HAPPY 17TH BIRTHDAY (May 14th)
RAINBOW PUPPET THEATRE

What an amazing achievement! Every Saturday 2 shows for 17years! - more than 800 public performances over a wide range of at least 15 stories changing every month. More than 20 puppeteers (min. 4 every performance), over 150 puppets, workshops and much, much more.
The beautiful theatre, designed by Tony Pritchard, was so complicated in its faceting that it could eventually only be built by an overseas craftsman who was here on sabbatical. It was wired together with not one single nail in the entire structure and painted with the same recipe as used by the Old Masters in the Middle Ages. The full stage-lighting was professionally done.
To my knowledge this is the only permanent puppet theatre in the country and no doubt in the whole of Africa. Many children have come to Waldorf Education through the quality of the shows. We, of the Constantia Waldorf School, are very proud of our beautiful theatre and of the fact that it is a rarity in Waldorf Schools worldwide.
We urge all Kindergarten children to attend regularly as an important part of our teaching especially in today’s world.
Estelle Bryer - Rainbow Warrior

‘Puppetry is an antidote in the young child against today’s materialism.’
R. Steiner.

Welcome back to a very exciting new term!

We also want to send out a warm welcome to all our new students, parents and teachers. I would like to give a small summary as to what has happened in the first term at school thus far:
ESTATE MANAGEMENT Holidays always offer the Estate Management team with the opportunity to get BIG projects done while there are fewer little and big people around. These Easter holidays were no exception:
Kindergarten classrooms, KG Aftercare and the Puppet Theatre underwent a paint facelift, flooring repairs and replacement as well as converting the side room of the Puppet Theatre into an additional Therapy Room. Fireplaces have been cleaned out ready for winter; carpets have been cleaned and the rooms should be sparkling clean for the little ones’ return on 28th April.
In the same vicinity, what used to be the extension to the Woodwork Room is now under conversion into a new Craftroom which should be finished in the next week. The walkway to the new classrooms was 99.9% completed … and will see further embellishments in the weeks to come.
Primary School Aftercare also has a new look after its repairs and interior painting in a “Fun in the Sun” warm colour!
On the other side of the school grounds, an extension has been made to the Jewellery Department to create an additional room for this popular subject. The main building also had a facelift where the hole-riddled gutters were removed and replaced with new long-span aluminium gutters and PVC downpipes. (Thursday’s rain and storm was especially ordered to test this new installation…). The opportunity was taken to replace all the old, rotten barge boards and repaint the fascias and barge boards with a new refreshing colour.
Prior to the holidays saw the repairs to the Sports Hall ceiling and we are just waiting on a few board replacements to complete the job entirely. We have the soccer sleeves for rotating the soccer posts around more frequently during this season and, lastly but not least, the pool fence was moved to it’s correct position making way for the second cricket practise net to be used yet again.
Heartfelt thanks go to all those people that put in that extra mile to get things done in such a record time even over the Easter weekend and against all odds: William Anderton with Chantal John Bebe Lawrence and Honest; Barry van’t Slot with Moegamat and Michael; John Carne; Paul Thomas and Ashley; Maxicoatings; Gutters Galore; Wizard Maintenance; Ismael and Crispin; Cosmas and Nanette; all the grounds staff and the cleaning ladies.
Blessings, Debbie Braunlich

A DAY TO REMEMBER

Dear class 5 parents, I think you are wonderful (awesome). Thank you for a marvellous fair – a real FUN FAIR FOR ALL!

To the “A-Team”, the steering group, with great minds, big hearts and incredible will-power, thank you for your generosity of spirit and all the sacrifices you made in your own lives to pull this event together. I was truly overwhelmed and overawed by the reality of what you managed to achieve.
Love, Teach

For an event of this magnitude to work, it needs all hands on deck; so to every single one of the parents in this school; who put in time and effort running stalls, or working behind the scenes to make the 2009 fair – A DAY TO REMEMBER – a huge thank you and well done! - Adrienne Milne

For those of you who don’t know, the main group who volunteered to carry the Fair were: Chris Banks, Heather Faure, Fadia Toefy, Shelley McLaren, Ronald Bownes and Lucille Roberts. There are aspects of a fair which are handled behind the scenes and take many hours of dedicated input. A special thank you to the following Class 5 parents who were also part of the steering committee and worked extremely hard from the beginning of the fair process, handling these tasks which were essential to the success of the fair:
Stephanie Smith – who applied for all the permits, wrote letters to our school neighbours to obtain their consent, liaised with the City Council, received approvals from the fire department, and had to deal with council health and safety issues etc.
Robin Tayler – who handled advertising and press releases, designed our delightful, delicious, delovely posters and programs, liaised with the printers, liaised with the city council regarding posters, handled the distribution onto poles and the task of removing them after the fair and returned the coupons on the posters back to council during this week.
Karen and Frik Basson were hands-on for anything and everything that needed attention and stepped in wherever they saw a need – supplying generators to backup the electricity supply, setting up the pony rides, doing gate duty, wherever you looked they were there.
Shani Boerstra co-ordinated our successful pupils market and encouraged children to set up their own stalls.

To date the nett profit of the Fair is
R 111 358.

(Minus a few expenses which haven't yet come through. Final details will be published in the Grapevine next term).
A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of our Fair! Well done on accomplishing your aims of FUN and COMMUNITY.

CONSTANTIA WALDORF SCHOOL
IT ALL BEGAN WITH A DREAM, A WISH AND HOPE...

Lyda Braunlich - First teacher of the Waldorf School from 1959 onwards

This story will unfold in future issues of The Grapevine.

On 22 January 1959 in a small garden at 12 Poplar Way, Pinelands, a number of empty chairs were waiting for their occupants. There was an air of expectation and anticipation. Perhaps even then a sense that this was history in the making. The first Waldorf School in South Africa was about to become a reality.

Today in 2009 we enter the grounds of Constantia Waldorf School and meet the buzzing activity of a community of around 500 people, small and big. We see the large green fields, the abundance of tall trees, the many buildings and the majestic mountains in the background.

It is all ours. Too easily, it can be taken for granted. It is there for our use and our benefit, the open spaces, the fresh air, the wonderful views and endless possibilities. It is the reality which began as a deep wish!

From a seed has grown a big tree which tells a fascinating, life directing story of blessings, devotional co-operation of many people for a common cause, success and great importance.

Just over 50 years ago you would have searched in vain for a Waldorf School in Cape Town. There was no such school in South Africa or the rest of Africa. But the ball had begun rolling a few years before. From the early 1950’s the first people interested in Anthroposophy had begun to meet and there was an earnest wish amongst them for Waldorf Education to be established here.

The first Waldorf School had started in Germany in 1919. This happened after Emil Molt, owner of the Waldorf Astoria Cigarette Factory, had asked the Austrian philosopher and scientist, Rudolf Steiner, to start a school for his workers’ children. The movement gained momentum and schools were founded all over Europe. Steiner’s ideas encapsulated in Anthroposophy were taking root with many who were searching for new meaning in many fields.

Several Anthroposophists from overseas came to visit or live in Cape Town and brought their knowledge and experience. Their ideas found resonance with the interested groups here and they made a valuable contribution towards laying a foundation for a school. There was a Dutch architect Chris Wegerif, who later in 1966 designed the main building of our school in Constantia. In 1954 Dr Willem Zeylmans, a Dutch pioneer of Anthroposophy came on a lecture tour and gave deep insights into Steiner’s ideas. In 1955 Dr Karl Konig, founder of the Camphill movement, arrived and gave several talks. He was the father of Renate Sleigh and grandfather of Michael Oak teacher, Joan Sleigh.

In 1957 Dr Jan Prins, a retired Anthroposophical doctor, settled in Cape Town and gave monthly public talks on Waldorf education. He also brought with him the Oberufer Christmas Plays, which Waldorf teachers all over the world still perform. Our fledgeling group performed these
plays every year at different venues: churches, hospitals and galleries. They attracted sympathetic interest and provided fundraising for the as yet
unopened school.

My husband Rupert and I were deeply involved in all of these activities as we had decided this was the only education we wanted for our children. I gave introductory talks about Waldorf Education to various women’s groups, educational institutions and on the radio. We soon had a group of interested parents who also wanted this education for their children. One was June Wadely, whose daughter Dr Tessabella Lovemore, has dedicated her life to Steiner’s ideas and gives frequent lectures and workshops here and in England. Hille Sieckman, Constantia Waldorf grandmother of three, also became a member of this group and later became a Kindergarten teacher. Gwen and Dudley Williams, parents of former maths teacher Sue Vos, became staunch supporters and it was Dudley who found and organised finance to buy the beautiful Constantia property which has housed our school since 1967.

In 1958 we formed the Waldorf School Association and in September of that year, it was decided that we should open a school as soon as possible. As I was trained in education, I was asked to become the teacher of the first Waldorf Kindergarten the following year. It was a wonderful idea but there was no school building and no finances to start such a venture!

As mentioned in last week’s article, in 1959 almost everything was in place to start the first Waldorf Kindergarten in Cape Town. We still needed a building and we needed the finance.

At that time our family lived in a house in Pinelands. My husband Rupert had just built a spacious garage and workshop and we had a well-established little garden with exciting nooks and crannies for children to explore. We offered our garage as the first school building and the Committee found it very acceptable. So it happened that 12 Poplar Way, Pinelands, was the modest place for great beginnings in Africa of a new and little known form of education.

The intended opening of a Waldorf Kindergarten was then made known and applications were invited. With the help of the Committee and friends such as Corrie and Joop Huisman (grandfather of Carol Higgo) we began preparations for the grand opening. Rupert, the capable handyman and carpenter used his skills to create a good environment and to make wooden toys. Young Igor Kotzuba painted the room in beautiful colours and we covered the garage door with curtains and carpeted the floor. A lovely atmosphere was created with the right sort of dolls, the wooden toys and other equipment. All was in waiting for the children.

The opening of the school on 22 January 1959 was a radiantly happy occasion with a feeling of love and benevolent blessing. Present were pupils, parents, neighbours, friends and members of the Anthroposophical Society. There was an opening address, a short eurythmy performance and a presentation of Little Red Riding Hood. And so our little school started with twelve pupils, soon growing to a maximum of 18.

1959 was a year of many miracles. We knew we had to expand as many parents wanted their children to continue with Waldorf education. Dr Zeylmans, our great supporter in Holland, made it known in Europe that teachers were needed here. Within a few months, we had four Waldorf trained teachers committed to coming, of whom one was Hugh Fynes-Clinton who taught at the school for many years and Heinz Schotte who later founded Michael Oak. Once again we needed a building, this time to house the primary school and we needed the money to buy it.

Peer Mediation

Last Friday and half of Saturday, Matthew Stodel and I spent our time at Michael Oak School with class 7’s from our sister schools: Michael Oak and Stellenbosch Waldorf. During this time we were, along with our colleagues from those schools, training the class 7’s to be Peer Mediators. Mediation is the process whereby you intervene in a dispute to bring about agreement. Peer mediation is where this process happens amongst people of the same status.

The learners were trained in listening skills; taught the ability to identify and name feelings; taught how to brain storm; and trained in the skill of summarizing - all skills necessary for the mediation process. In other words our class 7 learners were trained to bring about agreement in disputes amongst their fellow learners in the play ground. This is the fourth year the class 7’s have been trained in mediation at our school.

Many local schools and schools throughout the world are training and using peer mediators to support Behavior codes and Anti-Bullying policies. The mediators are easily identifiable by their MEDIATION coloured sashes. They work in pairs, so that they can support and help each other in the process.

They are also backed up by the Primary School faculty whereby there is a teacher on duty at break each day to assist in cases of bullying and other conflicts that prove difficult for the mediators to resolve. Mediation is a Buzz word of our time. So, if there is an argument at home about whose turn it is to feed the cat or put the garbage out, call on them. They know the ground rules of mediation and they know how to do it and a roster has been drawn up for class 7 pupils to patrol the playground for the rest of the year. You have been warned!

Yvonne Herring, Lifeskills Primary school.
A few reports from the class 7 pupils. (Grapevine 7)

Founders Day – Rudolf Steiner (25 February 1861 – 30 March 1925)

“Accept the children with reverence, educate them with love, send them forth in freedom.”

“You have no idea how unimportant is all that the teacher says or does not say on the surface, and how important what he himself is as teacher.”

“Live through deeds of love and let others live, with tolerance for their unique intentions.”

“To truly know the world, look deep within your own being; to truly know yourself, take a real interest in the world.”
R. Steiner

Rudolf Steiner 18 years old, in 1879
Waldorf Schools around the world acknowledge their founder, Rudolf Steiner, at this time. The Waldorf School movement is now considered the fastest-growing independent school movement in the world. Although each of the 1000 Waldorf schools around the globe is run autonomously, all Waldorf schools are united by the common educational philosophy based on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner.

Stewart Easton wrote in his book: Rudolf Steiner: Herald of A New Epoch. (Anthroposophic Press, 1982). “If Steiner had been nothing but a philosopher, or theologian, or educator, or authority on Goethe, or agricultural expert, or architect, or knowledgeable in medicinal plants, or dramatist, or gifted artistic innovator, inventor of eurythmy - an age that respects specialization would have reserved a special niche for him. But Steiner was all these things at the same time.” (Easton, 9)

The sheer productivity of Steiner's life is somewhat daunting: over 6,000 lectures, dozens of books and innovative approaches to education, the arts, medicine, farming and working with people with special needs. An extensive secondary literature exists and important work has been done in each of these fields. If this were not enough, Steiner also provided a methodology for spiritual development.

Some of the most learned, dedicated individuals in the world have spent nearly a century trying to understand, practise, and develop further Steiner's immense contributions. Yet the message behind them is quite simple and can be found in the Book of Revelation: "Behold, I make all things new." That was Rudolf Steiner's purpose in all that he did, to plant the seeds and provide the foundation for a cultural renewal.

Further Reading
Steiner, Rudolf. The Course of My Life. (Anthroposophic Press, 1951)
Barnes, Henry. A Life for the Spirit: Rudolf Steiner in the Crosscurrents of Our Time. (Anthroposophic Press, 1997)

A Challenging Year For Our Class 12’s

Class 12 marks the culmination of the Waldorf school curriculum. This culmination is celebrated with the Class 12 plays and the Class 12 project presentations. Both of these are major undertakings and our group of 27 students will be fully occupied with this preparation over the first 6 months of this year. This process is exciting and sometimes daunting, but each person in the class learns a great deal about themselves and they carry these lessons life long.

Schoolwork continues over this time with main lessons and running lessons, while afternoons and weekends are packed with rehearsals for the four plays they will perform in May. Once the plays are completed, the workload does not diminish. Running concurrently are the preparations for their Class 12 Projects. Each student is tasked with choosing a particular topic that interests them deeply. They must research the subject thoroughly and organize whatever training course or work experience that may be necessary to complete the project which will be presented to the community over the weekend of 31st July. From August onwards, they begin preparing for their matric examinations at the end of 2010.

No matter where they may be in the world, if Waldorf schools have done their job well, their Class 12 students should have a highly developed sense of their own personal integrity. Waldorf Education could be described, in fact, as a concerted nurturing of selfhood and awareness of the responsibility that goes with it. To be a flexible conscious individual within the context of world consciousness, is the goal.

With this understanding of the 18-year old reaching out to meet the community, the Youth section of the Goetheanum hosts an international conference every two years in Dornach, Switzerland. At this conference Class 12 Waldorf students around the world get to meet each other. Our entire class 12 group will fly over to the conference in April and will perform their play, Sophiatown, on the incredible stage at the Goetheanum, together with a variety of performances from all of the other Class 12 students from the other schools. Traditionally the South African pupils arrive a week ahead of the conference to help with the preparations in exchange for free dormitory accommodation.

Two years ago our Class 12 group opened the conference, leading the hundreds of pupils into the auditorium, up the stairs and onto the stage, singing Shosholoza. Special friendships were established that year and our group bonded particularly with the Israeli, Brazilian, Argentinean, Canadian and Australian students. (See the website Connect Conference: Youth Section, for more info).

Please support our fundraiser for our Class 12’s trip to Dornach, Switzerland
Over this past year our group of Class 12’s have been fundraising for their trip and with 6 weeks to go they still need R50 000. A concert will be held in our big school hall on Sunday 1st March to help meet this target.

Great music for all to enjoy The music selection will suit all ages – All welcome!
Details are:
Musicians: JULIA JAKOBSEN ~ CHEECH ~ JULES & THE FOOLS
Date and time: Sunday 1st March, 2009, 3.30pm – 6.30pm
Entrance Fee: R40 (Under 12’s entrance fee R20) ~ Tickets at the door
Hot Dogs & Refreshments on sale.

(For more information contact Esme Silberman)

We wish our Class 12’s all the energy, enthusiasm and inspiration they will need to meet these life altering experiences they are about to embark on. - College of Teachers

The Social Form and Administration of our School

We belong to the worldwide family of over 1000 Waldorf schools, each of which strives to meet the indications given to us by Rudolf Steiner for a unique way of working with one another in community.

From the first day, in the youngest of classes, the teacher already begins to lay a basis for class community. Over the years the children get to know and to love one another by working, playing and rubbing shoulders together. Every day as the children receive their lessons and daily tasks, they discover the qualities within one another when they tackle the tasks together in the classroom. Through this strong connection with one another, they develop together over the years, the art of building community.

In the administration of our school we strive to work together within the same ethos that is developed in the classroom. Our central task is the care of the children, and the responsibility for their education is carried by our College of Teachers. Of course, we do welcome parents who wish to become more involved in the life of our school. It is so important for the children to see and feel the effects of their teachers and parents working side by side in this caring.Responsibilities for our school fall within various portfolios and within these portfolios, mandate groups have formed, where teachers, Board of Trustee members and parents can work together to accomplish the tasks. In this week’s grapevine, for example, you will read news from the recycling mandate group and see an ad prepared by members of the Craft shop mandate.

A simplified list of the various portfolios has been drawn up to give you an idea of how the responsibilities of the school are shared. The name of the person listed alongside that portfolio is the present chairperson or representative for that portfolio. (view Grapevine Issue 4)

Over the coming weeks we will bring you details of the various mandates where more parent involvement is needed.

This week we invite parents to become involved in our Bursary Mandate. Yumnaa Firfirey of our Board of Trustees has offered to take this mandate under her wing and to bring fresh new energy and ideas to boost the funds and encourage sponsorships for pupils. Please contact Glenda Muhl at school if you would like to join Yumnaa on the Bursary Mandate.

Our organic market held at school each Friday from 11am to 3pm needs helpers who can set up help with the cashing up on a roster basis every week. Please contact Jeanne.

Our 2009 Parents Handbook with helpful and practical information about our school will be posted to each family together with school fee accounts at the end of this month.
In this handbook you will find more details of our school vision and mission, management, behavior codes, teachers’ telephone numbers etc.

CONSTANTIA WALDORF SCHOOL MUSIC DEPARTMENT

It has been a long time coming but we are proud to say that all our hard work is starting to come to fruition and more gentle sounds of music will soon be drifting around the school. This week we will introduce you to our new violin teacher.

Amy Ma introduced herself on Monday with a small solo violin performance at the primary school assembly.  Amy's first instruments are violin and piano. She is passionate about teaching, and says, “In my teaching I combine the methods of violinists and pedagogues such as Carl Flesch with contemporary pedagogies of Phyllis Young, who uses drama and imaginative play in string playing.”

Amy will be performing at the high school assembly this coming Monday and at the new parents evening on the 10th February when new parents will be gathering for a tour of the school at 6h30. Amy is also interested in starting ensembles with students who have already progressed to that level of playing.  You can contact Amy on 0722444016.
Music lessons will take place after school, and there will be write ups of various musicians, concerts and updates in the Grapevine in the weeks to come.

Regards
Music Mandate Group

CONSTANTIA WALDORF SCHOOL 50th ANNIVERSARY
AND FIFTY YEARS OF WALDORF EDUCATION IN AFRICA

Exactly fifty years ago, on 22nd January 1959, Lyda and Rupert Braunlich opened the garage doors to their Pinelands home in Cape Town and welcomed children into their first day of kindergarten. One year later the school had grown and was moved to Rondebosch. In 1962 two other schools sprung from this initiative – Michael Oak (Plumstead) and Michael Mount (Johannesburg). In 1966 the property where our school now resides, was purchased through the foresight and planning of Dudley Williams and the Board of Trustees at that time.

The acorn planted and nurtured by Lyda and Rupert and their fellow Waldorf teachers so many years ago has grown into a mighty oak tree. Over twenty schools have taken root - in Egypt, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia and South Africa – along with the Centre for Creative Education, (teacher training centre), the Educare Movement and a number of affiliated initiatives. Thousands of children of African, Indian, Arabic and European descent have since benefited from Waldorf education taught on this continent.

On Tuesday 20th January 2009, when all our pupils and parents were gathered at our first day assembly, Mr Grimley announced our 50th birthday and welcomed Mrs Lyda Braunlich as our special guest. The warm applause which echoed across the field reached our new classrooms, with doors open, to welcome our Class 1 children of 2009 – 50 years after two little children stepped into the Pinelands garage.

A warm welcome back to all our pupils and parents. We look forward to getting to know our new pupils and to meeting our new parents more formally at the new parents’ evening on the 10th February.

Constantia Waldorf Teachers

TRANSFORMATIVE PRACTICALITIES, MYSTERIES AND LIGHT

The Diversity Mandate Group wishes to express our thanks to all those who have participated in the ongoing reflections of developing diversity consciousness within our school. In 2009 our process shall continue to unfold around the following goals; understanding how diversity will benefit our school, encouraging new parents in a focused way to consider our Constantia Waldorf School, ensuring an understanding of Waldorf Education in the minds of new parents, converting interest to enrollment, and managing diversity in our school. We invite others to join us in both the reflective and active aspects. We have met with the diversity group from Michael Oak and one of the products of this encounter has been the creation of a diversity calendar of events to enable teachers a practical guide for diarizing class activities.

Speaking of calendars, a wealth of religious and cultural festivals takes place in December and January. Last night we saw our teacher’s interpretation of one of the medieval mystery plays; “The Shepherd’s Play.” It is of course a Christmas play, but it brought us all together where we could share a moment for the aspirations of renewed light and the spirit of humanity, if only in the faces of the sweet children of kindergarten. Rudolf Steiner said that the celebration of Christmas is the “celebration of the sacred night, which, in the great Mysteries, was celebrated by those who were ready to bring about the resurrection of the higher self within their inmost being.”

Throughout the Muslim world, Eid-ul-Adha will be celebrated on December 10th this year. Eid-ul-Adha is celebrated as a commemoration of Prophet Ibrahim's (Abraham’s) willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael to Allah as an act of obedience to Him. Each Muslim, as they celebrate, reminds themselves of their own submission to God, and their willingness to sacrifice for God's wishes.

Hanukkah, also known as The Festival of Lights, is a Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem in the year 164 BCE. This year this first day of Hanukkah is December 22. It lasts eight days. One candle in the menorah candelabrum is lit each night until all eight candles are lit. There is more for those interested in multicultural or interfaith phenomena.

The 10th of January 2009 (while we are on holiday), celebrates the day when a number of key events recognized by the Jewish, Christian and Muslim religions took place. This day is called the 10th of Muharram. Here are but a few of said events: Abraham was saved from Nimrod’s fire by God. Moses and his people were saved from Pharaoh, by passing through the Red Sea. Noah anchored his Ark at the foot of Mount Judi. Jonah was freed from the belly of the whale. Muhammad received a revelation to turn the direction of prayer from Jerusalem to Mecca. All this in one day!
Religious or secular, happy holidays to all, and peace be with you. DMG

PROGRESS ON THE NEW CLASS ONE AND TWO BUILDINGS

The weather has been a significant factor in delaying our progress with this project. It affected the laying of the concrete slabs and contributed to the increased depth of the foundations (almost 2 meters deep in places).

We are now pushing ahead in the few weeks left before the building industry takes their annual holidays. At this stage many decisions have to be taken, almost daily, with regard to the final finishes. With the rains still challenging us it is a matter of juggling various trades which must complete their work before another comes in. For example, the doors must be hung before the electrical work can be finished otherwise we run the risk of the copper cables being ‘relocated’. This in turn delays the ceiling fixing now underway.

The first stages of the landscaping around the site has begun. The floor tiling to entrances and toilets is underway and the special floors for the classrooms themselves will be laid early in December. With a first undercoat of paint inside the classrooms and all the windows glazed one can get a feeling of what a beautiful space is being created for our precious class ones and twos.
Saul Chanarin for Building Mandate

FAREWELL PRINCE VINCENT

Teachers and staff of the Constantia Waldorf School would like to thank Vincent Message for the efforts he has put into the pioneering role of school co-coordinator. Vincent will now be taking another class at Michael Oak Waldorf School and we are sure that he will blossom in his old profession.
Fare thee well Prince Vincent!

HAPPY DIWALI

Another important time of the year is upon us, and we wish all those in our school who celebrated Diwali this week much happiness and renewed energy for the New Year! Diwali is a major Hindu Festival lasting five days. Diwali takes place in October or November on our calendar, although exact dates, as well as its manifestations, vary in different parts of India and the world. It is a time for fireworks, exchanging gifts, and festive meals. The significance of Diwali in Hinduism is the victory of brightness over darkness, of good over evil. For Hindus, Sikhs and Jains, it is a celebration of life. The term Diwali comes from the Sanskrit Deepavali, which literally means “rows of lighted lamps”. This is why it is referred to as The Festival of Lights. The lamps are lit in celebration and hope for all humankind. To prepare for Diwali, we clean our house and open our windows, ready to invite Laksmi, the goddess of wealth, to come into our home. The wealth we seek would be rewards for good deeds done in past lives. We greet her with candles and colored lamps. The second day is for Kali, the goddess of strength, and we vow to abolish evil and laziness. On the third day, we light the lights brightly for knowledge and reflection. This is the last day of the old year. The fourth day is the first day of the lunar New Year. New accounting books are worshipped in a special ceremony inviting those who participate to free their lives of any anger, hate or jealously. On the last day, Balipratipada, we must see the good in each other, even the good in our enemies. It is the day of honoring friendship. By celebrating seasons and festivals throughout the year, Waldorf schools seek to cultivate an awareness of the different rhythms humanity gives to time, and the harmony we seek with the cosmos. We share this awareness as a community composed of children, parents, teachers and friends.
The Diversity Mandate Group

CLASS TWO NEWS

We concluded our third term with an evening Michaelmas festival.  Parents, siblings and friends gathered in the drama hall to watch the children perform a play titled Michael and the Dragon.  The play explored forces of good and evil and showed how Michael gave humankind the courage to overcome evil.  The children prepared for the performance over many weeks, learning words, songs, musical pieces and designing costumes, all with the purpose of using their imaginations to work creatively with the metaphor of Michael overcoming the dragon.  As our festival coincided with Ramadan, we decided to incorporate a communal breaking of the fast under the direction of the three Muslim families in our class.  Ramadan is a Muslim religious observance during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, when the Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.  Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset to strengthen their ways of living, through self-restraint of lower order human needs and the development of higher order consciousness such as prayer, introspection, moving closer to God and pursuit of economic justice by giving food, clothes and funds to the poor. These activities are carried out throughout the month with the intention of developing good habits that enable an ever-expanding higher order consciousness.  Everyone brought a plate of eats and the classroom floor was covered with blankets, kikois and lanterns.  There were traditional eats of dates, pots of soup and platters of hot and cold food such as samoosas, pies, fresh fruit and kebabs.  The children sat in a circle and listened to a story about the significance of Ramadan while we waited for the sun to set.  The fourth prayer (Maghrib) of the day was cited and the classroom was aglow with candlelight and laughter as we all tucked into the wonderful food.  It was an interesting and enjoyable evening and gave wider meaning to the reality that some children in the class were participating in the fast throughout the month.  The gentle atmosphere created a feeling of respect and appreciation for different religious and cultural traditions.
Linda Schwellnus