Science is fun!

/in /by

Our Sixth-grade students, within their mechanical-physics block, have learned many different principles using amusing and fun scientific experiments as tools.

On this occasion, within the subject: states of matter, they conducted an experiment using a balloon, a glass bottle, hot and freezing water. The idea was to inflate a balloon taking advantage o the reaction between the gas volume and temperature.

This is how, with highly fun and entertaining activities, our students achieve very important knowings, that, by other means could turn into complicated and hard to comprehend subjects.

 

 

…

 

Want to become part of our community and help us continue nurturing heads, hearts, and hands of Mayan children from the western region of Lake Atitlán?

Click the link and donate or become a monthly sponsor for one of our students, you can also subscribe to our monthly newsletter and share our information with your friends and family.

https://escuelacaracol.org/make-a-one-time-donation/

First assembly of the year, Asociación Caracol.

/in /by

Recently, we had the Asociación Caracol’s first assembly of the year. During the meeting, the board presented very important information regarding the finances of the school. 

Colleen Donovan, the treasurer of the board, presented the 2019 financial report as well as Escuela Caracol’s budget for 2020 and the highlights of our recently concluded Annual Campaign.

We encourage all the members of the association to attend to all the meetings to keep up to date with the current situation of Escuela Caracol. We warmly invite all the members of our community (parents, friends, supporters, sponsors) to enroll as members of Asociación Caracol; as a member, you will get influence through your voice and vote to define the road our school will take.

Stop by the school’s office or ask your class teacher for more information regarding how to become part of Asociación Caracol.

Pen-Pal exchange with Colombia’s Luis Horacio Gómez Waldorf School.

/in /by

During last year’s November, the group of Caracolitos that, back then, were in third grade, started a Pen-Pal exchange with the third graders from Luis Horacio Gomez School, in Cáli, Colombia.

The letters arrived and were received with joy by the group of Colombian students that almost immediately wrote the responses to be sent back with Gloria Elena Londoño, our Pedagogical Advisor, whom, at the moment,  was visiting the mentioned school.

A few days ago, the Colombian letters were delivered as a surprise to our students, now, in fourth grade.

We want to share with you the pictures where you can see the thrill and happiness of each and all of them as they received the envelopes, signed and adressed by the sender, making of these objects, unforgettable and invaluable treasures.

Luis Horacio Gomez School is one of the oldest Waldorf Schools in Colombia and since the arrival of Gloria Elena Londoño, it has become a special part of our community that transcends borders and distance.

Want to become part of our community? 

Don’t hesitate and subscribe to our newsletter and follow our social networks. 

You can also help us continue nurturing heads, hearts, and hands of Mayan children from Lake Atitlan by making a one-time donation or sponsoring a student, just follow the link below.

https://escuelacaracol.org/make-a-one-time-donation/

I was waiting so anxiously for this day!

/in /by

Today I gave a huge step forward, along with my parents and friends I must pass through the last test before starting my primary: stepping across the welcoming tunnel where I will receive love and joy from all the bigger Caracolitos. I will surmount the obstacles among the others, but by my very own means. I will learn so many things that will let me see the world with new eyes. 

And so, the moment arrives. I will go through the tunnel, sing with my friends and arrive at the door that will lead me to the first day of the rest of my life.

Want to help us keep making our Caracolitos’ dreams come true? Click on the link and support Escuela Caracol.

Give Now

 

The importance of music in the classroom

/in /by

“There is no complete spiritual life without music, for the human soul has regions which can be illuminated only by music.” Zoltan Kondaly.

In 1951, Zoltán Kodaly (Kecskemét, 1882 – Budapest, 1967), Hungarian researcher and musical composer who introduced Hungarian schools to the music lessons period ampliation into a complete hour daily. Results were amazing, having an overall performance increase compared with the rest of the region’s schools; a remarkable point is that in order to dedicate a complete hour to music the rest of the lessons had their period’s time shortened.

Music influences in a great way the sensitivity development, creativity, discipline, and the human’s social behavior; These can be seen holistically reflected on the self’s development.

In Escuela Caracol, music is a basic tool used to holistically nurture our Caracolitos and Caracolitas. It begins during the first septennium (ages 0 – 7) with singing until reaching the melodic instruments such as the flute or the guitar during the second septennium (ages 7-14).

Students show such happiness every time they master any task related to this subject, such as tuning the guitar or interpreting a whole song, beyond that, its wonderful to see the way they share their achievements instead of falling into competitive or comparative conducts.

Once you know this, it’s no hard to understand why Escuela Caracol is the place where children are happy.

Become part of our community and help us continue nurturing Mayan children from the western region of Lake Atitlán; share our posts and newsletter with your friends and family, speak about Escuela Caracol with your workmates, sponsor a student, or make a one-time donation.

Click the link to donate https://escuelacaracol.org/make-a-one-time-donation/

First family meeting of the year

/in /by

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 community.

Welcome to our community!

/in /by

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 together.

The girl of the lamp

/in /by

Here we are presenting you a traditional Waldorf tale, recounted exactly the way it is told in the classroom to our kindergarten students. We hope you enjoy it.

Desks and chairs for our new classroom!

/in /by

Escuela Caracol keeps a symbiotic relationship with its community, this supportive network has made many of the current achievements possible.

Hellen Dorff and her family during their visit in 2018.

In August of 2018, Hellen Dorff came along with her husband and daughters to visit our school. They brought a huge box of delicious fruit for our students and spent a few minutes walking the gardens and chatting with some of the school’s staff and teachers.

A connection was naturally built; Hellen, a Waldorf teacher back in Germany, felt identified with Escuela Caracol’s mission. Soon after the visit, Hellen sent the link to an article she published at a local newspaper where she mentioned her experience in Escuela Caracol. A few weeks later, she organized a fundraiser with her community on behalf of Escuela Caracol, they gathered enough funds to donate a whole set of classroom chairs and desks to be used in our new building.

During November’s last week, a representative of Hellen came to San Marcos la Laguna. He was Max Hesse, Hellen’s cousin and owner of the workshop where the donated desks and chairs were constructed. On that beautiful morning, Max came along with his family to deliver a wonderful and priceless donation, desks and chairs to be used in our new classroom.

Max Hesse and his family during the delivery of the donation.

Families, like the Dorff’s, are one of the main pillars of our community, and thanks to kind donations like this, Escuela Caracol can continue nurturing heads, hearts, and hands of Mayan children from the western region of Lake Atitlan within an environment of dignity, love, and respect.

If you, like Hellen and her family, are interested in becoming part of our community and support Escuela Caracol, follow the link below and donate now.

Give Now

Asociación Caracol – New Board members where elected.

/in /by

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 member)