Kelly Sax's Story

Early MLC curriculum (1968-1975) for a 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th , 8th, 9th, or 10th grader:

—Develop appreciation and tolerance of coexistence in age-mixed “base stations.”

—Acquire life skills in italic handwriting, calligraphy, guitar and group folk singing with Inga.

—Refine manual and mental dexterity using potter’s wheel and hand-building with clay, creating silk-screen prints, and writing in mini-courses including “Wishes, Lies and Dreams” with Betty.

—Expand art education with bookbinding and marbleized paper techniques with Lydia.

—Cultivate imagination through creative writing based on images and thought-provoking prompts like, “imagine living in a place where the international time zone line cut through your town”; calculate cause and effect through science projects like egg drop contest; develop observational ability and sense of wonder tracking the transformation of monarch chrysalises into butterflies with Emil.

—Acquire skills in statistics and mental calculation through endless rounds of hearts and spades card games seated in sliding classroom closets on top of built-in shelves.

—Learn community through parent-student evening potlucks in the cafeteria, followed by hide and seek in the dark upstairs halls of the school building; craft-fairs in park, giant bathtub banana splits, and colorful silk parachutes can alternately be deployed to accomplish same goal.

—Develop business and interpersonal skills by creating quilt square for the annual MLC quilt raffle, designing and selling tickets door-to-door.

—Prepare responsible driving practices by climbing on and playing in seat of old disaffected truck on playground, ‘til Fire Marshall cites as fire hazard and demands removal.

—Refine physical balance by toeing around outside wall of school building at height of six feet above ground on brick ledge (continue until bored with activity).

—Experience pride of accomplishment and recognition as published writer and graphic artist in annual MLC literary magazine.

—Observe that famous personalities are regular people, when Pete Seeger visits school (and scolds little “brats” for trailing his heels in awe).

—Develop reflexes playing prison ball in gym and four square on playground.

—Prepare for public speaking through drama with John.

—Instill lifelong passion for water and hardiness against hypothermia spending endless hours in basement swimming pool.

—Foster competence in budget management, nutritional value, and culinary techniques, shopping for lunch at Tastee Freeze and Thriftway grocery; first-level cooking lesson: Top Ramen and pomegranate seed extraction.

—Stimulate curiosity regarding world cultures and foreign languages through folk dancing with Bryce.

—Learn implicitly never to fall into societal hierarchical trap of calling someone of higher social status by their “appropriate” title of “Mr., Mrs., Dr., Professor,” etc., since first-name basis is always preferred!

—Cultivate independence, sense of curiosity, fearless risk-taking, love of the outdoors and adventure at Shaw Island Cedar Rock Camp; activities include: sleep wherever you want, enjoy view of Puget Sound from open doorless outhouse, ride in overcrowded hay wagon manned by intoxicated driver through bumpy dry yellow grass fields, listen for meal bells and avoid yellow jackets eager for food and sweet drinks, marvel at magic of phosphorescent light explosion when paddling through Puget Sound by night, explode jellyfish on rock after dark to create phosphorescent fireworks, spend evenings playing liar’s dice in main house, line up for coveted colored electrician’s tape accomplishment ribbons wrapped around nylon bracelets (“polar bear” for jumping in Puget Sound, “eagle’s nest” spotting, etc.).

—Appreciate rewards of persistence and patience by searching for, and successfully finding, four-leaf clovers in Couch park (activity can take as many hours as necessary).

—Train in applied mathematics through story problem practice with Judy, helped by Antioch college aide Gerard; if too traumatic, unrequired activity; revert to card playing or folk-song singing!

—Inculcate tolerance for sharing sleeping space with many other people, appreciation of the performing arts, excitement of exploring new destinations through activities such as: Ashland Shakespeare Festival field trip; Mazama Lodge ski retreat; Metolius river camping outing; Cannon Beach overnight (obligatory construction of channeled sand latrines as instructed in Whole Earth Catalogue, and creation of color-layered sand candles).

—Gain awareness and appreciation for larger context of community, through “Where we going? I don’t know. When we get there? I ain’t certain. All I know is we are on our way” ventures with John; technique: pack twenty kids into nine-person van to explore new Portland destination, once or twice weekly; ex: Sandy River smelt run, Alpenrose dairy.

—Build personal confidence and find own voice through public performances in cafeteria of country music covers on guitar with Jon and MLC friends.

—Enjoy solid community support, stability, acceptance, love, encouragement and safe place from which to springboard into “regular” high school and years of college; do not worry that you do not understand concepts of structured learning, deadlines, formal writing, how American government functions, basic math, science, history; each student has rest of (her) life to figure those superficial details out.

(I completed a Ph.D. in French Linguistics; lived and worked in Mexico, Quebec, and France; and hiked the Camino de Santiago in Spain.)

Kelly Sax, 2018

THIS PIECE by alumna Kelly Sax explains in a picture-perfect (and very funny) way just how early MLC kids were encouraged to think of each thing we did from a student's perspective, querying and mining experiences for value in real life.

Kelly's story first appeared in the 50th Anniversary Magazine, published for MLC's big celebration in September 2018. It is one of several favorites to be republished here on its own, in the Stories section, to highlight the quality of writings there, in the magazine—and to encourage readers to visit and read them all, and perhaps submit your own !!! MLC's history is in its stories.

Thumbnail: MLC class schedule, 1970 (excerpted from 50th Anniversary Magazine)