The year
The year in festivals
Six gatherings carry the school through the year. Families are invited to each, and children have a part in all of them.
- Event
Harvest festival
Late September
Families press cider, bake bread and share one long table. The older grades tell a story about courage.
- Event
Lantern walk
Early November
Children carry the lanterns they made and sing along the village road at dusk.
- Event
Winter faire
Early December
Wool toys, beeswax candles and baked things made by the classes, with songs between.
- Event
Class plays
February
Each class performs a play it has worked on in main lesson, for the school and its families.
- Event
Spring festival
Early May
Flower crowns, a maypole and songs in the yard.
- Event
Midsummer picnic
Mid-June
The whole school shares a picnic and a last circle before summer.
Sample dates.
How a festival works
Every festival has a part for everyone
Children take part
Each class prepares something for the gathering: a song, a verse, a lantern, a loaf or a play.
Families are invited
Grandparents, neighbors and friends come too. Parents help with food and setting up.
The seasons set the date
The school year follows the weather and the light, not a calendar of events.
At the gatherings
What a festival looks like
Sample photos.
Come to a gathering
Families who are thinking about the school are welcome at the harvest festival and the spring festival.