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Green Meadow Waldorf School Class Teacher's End-of-Year Report
Grade 6
Jasmine Waterford
Without losing one iota of her formidably individualistic personality, over the course of this year Jasmine rounded off some of her rough edges and became more polite, more pliable, and more outgoing towards her teachers and classmates. This is not to say that Jasmine has suddenly become Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, for she still retains some of her old edge, and as she enters in adolescence the defiance attached to that stage of life will undoubtedly rear its head. Thus, I’m not sure if it was a last gasp of the “young Jasmine” or a preview of the “adolescent Jasmine” that led her,on the last day of school, just moments before our class was to go over to the Rose Ceremony, to lash out at me for “wasting so much class time with your corny jokes. It’s no wonder that we don’t get very much done, but you blame it on our talking, and it’s really because you spend so much time telling jokes that aren’t even funny!” To her credit, I can recollect that in fourth or fifth grade such critiques came several times a week, while this was one of the few that she let loose in sixth grade – and at least she raised her hand before she spoke!
And even when such moments do come, I have to keep in mind the counterbalance the many remarkable qualities that she brings to our class: her creative approach to each illustration that she draws or paints, and to every composition that she writes; her surprising insights into all the subjects we study; her bold and original humor, and her unique perspective on just about everything. As Jasmine grows in her technical artistic skills and becomes more respectful of the rules of grammar and spelling, her ability to manifest her distinctive capacities expands exponentially. Jasmine is indeed “sole” in her gifts and contributions.
Jasmine’s participation in the life of the class has undoubtedly been helped by the fact that she was in such good health this year. In fourth grade, she was always fatigued, and spent a lot of main lesson time with her head on her desk, while in fifth grade she had to contend with Lyme Disease and the side effects of the antibiotics that she took to overcome it. This year Jasmine has obviously been much stronger and more alert at all times. On the other hand, Jasmine’s frequent lateness is a distraction. I would prevail on you to help her get to school on time! Jasmine has been late at least once a week, and even though she makes her way into the room so stealthily that I don’t always know that she is there, her entry is nonetheless distracting for her classmates, and especially for Marielle. I would much prefer that Jasmine and Marielle catch up on their livesbefore main lesson begins, rather than while I am teaching. I must also require that Jasmine have a written excuse for every lateness. The last time I asked her for a note she said, “I don’t make excuses!” I reminded her that I wasn’t expecting her to make an excuse, but only to have a parent give me an excuse.
Our math work this year covered two major topics: working with percentages and mastering formulas. Percentages arose out of our Business Math block, and were applied in a variety of situations: mark-ups and discounts, taxes, tips, and simple statistics. Working with percentage-decimal-fractional equivalencies also allowed for a review of what we had learned about decimals in grade five and fractions in grade four. We learned – and are working towards memorizing – several basic formulas: the perimeter of the rectangle, square, and regular trapezoid; the area of the rectangle, square, trapezoid, and triangle; the circumference and area of the circle. Rather than merely memorize a series of algorithms, wherever possible we tried to “discover” the formula ourselves. Through geometrical constructions we painfully (and sometimes triumphantly) figured out an approximate value for pi (as in C = pd), came to understand why the formula for the area of a circle is A = pr2, and explored two geometrical proofs for the Pythagorean Theorem (a2 + b2 = c2). On the one hand, sixth grade math pulled us down into the everyday, practical world of shopping malls and restaurants, banking, mortgages, and taxes; on the other hand, it drew us up into the purely cognitive experience of geometry and formulas.Jasmine does excellent, at times brilliant, work in math. Her homework, though done in miniscule, is nevertheless neat and clear. She readily grasped the many new concepts and methods that we studied this year, and I expect that she will enjoy algebra in the seventh grade.
In Language Arts, the students learned that the compositions that they had been writing for the past two years were really a mixture of imaginative and factual elements, and we began to separate this mixture into two more clearly defined types. In such scientific subjects as Astronomy and Physics the class undertook describing phenomena in a factual and objective way, while in History a more imaginative and poetic approach to the subject was encouraged. Like the drawings that accompany them, the Physics “laboratory reports” represent a new departure for the sixth graders, one in which “drawing from life” and factual representation call for clarity and objectivity – characteristics which may prove to be helpful in the journey through adolescence. Even in a class with such born writers asTom, Ernest, and Emma, Jasmine is first among equals in her wit and imaginative presentation of our assignments. Although she is still hampered with her cavalier attitude towards the rules of the English language, she is coming along here. Please continue to keep after her about her spelling at home, as I do in school. She has the makings of a wonderful writer, and I don’t want her discouraged by all of my red marks on her compositions.
Even though Jasmine and I can be like fire and water, (and sometimes like gunpowder and fire) I am very grateful to have her as a student and to play some part in helping her manifest her talents with greater clarity and confidence. I am very happy that you have all decided to remain in our community for the next few years, for losing Jasmine would surely diminish our class and our school. Thank you both for all of your support to the class over the years, and especially for your help on the class trip. My best wishes on to you andyour new step into the Fellowship Community.
Eugene Schwartz,
Class Teacher