Alternative schooling
Lund, Taylor hoping to bring new education option to Summerside area
Imagine a school where students are learning math through art and music. They’re learning the life cycle of maple trees by going out and tapping a tree to retrieve sap.
If Lynne Lund has her way, a school like that might be coming to the Summerside area in the near future.
“It’s a totally different way of learning. Instead of being taught what to think, you’re taught how to think. You can be given an everyday object but be able to think of it in a multitude of ways,” said Lund, one of the co-founders of the Heartwood Waldorf School.
Her counterpart is Julie Taylor.
“We’re firm believers in the way the curriculum is taught and how the kids learn. This is something I’ve wanted to do since my oldest son was six months old,” Lund said. Currently she home-schools her oldest son, Maddix, using the Waldorf technique. Waldorf schools have been in existence for 100 years. In Europe they’re called Steiner schools.
“The way subjects are taught involves movement and activity. For instance, Maddix is learning how to count by sevens. He drew a flower and each petal has a number, so it combines math and art.
“Just because children are at the same age, doesn’t mean they are at the same level intellectually. Instead they believe in the right thing at the right time kind of teaching.”
Lund thinks the school will be welcomed in the community when the time comes.
“I think people are open to alternatives when they are there. And this is an alternative to the public school system. This method allows children to start slowly and learn things in steps, but when things do become academic, they focus on the curriculum, it just might not be taught in a classroom.” Lund and Taylor are planning on running the private school as a non-profit charity.
“We’re looking at locations right now.
“We’ve been to a couple of sites and they all have potential. We want a lot of green space and a place with a lot of light, but at the same time, we need to find something that follows the bylaws.
“We’re also fundraising, and the better we do that way, the cheaper our tuition will be. Right now we’re looking at around $7,000 a year, but that can change. Nothing is set yet.”
For now the school will start small, offering mixed early grades, a kindergarten class and a preschool option.
“The mixed grades will be for those going into Grade 1 or Grade 2 which will have about eight kids.
“They’re really small numbers so they have lots of interaction with the teacher.
“If families are interested we’ve had them submit public interest forms, that way they have a spot when the school is up and running.”
“I think this will be an interesting project. Waldorf Schools teach that everyone is capable and able to do things.”
“It’s a totally different way of learning. Instead of being taught what to think, you’re taught how to think. You can be given an everyday object but be able to think of it in a multitude of ways.” Lynne Lund