In the event that school closures are required, our Beyond the Classroom curriculum takes a well-rounded approach to remote learning, though we have been fortunate to remain learning-in-person. Our outdoor classrooms and well-ventilated indoor spaces have been designed according to the health and safety guidance from the state of Vermont.
With several months of remote education behind us in the spring of 2020, the pandemic presented opportunities for new kinds of learning—learning that is:
• Rooted in community, both local and global
• Experiential, with hands-on assignments, real-world problem solving, and self-designed projects
• Nature-focused, with lots of time outside each day in our outdoor classrooms
• Healing, with an arts-integrated curriculum that teaches students to cultivate focus, lessen their sense of distraction, reduce stress and deal with trauma in healthy and age-appropriate ways
We invite you to explore the samples of lessons (below) that were delivered to students in the spring of 2020 through our Beyond the Classroom remote learning platform. If you’d like to learn more about any of our programs or have questions, please reach out to our admissions office.
Upper School: Grades 6-12
Throughout distanced learning last spring, our high school continued to gather as a whole-school community. Individual classes met daily for lecture, discussion, and reflection of reading and assignments, and students were provided with individual guidance and support as needed through one-on-one calls and chats with teachers and advisors.
SAMPLE LESSONS:
Lower School: Grades 1-5
A distinguishing characteristic of a Waldorf school is a holistic, balanced approach to learning that integrates thinking, feeling, and experiencing. Our teachers took up the challenge of translating this model to a distance learning program with gusto, finding creative ways to deliver the curriculum, and the values of the education.
Just like at school, each class was encouraged to begin the day with morning movement at home—walking outside in nature, or engaging in one of many physical activities offered by Mr. Macdonald, our movement teacher. A morning verse is provided for students to recite as they begin their work, along with songs and other poetry. Teachers also provide Main Lesson and subject work, incorporating digital aspects into the curriculum where appropriate for the grade level.
SAMPLE LESSONS:
Preschool & Kindergarten
Each week, our preschool and kindergarten families receive a packet of materials including a craft, a recipe, audio and/or video stories or puppet shows, and resources for parenting.
Notice: Undefined index: image_id in /home4/lakechb0/public_html/wp-content/themes/lcws/page-grades.php on line 63
Notice: Undefined index: title in /home4/lakechb0/public_html/wp-content/themes/lcws/page-grades.php on line 66
“Lake Champlain Waldorf School has always been a special place. With the pandemic, so much about school appeared to be at risk. The community, the connections, the rituals and rites of passage… The LCWS teachers have done many great things over the years, and shifting to a virtual classroom is a testament to their will and love. I can’t imagine what it was like to jump over the technology barrier, to have difficult conversations and collaborations with faculty and staff on TOP of managing their own lives and uncertainty. For me, our school became the rock that I held on to in the first few weeks of quarantine. Knowing that our kids still had school, their teachers, their work, its beauty and meaningfulness in the face of so much uncertainty. LCWS faculty and staff, my gratitude is profound. I don’t know what we would have done without you.”
