Middle School Enrichment Programs
Friday Electives
We call Friday electives "Main Lesson Enhancement." Here's how the idea works: At the beginning of each term, students sign up for electives. Then each Friday, from 9:30 to 10:10, students join mixed grade (6-7-8) groups for their chosen activity. Typically each group has about a dozen students. Activities presented vary per term and may include such things as:
soccer, badminton, basketball, guitar, calligraphy, rock and roll acrobatics, modern dance, poetry, snowshoeing, orienteering, Bothmer gymnastics, choral singing, etc.
All of these activities provide a fun way to punctuate the end of the school week by offering something different with a different social group.
Project Weeks
Three times a year students can choose from about a dozen week-long workshops held during main lesson times. These workshops are taught by parents, community members and teachers who are skilled in a particular craft or field and who are passionate about sharing what they know with adolescents. Depending on the activity and the set-up required students enroll in either one or two workshops for the week. At the end of the week, there is a school-wide assembly where students present each workshop and what they did.
Workshops in the past have included: metal casting, piano duets, lazure painting, wet felting, bookbinding, baking/cooking, outdoor survival skills, environmental art, songwriting, dance and choreography, Tai Chi, etc.
Outdoor Education
The beautiful setting of the Nelson Waldorf School leads us naturally to focus on outdoor education as a major component of the curriculum through these upper elementary grades. Middle School students are now ready for new challenges on every level: intellectual, artistic, and physical. Our Outdoor Education Program is geared to meet the needs for physical challenges, build skills, and develop group awareness. Each year the students have several outdoor events to look forward to:
- Class 6: Two night trip hiking to Kokanee Glacier, Day trip to Cody Caves, Year-end 90 km bike trip
- Class 7: Several Day Low Ropes Course, day trips including, biking, snowshoeing, hiking, A week long local "Discovery Trip" of local surroundings on foot and by boat.
- Class 8: Week Long High Ropes Course, Several day snow camping/backpacking trip, Week Long Year-end trip such as Tall Ship Sailing, Ocean Canoeing, Horse Pack Trip
