Practical Arts
The practical arts taught may include sewing, knitting, crocheting, embroidering, felting, gardening, animal husbandry, cooking, woodworking, bookbinding, basketry, stained glass, pottery, etc.
Fine Arts
The fine arts include drama, singing, playing musical instruments, beeswax modeling, clay work, painting, drawing, etc. Form Drawing and Eurythmy, a form of movement, are unique subjects taught in Waldorf Schools. Each class grades 2-8 puts on a class play highlighting one of the main lesson blocks they learned about during the year. All of these fine art activities deepens children’s understanding of the core curricula in an integrated way.
Music
Singing is taught in Kindergarten and continues through all grades. Children participate in singing in their classrooms as well as in choir classes. Children learn to play musical instruments starting with the pentatonic flute in 1st grade. In third grade children learn how to play the recorder. String instruments such as violin will begin in 6th grade. The musical repertoire for voice and instruments increases in complexity as children progress through the grades and master note reading.
Language
Children at Mountain Sunrise Academy will be learning Spanish as a second language. These language classes are presented in a developmentally appropriate way with songs, games, and imitation in the younger grades and progressing to more academic writing and proficiency in the older grades.
Science
Science is learned through a phenomenological approach involving inquiry and observation. The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) studies have shown Waldorf students to be better motivated to study science and achieve scientific understanding significantly better than that attained by comparable state school students.
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