Grades 8 & 12 Class Projects

GRADE 8 AND SENIORS CHOOSE INNOVATION TO COMPLETE THEIR YEAR-LONG STUDENT PROJECTS

Perhaps one of the most challenging aspects of the school’s closure due to the global pandemic was faced by SFWS 8th and 12th graders. They spent the entire school year working hard on in-depth school projects they traditionally would have presented in person before the greater school community. “I think it's safe to say that this year's projects were unlike any that ever came before in 100 years of Waldorf education,” says Grade 8 teacher Daisy Barnard.

However, SFWS students turned challenge into invention, as they not only researched and created projects on their chosen topics, but they had to use non-traditional tools (for Waldorf at least) and create videos so they could safely present their projects online on the SFWS YouTube channel.

Barnard notes that students and their families had very little experience in cinematography or film editing, which added new layers of stress to an already demanding project. However, she adds, “our families accepted this crazy idea, buckled down, watched some tutorials, and mastered their respective programs.”

In making their final video presentation, there were a few hiccups and false starts as students navigated their home screens and devices, but all produced detailed and extensive explorations of their topics. Enrique Otero, the sponsor for the high school’s senior class, comments “The Class of 2020 elegantly overcame the challenges imposed by the current pandemic and delivered nine remarkable senior projects. The class showed how well they adapted to the new format, and virtually presented their work relying on visual aids and their charm, making the audience forget that they were looking at a screen.”

Topics tackled by seniors included everything from the construction of an electric guitar, the creation and illustration of a comic, the Diné tradition of fancy shawl dancing, and a satchel created from deerskin, starting with the skin on the deer. Watchers also learned about the history and future of plastics and recycling, the challenges of creating an eco-friendly home, animal rights, the history of corn agriculture, and fashion design (see page 7 for project details).

A sample of Grade 8 projects: Ayla Humphrey's chocolates, a digital photograph by Serenity Fuentes, Mikaela Crazyhorse Rodriguez presenting about Diné culture, Rowan Midgette training her dog, and the cover of Jackson Blose's cookbook.

The eighth-grade class projects were no less ambitious, ranging from learning to fly a plane and stop motion animation, to cooking, drumming, dog training and the history of Apollo 11. Some focused on physical activities, including snowboarding, Aikido, skateboarding, and lifeguard training, while others explored the arts, covering fiction writing, digital photography, the process of darkroom development, portraiture, and watercolor painting.

One student, researching the art of storytelling, decided to reflect the current moment by creating and starring in the film “Care Bear in Quarantine.” The audience for Ayla Humphrey’s project “The Art of the Chocolatier” and Jackson Blose's "Culinary Arts" may have suffered the most from social distancing because while their work was beautifully researched and produced, the audience was unable to sample the results of their hard work!

To see the Grade 8 and senior presentations, go to youtube.com/santafewaldorfschool and click on Playlists.

In search of an entirely new practical skill to learn, Kyle worked with his mentor to prepare and tan the hide of a Rocky Mountain mule deer, ultimately turning it into a beautiful satchel.

Fueled by a lifelong dream to participate as a dancer in a Powwow, Bri created the head-to-toe regalia of a Fancy Shawl Dancer, learned how to listen to and read the rhythms of traditional Powwow music and how to perform different styles of dance.

An avid and passionate reader, Story decided to delve into the process of making her own comic book, Sam Hain, inspired by ghost stories, The Wizard of Oz, and the Samhain Gaelic harvest festival, or, Halloween.

Luca flexed his musical muscles in a new way by learning all about and making a version of his favorite electric guitar: the Gibson Les Paul.

Inspired by her dream to become a high fashion designer, Yeva learned to make her own skirt, satin shirt, and a dress from Vogue and her own creativity.

Koray explored the environmental and social problem of plastics by tracing the life cycle of this material from petroleum and plant-based oils to the dump and to recycling.

Nicoya explored her architectural interests by creating a model of her dream home: a clean and modern, glass walled and eco-friendly, breath- taking home to be built someday in Sedona, AZ.

Inspired by her travels to Costa Rica, Leila researched the importance of corn in the mythology, traditions, and diet of indigenous peoples in that country as well as in Mexico and New Mexico.

Parker learned about the connection between human emotional health and domestic animal abuse in her impassioned plea to bring awareness to the welfare of all animals.

GLOBAL COMMUNITY continued from page 1

school shared stories of hope for teachers to bring to their students during times of fear. Zewu Li, teacher at the Chengdu Waldorf School in China, shared how his school immediately sent out community emails on positive family dynamics and activities. As distance-learning classes got up and running, Li reports that teachers’ struggles to master Zoom made everyone laugh, but that eventually, working rhythms were established and learning progressed. Tintin Ongpin-Montes of the Manila Waldorf School in the Philippines, wrote humorously about how happy her high school students initially were to not get up early in the morning and to spend even more time on the internet.

Besides offering pedagogical support, the Waldorf community faced hard realities. The international Friends of Waldorf website reported on the negative effects of school closures around the world, including institu- tions in India, Kyrgyzstan, and Hungary that need economic support. Pointing out that distance learning doesn’t work where there is not a reliable internet connection, the site highlighted the Rudolf Steiner School Mbaga- thi in Kenya where 80 percent of students come from families in need without smartphones and computers. At the Zanzibar Steiner School, teachers hand-delivered pedagogical packets to their students that included soap and eggs to support families that may not have enough food or hygienic supplies to weather the crisis.

Anticipating several years before the pandemic is over, Friends of Waldorf recognized the need for emergency pedagogical resources. It is working in 34 countries, creating emergency hotlines, videos and internet sites that offer psychological help for those in crisis, especially for families in crowded slums.

Despite all the upheaval, educators are also noting unexpected silver linings. Ongpin-Mon- tes found that the crisis and the experience of learning online was creating something deeper and more serious in her students. She noted with gratitude that one day, “somehow, the class started talking about how challenging it is to be true to oneself, especially in these days where one feels most isolated and disconnect- ed from the world. And how, in trying to connect to one’s Self, one would also find their way to connect to others, and how this is what the world needs most now.” 7