On Monday 13th our campus opened the doors for the fourth year. Welcoming the souls of new and old children to our school is a deep reverent feeling, and it is a tremendous responsibility to guide children into what it means to be a human. This will be our first year with a child with autism in the class and doubtlessly he will teach us all a great deal along the journey together. At the beginning of a new year one of the main focal points is for everyone to become comfortable with the rhythms of the day and week. The children that have been with us help the new to quickly get into the activities. Rhythm provides security for the children to go deeper into their experiences.
A new member on the team, Lina Turesson who is a Waldorf kindergarten teacher in Sweden, beautifully summarized how natural it is to bring focus to rhythmic living and teaching.
~ Rhythms in Waldorf education ~
Written by Lina Turesson
Every day the sun rises and we wake up, every night the sun sets and we go to sleep. Every month the moon is full and then it slowly each day transforms to new moon, and so it goes. Seasons are changing and the weather too. Different food grows at different times of the year. Rhythm is in everything around us. Our whole life goes in a type of rhythm.
Back in time we used to live a lot more in sync with nature and it’s so good for us. At Waldorf Preschool we love our daily rhythm. It makes the children feel safe and harmonious. Among the youngest ones most of the days looks pretty much the same, that way the little child knows what will happen next and can relax in to the present moment. It’s amazing to see how easy they fall in to the rhythm and really enjoys it. When we are getting back inside from outdoor play they all go to the bathroom to wash their hands. After lunch they are so excited to go and grab their “sleeping-bag” and get cozy. The day just flows, like water in the river.
As they are getting older we have certain activities at the same day each week.
Wednesday could be a painting day, Thursday could be a baking bread day etc. It looks different at each school but the main thing is that there is a repetitive pattern.
A big part of the yearly rhythm is holidays and other traditions. Celebration is a way to get people together and share food, joy and togetherness. At Preschool they follow these celebrations year after year and by time it starts to become something they really long for and gets excited about! They also create beautiful memories, you’ll hear them talk about it for a long time after.
Don’t we all benefit from this type of living? ~ In harmony with everything ~
