ROCKPORT – Ashwood Waldorf School held it Projects Showcase Thursday, April 6, at the Camden-Rockport Elementary School Auditorium. The eighth grade project is a major element of the student's last year at Ashwood Waldorf. The goal is to give students a chance to explore a new field and to learn skills.

The project demands many months of diligent work. Each student chooses two mentors. A parent and an expert in the field the student has chosen to explore.

Thursday nights showcase was a culmination of the student's work and a celebration of mentorship and learning.

The packed auditorium heard short presentations from each student about his or her project and the walls were lined with each of the projects for display and to answer questions.

Each student chose a project that allowed them to grow as craftsmen and artists.

Leslie Finlayson teaches eighth grade at Ashwood Waldorf. She has been with the school for eight years. 

"They are very much independent projects so much of the work actually happens outside of the classroom," she said. "We did work on their speeches for their presentations in the classroom."

I asked Finlayson what the school hoped to achieve with the projects.

"I think it depends on the student, but the over arching idea is that by eighth grade they are ready to out into the community,” she said. "I would think that the main things are that they forge relationships with people in the community and are experts in their fields."

Finlayson said the students see what they are capable of and they enter into something very deeply that's independent of school that they can feel very proud of.

"They're all in good shape and they have parents who are right there with them," she said. "I'm not sure that they've done work that will lead to a career path, but certainly they've done work that they will be interested in continuing to do in their lives."

Ashwood Waldorf is an early-childhood through eighth grade learning community.

Their mission statement says they build a foundation for lifelong learning and adaptability, fostering inner strength and preparing children to thrive in a changing world.
Students and their projects were:

Jasper Berryman-Moore, restoring a 1940s Pram

Jacob Mills-Lightner, learning the art of a Chocolatier

Sylvan Eichenlaub, rebuilding a 1979 moped

Morgan MacDougal, writing a novel

Ocean Rancourt, sewing Fairy tales

Sofia Mott, The art of fused stained glass

Isaiah Doble, exploring the healing power of Reiki

Eli Moore, metal to masterpiece: Jewelry making

Daniel Snider, woodworking and design

Acer Van Dis, building a camper trailer form scratch

Yonah Wienges, writing a cookbook and hosting a pop up dinner

Caleb Edwards, recording and mixing an original composition