Rose Ceremony

The Rose Ceremony is a right of passage for the first graders. Families from the whole school gather to witness the former first graders give a rose to each of the new students. It is a 'passing of the torch' and a symbol of readiness/openness for the journey into the world of academics.

After receiving the rose they crossed over the balance beam to shake hands with their new teacher, Ms. Melanie. Then after her beautiful story about a butterfly, the families formed an archway that twisted and turned all the way to the classroom door. Ms. Melanie and her new students walked through the passage and into their first day of the first grade.

Arches of love to the first graders

Jack and the Bean Stalk

Since January, Ms. Megumi and the children have been making Marionettes for a Jack and the Bean Stalk puppet show. Every Tuesday they gathered after school to hand sew puppets and choreograph the show. We have been anxiously waiting to see the results because they kept it all under wraps from us parents.

Today we finally saw the performance, and it was amazing! I can't believe what they created. The puppets and the kids were magnificent!

How fortunate they are to have such an experience. Thank you Megumi, you are saint!

Sun Downer

It is tradition for the families of Sanderling to gather at Moonlight Beach for an evening picnic the last week of school. Another school year comes to an end; where does the time go?

Drift Wood Ships

This was our final wood shop project of the year. I like this one because it's so easy and eco! Surprisingly it wasn't so easy finding seven flat/wide pieces of drift wood. (I think I went to most the beaches in Encinitas.)

The children made a hole for the mast with a hand drill then sawed the dowels. They punched holes in the sail cloth and threaded the dowels through. Viola! A new toy for the bath tub!

Wood Shop

This week we made walking blocks out of redwood and rope. The kids sanded the blocks and waxed them. Then they cut the rope, threaded it through the holes, and tied double knots.

They get such a kick out of clomping around on these things, and I get a kick out of seeing them feel so proud of their work.

The importance of hand work is a hallmark of Waldorf Education. Dexterous hands make productive and artistic humans. Learning a craft such as wood working can open up creative possibilities of all kinds.

May Faire 08

The May Faire is my most beloved Waldorf festival of the year. It is like stepping back in time for a day. Families gather around the May Pole to watch each class perform a song and dance. It is a living Norman Rockwell painting! The pure innocence and beauty of it all makes me weep every time.

Crowns of Knitted Yarn and Flowers

May Fairy

Hair braiding, Fishing, Panning for Treasures, and Face Painting at May Faire

Watching the children enjoy traditional faire activities reminds me how it is the simple things that they love and need most. This is what memories are made of.

It Takes a Village

It is bitter-sweet to witness our children exit the dreamy first stage of life. Their little bodies are showing the signs of academic readiness everyday. The loss of teeth, learning to skip, catching with right and left hands, and faces becoming more defined, are just a few of the physical indicators that they are ready.

As we usher them into the next phase we say farewell to the most precious and impressionable years of their lives.

We are a few Mothers of the First Grade 08/09 class.

Ms. Melanie and Friends

Waldorf teachers stay with their class of students from the 1st grade through the 8th grade! They are so deeply invested in each child, they practically become a third parent.

Emerson

"We are dedicated to nurturing children's capacity for imagination, thinking, active willing, and healthy social interactions. Because the effects of media, including television, movies, video games, and computers, are widely recognized to have debilitating effect on those capacities, we feel it is in the child's best interest that media exposure be eliminated from the daily experience of the young child."

Chalmers Hardenbergh

Play Date at San Dieguito Park

Winding strings and other silly things

For Raven's 6th birthday we wound and wrapped and wrapped and wound. These small movements with the hands are known to help condition the fine motor skills for writing. The kids didn't notice that they were actually practicing for writing - they were just having fun winding up spider webs of yarn and wrapping mummies large and small. A fine trait of the Waldorf aesthetic is to mask the "work" of children through their play. It's a fine laced web not seen by the children that the teachers educate through. This was an attempt to incorporate this idea into birthday party fun.

e&e taking pics!

A tisket a tasket!

There is so much beauty to be discovered inside a Waldorf Kindergarten classroom. The atmosphere is so warm and nurturing with all the surrounding natural colors and textures.

The teachers give so much love and attention to detail to their rooms, everything so neat and tidy.

"I saw a little dusty gnome. He said it's time to clean our home." Ms. Jennifer sings, when it's time for the children to tidy up.

Role Model

Each week Ms. Jennifer invites a helper from the Rose Kindergarten to assist with the snack time in her Chickadee Parent-Tot-Class, while the parents have their parenting discussion in the room next door. This week was Emerson's turn to be the helper. I peaked out to catch a glimpse of him taking on his role of "lentil soup server" very seriously. At the same time, I overheard his younger brother, Tate, exclaiming proudly to his friends at the table "this is my brother, he's bigger than all of you".

Tug-o-War!

"Not only are we part of a wonderful, creative, and imaginative school, we've also found a warm community of like-minded parents: who care not just about good academic standards but want their children to grow into happy, well adjusted adults with a life-long love of learning!"

Parent

The Tooth Fairy's first visit

Raven lost his first tooth at school yesterday - his friend Emerson kindly offered to pull it out. He's been anticipating this event for quite sometime, as his friends have all started to lose their teeth as well.  It is believed that the loss of teeth, amongst other physical and emotional changes in children from 5-7 years of age, is an indicator that children are ending a physical cycle which started in their mother's womb. This is a period of rapid physical growth that should be fostered with imaginary play and nurturing of the body through wholesome food, plenty of rest, and warmth.   As Raven starts making his way into the next cycle of life, he is ready for an environment that requires more concentration and less physicalness.  The Waldorf philosophy respects this development by introducing academics in the first grade.