October was so busy and exciting at MFS that we couldn't even squeeze in a blog post! Now, here we are on December's doorstep. It's hard to believe that we are nearly wrapping up our first semester of the 2023-2024 school year. The children are almost unrecognizable from that first week of school. Friendships have blossomed and deepened, independence levels have sky-rocketed, and academic understanding is strengthened daily. We have braved a few bitterly cold days with resilience and positivity. The younger children spent those sub-freezing mornings at "Canoe Cove" where there is more sun and less wind than Base Camp. The older children kept their bodies warm by hiking to an off-trail camp, building a fire, and constructing shelters. It's amazing how the human body can adapt--with movement our elementary children were stripping out of their snowsuits at 22 degrees! It is a beautiful thing to be able to adapt our routine with the natural rhythms of our world. I've been in education for 12 years, and I spent years adapting to less-welcome disruptions (standardized testing, picture day, fire drills, etc.). Natural disruptions are much less jarring, like a stream flowing around a boulder.
A few other happenings over the last couple of months:
During the week of Thanksgiving the children contributed ingredients from home and made Stone Soup over the fire.
We built a yurt!! Our incredible team of family volunteers pulled off a yurt-raising in just two days. We are so excited to move our learning materials inside soon.
Families joined us at Base Camp for our first round of conferences.
Elementary children enjoyed several field trips in the community, including The Louisville Slugger Museum, Falls of the Ohio, Marengo Cave, Clifty Falls, The Louisville Science Center, and KidsCommons in Columbus, Indiana.
The children spontaneously created a forest band (tour dates coming soon).
We explored numeracy and literacy with natural objects in all sorts of interesting places.
We had picture day "forest school style" with the amazing Jana Davis.
We kept things tidy at Base Camp through a variety of practical life activities.
Elementary explored a large array of topics, including owls, leaf pigments, the color wheel, and fungi. They also made chapstick and pumpkin bread!
We are excited to finish our semester strong and have many special experiences planned for December. Also, we are now accepting applications for our 2024-2025 school year. Spaces are very limited, so be sure to encourage any interested families to apply through our website pronto!
Best,
Heather