The Marvel of Kindergarten

Kindergarten.  It evokes a smile just saying it.   My own kindergarten memories involve fondly wearing my dad's XL shirt, backwards, to fingerpaint.  Sitting on the cold, flat, tile floor to listen to our music teacher play the piano.  Running and laughing outside.  My teacher, pretty:  the red lipstick, the curly hair, always the clicky black heels and swaying skirts.  Little pints of white milk being brought to our classroom each day.  That's about all the specifics I can muster, but the general idea coincides with a sweeping childhood memory of being free, curious, and happy.

Kindergarten at Pathfinder might look a little different:  there's no official "art shirts" due to the fact that they are constantly subject to paint and clay, or better yet, dirt and mud.  The piano music, while lovely, more often gives way to the strumming of a guitar out in the woods.  The teacher generally opts for smart, comfortable knock-abouts instead of the clicky black heels.  And I've never seen the red lipstick.  

The kindergarten experience at Pathfinder is a marvel.  There's really no better way that I can think of to say it.  I have had two children complete kindergarten in a different setting, and the experience was a good one.  I'll say it again:  the experience was a good one.   But currently in my second time around, I can honestly say Pathfinder kindergarten is really a marvel.  I take a risk in saying so, since the only other time I hear the word "marvel" used is to describe superheroes or wonders of the world, but I stand by my claim.   Let me give you just one example of an emergent (initiated by child interest) learning journey the kindergarteners experienced this year. 

With the campus situated on the shores of Cedar Lake, the kids wanted to go fishing.  They sought out hefty, fallen branches in the woods.  A line of hemp string and a simple hook was tied on.  The kids brainstormed what might be used for bait.  They ended up with 51 healthy worms, fresh out of the Pathfinder compost pile.  (Remember what I said earlier about the dirt and mud - this is good stuff.)  I think they caught four blue gills that day on those homemade fishing poles.  In the coming days, the kids continued to use their lucky poles, catching and releasing several more fish.  They experimented with different types of bait and even invented a balloon bobber system.  They eventually kept a bucketful of bluegill, and housed them comfortably in a tank in their classroom.  They researched the habitat needs of the fish, and now a few months later, all seven fish are alive and well. 

But that wasn't all.  The kindergarteners visited the local fish ladder and ended up bringing a dead salmon on ice back to school to study.  Ever art-inspired, they each made Japanese fish prints, known as gyotaku, first painting the fish and then placing it on fabric.  Using original ideas as well as traditional means, they measured the length of these prints, and sawed old rulers to size to form a wooden frame.  They dissected the fish, and referencing books and drawings, identified major organs on the fish.  They researched the life cycle of different fish, labeling and sequencing the diagrams.  They sculpted unique clay fish, using recycled hardware to show anatomy and, of course, add artistic interest.  They classified, sorted, and graphed lures.  They told imaginary stories about fish and crafted multi-media individual fish journals that would begrudge even the most serious weekend scrapbooker. 

This is some serious fun.  And some serious learning.  And there's more where that came from, too.  There is something big going on at Pathfinder, and no less in kindergarten, that feels so real and powerful it's a bit difficult to articulate.  I think it's the essence of wonder, that epitome of the childhood experience.  Our children are free to be curious, to look deeper, to play, explore, and discover.  There's just no better way to learn.  And they nail it here.

-Tricia Moore, parent

Ariana (8th grade)
Sierra (7th grade)
Mariah (2nd grade)
Glenn (kindergarten)
Vienna (pre-k)