Lakeside School at Black Kettle Farm offers birth –2nd grade education based on the Waldorf  philosophy on a working farm in Essex, NY.

Back-to-School

The sun is brilliantly shining today into the windows of Lakeside School at Black Kettle Farm.  The faculty and staff have been working tirelessly alongside

parents this week around the school-house and farm preparing for the children to come back to school.  We spend each morning scrubbing, building, organizing, setting up, cleaning, gardening, and having a good time together.  At this point there are many projects that are nearly done, but it’s good we still have one more work-day to get things in their proper places before the children arrive!

It’s amazing to me the transformation that happens to the school-house at this time of year.  From classrooms packed up in boxes, to magical nooks for children.  From the tiny table in the Sprouts room (age 1-2) for meals, the painting jars in the Kindergarten (age 3-6) for painting, the reading corner in the elementary classroom (age 6-8) for reading time, to the “troll house” in the forest of the play-yard, each space is carefully considered and constructed to meet each child in our programs.

Soon we will open the doors for an 8th year of Lakeside School.  On Thursday next week we will have our 2nd Rose Ceremony.  The Rose Ceremony is a community event to welcome the 1st graders into the elementary program.  This festival is a great way for the community to gather in celebration and reflection of a new chapter in each child’s life.

We are greatly looking forward to having the children return to school and embarking on another year of education and care for the children of the community.

Warm wishes,
Kathleen Morse
School Administrator