Big Brothers & Sisters

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This year we have paired up our 6th graders with the entering 1st graders as “big brothers” and “big sisters.” The 6th graders have written decorated notes to their little brothers and sisters (which their teacher read for them), and each Monday afternoon they visit the 1st grade class to help with handwork projects. Their first project of the year was making fabric holders for their crayons. As you can see in the photos, it has been a success. At an age characterized by increasing hardness — in both bones and attitude — it is a joy to see these students being so tender and connecting with their own lingering childhood.

Sculpting Rocks in 6th Grade

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The sixth grade students at Escuela Caracol are not only learning about rocks in their Mineralogy block in main lesson, but in their handwork class they are also learning how to sculpt rocks. What better way to connect with stones than by learning how to bring a form to birth from them? Working in the tradition of local Maya stone carvers, our handwork teacher, Ignacio Porón, is immersing the sixth grade in this ancient art.

Mineralogy Studies in the Sixth Grade

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The students are starting the year with a three-week study of mineralogy — a subject that is particularly potent when you live in front of three volcanoes! The students have learned a little about the volcanic history of Atitlán, as well as about the rocks of fire, igneous rocks, which comprise almost all of the rocks one finds around Lake Atitlán. The class is also studying the rocks of water, sedimentary rocks, and since it is nearly impossible to observe these rocks around Lake Atitlán, they hope to make a sixth grade class trip to another part of Guatemala in order to see first hand limestone rock formations and experience a sedimentary rock landscape. The cost will be about $100 per student, and if you would like to help the local Maya students in the class with this expense, you can make a donation by clicking here. Just be sure to write in “class trip” as a blank field (like “fax”). Thanks!

Below is an image of blackboard art in the sixth grade class at Escuela Caracol.

Mineralogia

The 2014 Encuentro Comes to a Close

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The Fifth Conference of Central American Waldorf Kindergarten Teachers (which we loving call the “Encuentro,” for its Spanish name) has now finished, and the participants have left a beautiful energy at Escuela Caracol. The last day was celebrated with certificates, cake, and excursions to neighboring towns of San Juan, where they toured the murals and artesania, and Tzununá, where they visited the Atitlan Organics farm. Tomorrow the participants will return to their homes in Mexico, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Peru, Chile, and elsewhere in Guatemala.

Many thanks again to Inés Spittler and Tamara Chubarovsky for coming as guest presenters and to IASWECE (International Associaction for Waldorf/Steiner Early Childhood Education) and to IHF (Internationaal Hulpfonds) for their generous support in making this Encuentro possible. And thanks also to Ron and Kim Wilhelm for donating the Escuela Caracol the use of their beautiful home for the guest presenters.

 

VIDEO: Singing with Tamara Chubarovsky at the Encuentro

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Tamara Chubarovsky has been teaching the “art of the word” this week at the Fifth Conference of Waldorf Kindergarten Teachers from Central America. Here she starts the day leading the group in a song from Spain.

Central American Waldorf Kindergarten Teachers Gather at Caracol

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Escuela Caracol is proud to be hosting this week the fifth annual Conference of Central American Waldorf Kindergarten Teachers with over 40 participants. The guest lecturers this year are Inés Spittler, from Peru, and Tamara Chubarovsky, from Spain. Inés is presenting the principal seminar on the 12 senses and their development in early childhood, and she is also leading a workshop on doll-making. Tamara is leading the morning rhythm, speech and singing, as well as presenting a seminar on the art of the word (working with Rudolf Steiner’s formative speech).

In these photos you can see an assortment of images from the week thus far.

Advent Spiral 2013

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Since Escuela Caracol was founded in 2007, each year we have celebrated the Christmas season with the Advent Spiral. It is a special candle lighting ceremony for the younger children, ages 3-9. The day before the event, families and teachers come together to make and adorn the spiral, which is always a warm and special Saturday afternoon. Then on the first Sunday of Advent, parents, teachers and other friends and family come to watch in silence as the children find their way into the spiral (or “caracol”), light their own candle and make their way back out to the world again. Along the way each child chooses a special place to leave his or her candle, culminating in a beautiful spiral of candlelight. At this dark time of the year, when the days are shortest and the nights longest, this event gives us all courage to find the light within and share it with the world.

This year we were fortunate to have Terry Rubin, local San Marcos resident, accompanying the event with her enchanting collection of flutes. Thanks to all who contributed to make it a special evening in December.

 

Theater Play “The House”

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As a gift to their children, parents of the graduating kindergartners (who go to first grade next year) presented a short play to the class this week, called “La Casa.” The parents worked every Friday for about two months preparing the play. As you can see in these pictures, much time was spent in preparing the costumes and the makeup.  The play was full of magic, color and laughter.

Congratulations to all participants in the play, as well as to the lead kindergarten teacher, Marilily Mendoza, who organized the effort.

Form Drawing

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Form drawing is the freehand drawing of non-representational forms such as rhythmically repeated patterns, reflections, geometric figures and interlaced designs. It was introduced by Rudolf Steiner in 1919. This unique element of Waldorf education is taught in Grades 1 to 5.

In childhood, we learn best when we learn unconsciously. To make the process work on the unconscious level, the children could be asked to walk the form, trace it in the air or sand using their arms or feet, draw it using water on the blackboard, or manipulate wire or wool to create the form in real life before actually drawing the forms. The idea is for the students to feel the forms in their body before using the fine motor skills to put them on paper.

Different forms are used for different classes according to the stage of childhood development. In first grade, form drawing begins with the straight line and the curve. Other forms are based on these basic forms. In fourth grade, students draw interlaced forms with a three-dimensional effect. These include Celtic knots which tie into the studies of Norse mythology.

The educational value of the forms lies in the process behind the drawing and not in the drawing itself. Form drawings can affect the feelings of children. By way of illustration, angular forms are considered to have an awakening tendency and curved forms to have unconscious forces which produce a relaxing effect.

Form drawing nurtures a sense for beauty, harmony, and proportion. It also develops technical skills and accurate observations. Taken together, form drawing helps the student enjoy a stronger will and flexibility to adapt to changing situations.

Bibliography: Gebert, Rosemary. “Form Drawing.” Child and Man, Volume 21, 1987. Online at www.rsarchive.org

Escuela Caracol Graduation 2013

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The Escuela Caracol educational community is cordially invited to the graduation ceremonies for 2013.
Date: Friday, November 22
Time: 8:30 am(please be punctual)
The day will include:
An exhibition of children’s work, 6th grade and kindergarten graduation ceremony, and a small snack. Please bring a fruit or something sweet to share.