students decided to try to build some of these designs together with the unit blocks. They discovered that the designs lacked the requisite weights and counter–weights, but did manage to construct a working cantilever. [see picture above]
Chances are, most of these students will not grow up to be engineers, but there may be one or two for whom this project was a life–changing experience. For the rest, the activities will have developed their critical thinking and problem solving skills for future challenges.
Pedagogy – An integrated curriculum allows students to approach concepts and content from multiple perspectives at developmentally appropriate points, deepening conceptual understanding. All of the group and specials teachers taught to the theme of geography in the late fall. In the course of a single morning, Molly showed the 3–Day preschoolers a globe and the children speculated about what the different colors might mean. In music, Jodie taught the kindergartners a new song, and showed them where it came from on her map. In the Primary Circle rooms, the children had invented new continents and drawn them on large paper that was taped to tables. Kathy helped them use paper pulp to make their continents three–dimensional. Then they painted them according to their key. As they worked they talked about land masses, bodies of water, elevation and climate.
Children's understanding of subjects like geography involves much more than memorizing the names of the state capitals. Supporting the development of their conceptualization of what is represented on maps, their understanding of the politics of the control of resources and the implications of climate change, requires multiple experiences, perspectives and approaches over years.
Community – We are an intentionally small school where children are known and loved. I walked into the 2–Day preschool class. Jeremy spotted me and approached me confidently. "Lauren, the green pizza truck has disappeared." We discussed what might have happened to it, and decided that it may have been put away in the wrong bin. He took my hand and we went together to look for the truck. When we didn't find it he suggested that it might be in the next classroom, so he asked Robin if he could look for it there. They went together, hand in hand, to continue the search for the special truck.
Though he is only three, Jeremy knows and trusts most of the adults and many of the older children at school. We know him, too. Knowing our children intimately and loving them unconditionally is perhaps the most essential element of our philosophy and program. It is what makes the teaching and learning meaningful, and the experience of being in school safe and enjoyable. And it is one of the things that make SRV such a wonderful little school.
Twelve Turnings
As part of our 80 year celebration, we'll also be revisiting the nature writing of SRV founder Grace Rotzel.
If the months of the year were to be plotted on a line, I would place January on the crest of a wave, as I would put April, June and October on other high points, for it holds within it the most positive forces of winter to which we respond. We react joyfully or self–pityingly, but respond we must, for the elements are in high fettle. We are not likely to be eager all at once, for we have been looking backward, hoping for a few more warm days, bragging about roses in December, not really admitting the new season, until gradually we are closed in with our viruses, and before we know it, bragging about them. It is easy to lose contact with the outdoors in the daily trek back and forth in heated cars to enclosures under roofs, and we are obviously ready for something different, which January usually produces in the form of an introduction to the vast and powerful forces of the non–human world.
When we first meet those winter giants, Cold and Snow, as we did this year early in December, we tingle with excitement and wonder about the big projects they have ready for us, and hope some can be on weekends. All of us have memories of fun, frolic and physical satisfaction that we long to repeat, but cannot until the elements slap the weather in to shape for us to have that coming–to–life feeling.
Cold gives the long river of ice where unused muscles are stretched in the joyful rhythm of skating: it edges leaves with white crystals, and makes frost pictures beautifully suggestive of living forms; its icy hand heaves the earth, splits rock, snaps dead wood from trees. It hardens tender fibres, tests and toughens. To humans the call is: Leave your ledgers and housekeeping. Come, feel the challenge and enjoy it!
Grace Rotzel – 1963
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