As anyone who has ever visited a middle school wood shop can attest, young adolescents are amazing at starting projects. At Arthur Morgan School, the current contents of project shelf include a half-finished jewelry box, five pieces of miscellaneous cut wood, a large, possibly abandoned sandbox, a small wall of glued-together dowels, and something that […]
When you think of teaching Victorian literature, you don’t normally think of middle schoolers. Charlotte Bronte and George Elliot can be challenging to most adults, never mind students who are still developing their reading comprehension skills. The sentences are complex; the descriptions dense. Even the subject matter seems irrelevant. Why should a middle schooler care […]
This picture is the moment before my son and I left Asheville and headed for Arthur Morgan School a couple of weeks ago. It was another moment in my life where my heart broke wide open to make even more space for learning, growth, understanding, and gratitude. Asa has just begun his seventh grade year […]
Students return from three days hikes today! Here are some accounts from previous students of their first AMS hiking experiences. Swimming Holes and Snakes For my AMS three day hike, I went to Linville Gorge. The first day we ate lunch at a really high, beautiful overlook. Then […]
As the school’s farm coordinator, I have a special fondness for late summer. It’s the time of harvest, when the hard work is done and the land is ripe with rewards. The apple trees we pruned in spring weigh heavy with fruit. The golden corn and sunflowers stand tall in the garden, and trays of […]
Even in the 1940’s Maria Montessori understood how the world was changing. She also knew what we needed to do about it. “…We have lost the “security” of days gone by. The times when a profession was quietly handed down from father to son are past. The certainty of a good job which rewards diligent […]
Today, we woke up too early (in my opinion, because sleep is good). We packed up a little and ate maple yogurt pancakes in a hurry. Then we drove to FCNL (Friends Committee on National Legislation) in DC, and an environmental lobbyist named Emily taught us how to lobby for climate change. After about two […]
At Tiny Desk Concert space in NPR Headquarters – group shot with Bob! In the recording studio where Steve Inskeep, Audie Cornish, and many others share their voice with the world.
Recently a large group of gymnasts from Denmark visited Burnsville. They hosted some fun workshops at East Yancey, Cane River, Mountain Heritage and Arthur Morgan School. Seventeen families from Burnsville and Celo hosted these young performers in their homes. On Friday evening the Danish Gymnasts performed for everyone at Mountain Heritage. International visits like this […]
By Ara Vickers During the first couple of weeks, The Human Body core class charted out the human cell, diving deep into it’s various organelles. Mitochondria, Golgi apparatus and all, our class has soaked up the information spewed out from sources such as videos, Radiolab podcasts and creative explanations from Tal. Walking home from school […]