Students begin handwork in Grade 1 with a simple knitting project. First they sand and oil wooden dowels to make their knitting needles, then they learn to knit and craft their own flute cases. The activity of knitting develops concentration, strengthens small motor skills/hand-eye coordination, and brings a strong sense of accomplishment and pride. A wide variety of projects are completed as the students progress through the grades including knitted flute cases and animals, crocheted hats, cross stitched pin cushions and pen holders, knitted and felted socks, stuffed animals, dolls and, in Grade 8, clothing made with the assistance of a sewing machine. All of these handwork projects play an important role in the development of fine motor skills, finding inner calm, and coming to intellectual clarity. The experience of working with natural materials in a rhythmic and repetitive way involves a high degree of concentration, complex fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination, spatial concepts, understanding of two and three dimensional numeric patterns and dexterity. Handwork classes help students find their way to complex thinking and inner calm.
