8th Grade Presentations

Dear WSP Families and Friends,

On the mornings of April 7 and 8, students in grades 5–7, along with many faculty, staff, and parents, gathered outside on the lawn of the Heartwood Annex to hear our eighth graders’ presentations of research projects listed below.

• 3D Printing

• I’m Right and You’re Wrong: Bias in Humans and in Our Society

• Shield Maidens

• The Evolution of Animation

• Doughs of the World

• The History of Insane Asylums

• Native American Art

• How Can Music Therapy Help Those with Cognitive Disorders like Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)

• Impressionism: A New Way of Painting

Students were challenged to choose a topic they were curious about and had yet to develop a strong connection to. Just reading the subjects they chose to study is intriguing! Throughout their year-long study, they delved into these topics, writing lengthy research papers (2000 words with citations), creating posters to illustrate their knowledge, and making artifacts connected to their subject matter.

Listening to each eighth grader speak with poise and such knowledge about their topic, I felt nourished, because I learned something new and meaningful about their subject matter and about each of them through their research. At the end of their presentations, every student took time to field questions from the audience about their topic — sometimes being able to answer definitively and other times saying they weren’t sure or could offer their most educated guess on something. It was a powerful reminder of the mission of Waldorf Education and of our school: to become an independent thinking, compassionate, courageous, and purposeful human being. At WSP, students are encouraged to find their own path by developing capacities that help them know themselves and those around them. It is among the greatest gifts they take with them when they leave here. I’m grateful to the students for the inspired learning they shared with us that day, to the faculty and staff who create an environment that makes this learning possible, and to the parents who support this education and its mission.

With deepest gratitude, Kirsten Christopherson-Clark Head of School