Katie attended 7th and 8th grade at Journey School. She is a proud member of the Class of 2011. Before coming to Journey, Katie completed Grades Five and Six at the Steiner Academy and most of the primary years at St. Ann’s.
Katie has many fond memories of Journey. Most of these have to do with class-bonding experiences and adventures in learning. Katie said, “I really enjoyed the times when we would go out to the creek and discover fossils and rocks. It was fun to get away from the classroom and just hangout with each other and the teacher. We had bonding-time together and I really liked that.” Katie also stated, “I loved Circus Arts and walking on stilts because it was different, exciting, and I love adventure.” One of Katie’s all-time favorite Main Lesson blocks was exploring Geometric Solids because, “We made 3-D figures ourselves and that was really fun.”
When we asked Katie what was special about Journey, she immediately stated, “What’s most special about Journey is how close the students are to the teachers. The teachers focus on you and what you are having trouble with rather than [making you] follow along with the whole class. I also really like how everything is super hands-on. I remember with Ms. Kerry we went out and measured the circumfrance of a tree. This really helped us understand Algebra.”
Katie is now a freshman at San Juan Hills High School. So far, she is doing quite well in her studies and feels, “Very well prepared for high school academically.” She has mostly A’s, but is determined to pull-up her “C” in Physics after an upcoming exam. When specifically asked for advice, Katie—who takes Algebra versus Geometry as a freshman—thinks, “Journey can do better in preparing some students for high school Math.” Katie also said, “ Since the Journey environment is so small and family-like I recommend an outside activity so students can overcome shyness. I feel really prepared with all the academic stuff, but I also wish I had known people on the outside.”
As Katie was asked about her passion, she beamed, “I love photography and I really want to act. I’ve been acting since I was little. I do it well. I want to be successful in it. It is my passion. It helps me with confidence, teamwork and being patient. As a human I want these things [because] playing different characters helps get a feel for what others are like. And, learning all the language is good for helping you to express yourself and what is on your mind.”
Katie wanted people to know, “I am really glad I did Waldorf Education. It taught me things I never would have learned in a different school. It helped me understand why I was doing things rather than just doing them.”
