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First family meeting of the year
Recently, we had the first family meeting of the 2020 school year. We all got together to share a fun afternoon where we had the chance to learn about many different subjects regarding our school. We sang, danced, and wrote our most special wishes for the present year. We want to share these pictures with you so you can experience in some way the bright vibes of that unforgettable journey. Let yourself go, enjoy the images and become part of our... read more
Welcome to our community!
January the seventeenth was a special day for everyone at Escuela Caracol, it was the day when we welcomed for the first time all the new families of our community. The spark in the eyes of every parent as they were imagining their happy children being holistically nurtured in our gardens and classrooms was priceless. We welcome you all to our community, to our school, to our home, lets become a family and grow... read more
The girl of the lamp
Here we are presenting you a traditional Waldorf tale, recounted exactly the way it is told in the classroom to our students. We hope you enjoy it.
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Desks and chairs for our new classroom!
German Waldorf teacher Hellen Dorff and her community recently donated a set of desks and chairs for our students. This resumes the real meaning of community.
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Asociación Caracol – New Board members where elected.
Asociación Caracol recently had its last Regular Assembly of 2020, where new members of the board were elected. Asociación Caracol is the legal body that represents the interests of the Escuela Caracol community. It is formed by members of the community, friends of Escuela Caracol, school parents, and teachers. During the last regular assembly, three of the members of the Association’s board resigned their positions: Maria Eugenia Contreras as President, Enrique Perez as Vice President, and Martha Lynd as Alternate. Maria and Enrique served as President and VP for more than 3 years and in accordance with the Association’s statutes, they have passed the baton to other members of the assembly. Many members of the association were nominated to fill the positions. The new board members were chosen in a general election held during the assembly. The new board is constituted by: Luisa Larios – Alternate (New member) Carmen Alvarado – Secretary Colleen Donovan – Treasurer Ignacio Porón – Vice-President (New member) Diego Sacach – President. (New... read more
pen-pal friends
If you’re old school and were part of a pen-pal program, you’ll surely remember the excitement of writing a letter and sending it to someone far away, and the thrill of getting a response through the mail. Something like that is currently happening to our third-grade group, that got enrolled in a pen-pal program with the third-grade students of Luis Horacio Gomez School, in Cali, Colombia. This happened thanks to our dear Pedagogical Advisor, Gloria Elena Londoño, and to her sister and third-grade teacher of Luis Horacio Gomez School, Adriana Lucía Londoño. Just before the holidays break begun, our third graders wrote letters to a previously assigned Colombian friend. All the letters were unique and special, the children wrote about the way we live in San Marcos la Laguna, the weather, the games they play, our school environment, and many other subjects chosen by our lovely writers. Recently, Gloria Elena went to spend the holiday’s vacations in Cali, once there, she played the role of Escuela Caracol’s messenger taking these letters to our little friends. She entered the classroom dressed as a mailman, and while singing a beautiful song, she delivered the mail. We are eagerly waiting for our messenger’s return next January to read, with our Caracolitos, the responses from the Colombian third graders of Luis Horacio Gómez School. Listen to the song, here.... read more
-To my dear students- Diego Sacach M.
To my dear students: With the heart full of nostalgia I address you, thanking your teachings, I learned so much from you! You will always be in my heart. Thank you dear students for allowing me to share with you the bread of wisdom. The road is long, and I wish that you continue taking advantage of the opportunities given by your dear parents. Finally I want to remind you that you must always have respect, honesty toward your parents and community. May the ajaw always protect you. See you soon! Diego Sacach Mendoza... read more
Martinmas -the Night of Lamps-.
In the last week of November, Escuela Caracol celebrated the Martinmas, a traditional activity held in all Waldorf schools around the world that consists of a walk with lanterns to finish with a gathering within the school’s facilities.
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2019, Escuela Caracol’s Theatre Season.
This year’s theatre season was amazing! Last November, our elementary groups had their theatre season, where each of the students had the chance to show off all their artistic talents. Singing, dancing, and acting were a delight for our community. Teachers, parents and friends got together to assist the students and watch the plays. We traveled through time together, being able to witness some funny stories about Greece, Odin and Thor, Saint Francis, Rome, and a touching Storie about how the world is the home of all of us. Have fun watching the pictures.*** ***Want to help us continue nurturing minds, hearts, and hands through Waldorf pedagogy? We have as a mission to give children from Lake Atitlán the chance to experience an alternative to the traditional way of learning, where they can feel respected and loved, so they become fully developed and aware human beings. Click on the link now. http://escuelacaracol.org/make-a-one-time-donation/... read moreJocotes and Barriletes Festival.
The school is charged with color and laughter once again! The colorful kites dancing through the air revealing the careful work of the children. The trees, with an abundance of jocotes showing all the colors, from a strong green to a red-orange, inviting to climb along the branches. This is the reason for the joyful meeting of families, friends, and children, inviting to share happiness, smiles, and delicious recipes prepared by each of the grade families. Let’s enjoy all together! G.... read more
Waldorf workshops in Quetzaltenango
Last 18th and 19th of October, Escuela Caracol had an experience of brothership with 32 Volcanes, an Institution that is currently developing social projects in Quetzaltenango. On Friday the 18th, we shared with a group of women that were invited to participate in the Red Moon workshop, that was developed to deliver on a ritual way the gifts sheltered by the menstruation and the deep connection it has with the moon cycles. On Saturday the 19th, the journey developed by surrounding an approach to the reading-writing process and the mathematics initiation from the guidelines of Waldorf Pedagogy. Both subjects were presented by following a structure established by the Pedagogy where the student is nurtured from the feet to the head passing through the heart. G.... read more
Dreams come true.
Everything comes from the dream of providing education through Waldorf Pedagogy to children from Lake Atitlán, a dream that has grown until reaching what we know today as Escuela Caracol. From starting in a small room with only a few students, today Escuela Caracol has enough space to receive more than 90 students, whom, with lots of love and respect, we call Caracolitos. It was due to this growth that the need for more space manifested, which led us to embrace the project of building two new classrooms. Up to this date, the construction is almost finished. This construction has been possible thanks to the kind donations of friends and supporters of our school and the work of our dear architect and mother of the school, Rocío Araujo. During the construction process, we have made choices driven to have two new classrooms with the ideal conditions for our Caracolitos to be holistically nurtured and developed as human beings. These choices were strictly related to construction materials, which made our initial numbers grew in $2500. This difference in the budget won’t stop us. soon we will finish the construction and will have two new classrooms ready for our Caracolitos to fully develop under conditions of love and respect. If you are interested in helping us with this specific subject write a message to admin@escuelacaracolorg, Enrique Pérez will guide you into helping us turn this dream into a reality.... read more
Thomas Wildgruber’s annual visit.
Having Thomas visiting our school has become a tradition at Escuela Caracol. Year after year and thanks to the support of SES (Senior Experten Services), Thomas arrives with the energy and ideas ready to help our teachers to continue nurturing the mind, soul, and bodies of our students. Enjoy the video of an interview we made and the pictures from a workshop held with Escuela Caracol’s teachers.... read moreMichaelmas: Activities of courage; first, second, and third grades. (gallery)
... read moreMichaelmas: Activities of courage, fourth, fifth and sixth grades. (Gallery)
... read moreThis post is also available in: Spanish