Teacher to Begin 8-Year Loop at Waldorf School

Bourne, MA (PRWEB) May 8, 2009

The Waldorf School of Cape Cod, located near the Bourne Rotary at 85 Cotuit Road, recently announced that the first grade teacher for the 2009-2010 school year will be Ted Curtin.

Mr. Curtin will graduate the current eighth grade class in June, having completed an eight-year loop with his students.

Waldorf teachers throughout the world typically continue with their class from grade 1 to 8. While the students benefit from the stable presence of a primary classroom teacher over the course of their 8 years of their elementary education, they are also exposed on a weekly basis to subject teachers in classes such as handwork, woodwork, physical education, French, Latin, chorus, and orchestra. By the 6th grade, students at the Waldorf School of Cape Cod experience up to 7 different teachers each week, and all students participate in all subjects. Art is integrated throughout the curriculum on a daily basis rather than being taught as a separate subject.

September will mark the beginning of Mr. Curtin's 9th year as a teacher at the school, which coincides with the school's 25th anniversary. In addition to teaching the first grade, he will continue to teach classes in the school's extensive music program.

An upcoming "Meet the First Grade Teacher Tea" is planned to provide parents with enrolled and prospective first graders for the fall with an opportunity to gather for the first time as a group to get to know each other, explore the first grade classroom, and spend some time with Mr. Curtin.

Although he is still deeply engaged in his work with the current eighth grade class, Mr. Curtin is also looking ahead toward the fall. "Having now had the wonderful opportunity of working with children in each of the elementary and middle school grades over the course of a truly inspiring 8 years, I look forward to taking the trip through this foundational growth experience with another group of students. I have learned so much over the years, and I feel that I will take up my new class with just as much joy and a deeper understanding of children." He goes on to explain, "Each grade has its challenges, both for students and teacher, but each has its undeniable, special charms. The gifts are there to experience every day along the way, from the first day you take the first grader by the hand, through all the amazing stages of a child's growth and development, to the last day when you meet the strong, firm handshake and steady gaze of the 8th grader ready and eager to go out and engage the world. I am convinced that the learning journey that Waldorf teachers are privileged to share with their students--and their students' parents--is an experience that has profound implications not just for them, but for the larger world as well."

Mr. Curtin was born in Norwood and currently resides in Plymouth. A skilled woodworker, musician, and photographer, he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Rhode Island School of Design and later completed his training as a Waldorf teacher at Antioch New England Graduate School. Prior to teaching at the Waldorf School of Cape Cod, he worked for many years at Plimoth Plantation in a variety of positions, including costumed interpreter, woodworking artisan, and staff photographer.

For details about the "Meet the First Grade Teacher Tea" or to learn more about the 90-year history of Waldorf education in the United States, parents are encouraged to contact the school's Enrollment Director, Meredith Hunnibell, at 508-759-7499, or visit the school's comprehensive web site at http://www.waldorfschoolofcapecod.org.

The Waldorf School of Cape Cod is a non-sectarian, non-profit organization serving families throughout Barnstable, Plymouth, and Bristol counties. The school is affiliated with both the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America and the Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America. As the only Waldorf school in southeastern Massachusetts, the school serves over 150 children each year in its parent-child classes, preschool, kindergarten, and grades one through eight.

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