I have a few particularly vivid memories of my childhood summers: the smell of the grill, the rattle of the cicadas — and the feeling of being bored out of my mind…
Pictured above: The 5th Grade class had a wonderful time in Seattle participating in the Greek Games with 5 other Northwest based Waldorf schools
Submitted by Julie McCallan, Pedagogical Director and Interim Grade 5 Teacher
In the Fifth Grade, the students studied ancient civilizations including ancient Greece. To deepen that study, Mr. Pratt teaches them the ancient Olympiad events of the discuss, javelin, standing long jump, wrestling, and running. Traditionally, in May regional Waldorf schools come together to demonstrate skill, grace and beauty in these events. Unfortunately, the pandemic put a halt to those events; however, this year for the first time since 2019, we were able to join many of the Waldorf schools in the Puget Sound area on May 12 for the Greek Games at Magnuson Park in Seattle.
We drove over the night before and spent the night in the Seattle Waldorf High School (located near Magnuson Park) along with Sunfield Waldorf School from the Port Townsend area. The two fifth grades and their chaperones shared a Greek-themed potluck dinner, after which the students played a soccer game together, before settling down for the night.
The next morning, our two schools gathered with four other schools. The students donned white tunics and were divided into Greek City States which rotated through the various activities. I was in charge of Athens and had 15 students from the various schools, including two from our school. Athens started with wrestling (where students strive to push each other out of the ring, while still forming a "golden circle' with their arms). Next the Athenians threw the javelin; the goal is for the javelin to fly in a beautiful arc before sticking upright in the ground. The last activity before the lunch break was throwing the discus.
The athletic events ended with a rousing relay race (Athens came in second!), before each student was honored in their city state. A laurel wreath was placed on the head of the student, while the teacher and the other students noted what that student had done well: a graceful arc to the javelin, the ability to add a spin to the discus, a swift stride in the relay, and as one student noted, increasing confidence. In our short time together, the students had grown to know and appreciate each other and some friendships were formed. We gathered all together to sing "Glorious Apollo" and each student received a medal which they proudly wore around their necks.
While there is much that is different from the original Olympiad (which was for men only and was performed without clothing), the students had the opportunity to experience what the ancient Greeks valued highly, expressed here in an Ode to Pan:
Give me beauty in the inward soul
And may the outer and the inward man be as one.
Here on earth, between birth and death,
The soul and spirit must be sought for in the body.
What is beautiful
Must also be Right and True
Our Fifth Graders were noted for their beautiful form which is a tribute to their own striving to do their best and to Mr. Pratt's excellent instruction.
Artwork from our Grade 1 students learning about Math!
I love math! I love math so much that I have been known to stop customers at the Farmer’s Market so I can give them a lesson on the Fibonacci sequence that is present in the head of Romanesco they are buying. (Go find a head of Romanesco; they’re pretty amazing.)
When I first started teaching, my class was in third grade and I got so excited about them learning a new math concept that I completely forgot to introduce a few steps. I was then faced with a room of twenty-two students looking at me like, “This woman is crazy!” But thankfully I had an amazing instructor in my training, who also loved math, and who’s mottos were, “Go Slow,” and “Confidence, Confidence, Confidence!” He taught me to take my excitement, slow it down and bring out the beauty of math to the children through games, art, building, etc., and it has been such a rewarding experience to watch the students give each other fist bumps for getting their practice work correct or exclaim, “Look Ms. Fluhrer! I have Timothy Times on my shirt today!”
This year I introduced the students to math through a lively group of woodland creatures. Queen Equals, a small mouse, rules the forest kingdom fairly and with kindness. Percy Plus, obviously a squirrel, is in charge of making sure that all the creatures of the forest have enough stores in their larder for the winter, and his kind brother, Martin Minus, is always willing to lend a hand; however, he often loses the items that he has collected. Timothy Times is a sprightly fox with a magical cartwheel that can turn one pile into two just from a couple swift jumps. And lastly, Donovan Divides is a vibrant red dragonfly, who teaches our friends, Sarah and John, how to divide their baskets of apples evenly amongst their friends.
Math can get a bad wrap for being hard, difficult, and boring. I want to bring math to the students of SWS in a way that they can find joy in the challenge of solving the puzzle, which I think is at the heart of Waldorf Education. We educate our students to be critical, independent thinkers that move through the world with curiosity, kindness, compassion and respect, as well as, self worth, so that they are able to solve the problems of the world around them.
Submitted by Sophie Fluhrer, Grade 1 Teacher
P.S.
First ADULT person to guess correctly the exclaimer of, “Look Ms. Fluhrer! I have Timothy Times on my shirt today!”, wins a bar of chocolate from me!
By Amy Stocker, teacher at the Red Rose Kindergarten Waldorf School of Mendocino County
’Tis the time of year when we in early childhood are singing songs about King Winter, icy frost and bundling up for some cold weather play. The children are delighted to cut their own snowflakes to hang in the windows. There is a happy hum as some of the children are working at the table while others are creatively playing in the classroom. We move about vigorously in our winter circle, warming our bodies and limbs. Our circle combines elements of warmth and cold, of expansion and contraction, of cross lateral movement, subtle articulation of body parts and engaging speech patterns.
Knowing how important warmth is, especially this time of year, I urge us to carefully consider how to ensure and foster warm within the children’s physical, emotional and spiritual bodies. The following reflections on warmth are of special consideration for caregivers of infants and young children but the same holds true for students all through the grades, as well as for ourselves.
For the developing child, warmth is one the most essential elements needed for healthy growth and development. We know that keeping warm helps us to be more resilient to viruses and illnesses. Rudolf Steiner noticed a direct connection between maintaining warmth in childhood to physical health and emotional warmth in adulthood. Also, a study from Yale university shows that people judge others to be more generous and caring if they held a warm cup of coffee and less so if they held an iced coffee. One could say that outward or physical warmth is essential for children to maintain inner or emotional warmth.
Children, especially under the age of seven are developing at such a rapid rate. So much of a child’s energy or life force is needed in the further growth of internal organs, rhythmical processes and sense integration. When their bodies are warm, children are more able to remain focused and engaged. Warmth encourages our children’s ability to learn. The bodily forces that are used in development and growth are the same forces used when the body is attempting to heat itself. Therefore, if a child is not properly layered and warm, they are using their precious and finite store of energy to heat up their core temperature, taking away from the growth of their physical body and development of cognitive skills.
Young children do not yet know how to regulate and maintain their own body temperature. They need our help determining appropriate clothing for the weather. Sometimes we can get an idea of a child’s internal temperature by feeling their hands and feet. However, children have an accelerated metabolic rate and they may just feel warm to the touch and want to take off a layer, when in fact for optimal development they need to keep their layer on.
There is physical warmth, emotional warmth of love, of generosity, of true morality-all of these ‘warmths’ pour over and merge with each other. Perhaps most importantly, warmth is the essential ingredient in transformative work. Without warmth, we cannot change, and the life of the small child is consumed with processes of growth and adaptation. Warmth helps us be healthy human beings on many different levels. Waldorf education understands that a child is indeed actively striving to integrate: to learn to feel comfortable in her body, to find the means for expressing outwardly what she feels inwardly, to develop a sense of security and understanding about all the new and unusual experiences brought by the world around her. To bring what is in, out; to make what is foreign one’s own. Warmth helps that process. -Dr. Adam Blanning
Inside Our Cozy Warm Room
With the cold and wet weather and with the images of ice and cold that I am bringing the children through story, song and verse, how can I ensure that they are having authentic experiences of warmth? How do I bring warmth into the room with the children? Perhaps its a warm smile, or loving touch. Perhaps it is the warm glow from a candle or the natural light filtering in through the silk curtains or in the pastel colored walls. These elements are not unique to the early childhood spaces at WSMC, but instead extend into the grades classroom as well.
Heading Out Into the Cold
Red Rose Kindergarten friends head out to play in all types of weather. Caregivers have carefully stocked cubbies with water proof mittens, rain pants, rain jackets and hats, now it’s time to head outside! By this time of year, the children of Red Rose Kindergarten know how to diligently dress themselves in their rainy weather gear. The greater challenge is to take it off, turn it right side out and hang it up, but they are getting pretty skilled at that too.
Some of our favorite ways to protect warmth in all WSMC students are:
1. Hats on! We loose so much of our body heat out the top of our heads. Dr. Blanning shares with us that the best way to protect warmth in a child is with a hat.
2. Layers! Cotton, wool and silk under layers are great. Polyester doesn’t breathe, sweat is trapped against their bodies and they eventually become chilled. Wool allows the body to regulate it’s own temperature without getting overheated. In my own family I find that even a wool tank top under a long sleeve does wonders for keeping the core of the body warm.
3. A rubber hot water bottle. Dr. Blanning speaks on the therapeutic benefits of a rubber hot water bottle. The quality of the hot water, the weight and movement of the water is far more potent than the heat from an electric or microwaved heating pad. Dr. Blanning recommends a warm water bottle on the lower abdomen or feet at bedtime.
4. Warm food for breakfast and even in lunches. Insulated thermoses full of warm food and warm tea can help bring elements of warmth throughout the school day.
5. A lighted candle during a meal brings a special warm feeling and spiritual nourishment to time spent together as a family.
6. Indoor slippers or shoes.
7. Warm bath with Epsom salts.
8. Proper rain gear from head to toe for rainy days. Children LOVE to play in the rain. Helping them to stay warm and dry leads to the most joyful discoveries and play!
Children will sometimes resist putting on their jacket or coat. It can be so helpful to begin the habit of wearing layers from an early age adopting the attitude, “It’s just what we do in cold weather.” We can even hold the coat open for the resisting child and help them with the initial movement into the coat. Sometimes they just need help getting started. Some children respond well to the idea that their coat will help them run faster and have more energy for play. Other children need a stronger, more direct statement such as, “I really want to go outside and play with you but we can’t do that until you are wearing your jacket.” You can feel confident in your insistence knowing the gesture behind it is one of love, care and protection.
Warmth just might be the greatest gift we can give the children in our care. Not just the warmth of our heart, but also warmth in their physical bodies. What are some of your most effective and meaningful ways you bring warmth into your family life?
Amy Stocker teaches at the Red Rose Kindergarten Waldorf School of Mendocino County
From the Waldorf School of Mendocino County blog