Hammertime

One of the unique aspects of our curriculum is that it reaches students on more than one level. These levels are often summarized as “head, heart, and hands” and “thinking, willing, and feeling.” A carefully integrated, rich and developmentally appropriate curriculum leads to growth in seemingly unrelated areas of life.

The inclusion of woodworking is a prime example. Woodworking encourages students to reach deep within themselves for unused and undiscovered skills and capacities. These new capacities are then available for other aspects of life.

Complex thinking, visualization skills, patience and feeling a part of a “society” all come together during this exercise. Each week, Lisa Pool leads “next year’s 1st-graders” in a project. We’ve seen fairy boxes, stomping blocks and even custom tool boxes emerge from their “wood shop.”