pen-pal friends

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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.

-To my dear students- Diego Sacach M.

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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

 

Martinmas -the Night of Lamps-.

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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.

This is not only the last activity held with our students during the year, but it is also an opportunity to build our community and the sense of pertinence.

The walk began on the bridge just before the entrance of the trail that takes to the school, families, friends, and students got together and lit their lamps to begin the walk, as they did this, they chanted songs of the season. The walk ended on the Palapa, where the teachers already had the advent spiral ready to receive the lights.

– The essence of the holiday—marking the end of the rainy season and the advent of the cold weather—reminds us that through all of life’s outward changes we maintain within us the warm light of our spirit.

[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”32″ display=”basic_thumbnail” thumbnail_crop=”0″]Martinmas dates back to the Middle Ages and the veneration of St. Martin, a 4th-century bishop who founded an abbey in Tours, France. Martin was a Roman horse soldier who converted to Christianity; according to legend, one wintry day he encountered a shivering beggar and cut his cloak in half to give the poor man warmth. That night, Martin had a vision of Jesus wearing Martin’s divided red cloak. Martin is now the patron saint of tailors, as well as that of France. – (https://blog.bellalunatoys.com/2018/martinmas.html)

In Escuela Caracol, Martinmas marks the end of the school year and the beginning of the holiday period.

We invite you to read this lovely post written by our friend Pau from www.nosaltres4vitagem.es, where he describes the way he and his family experienced this journey: https://nosaltres4viatgem.es/viajando/la-fiesta-del-farol/

Help us continue with our mission of providing Mayan children from Lake Atitlán with the tools needed to holistically develop by donating. 

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

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2019, Escuela Caracol’s Theatre Season.

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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.

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

 

Jocotes and Barriletes Festival.

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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. Londoño

Waldorf workshops in Quetzaltenango

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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. Londoño

Dreams come true.

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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.

 

Thomas Wildgruber’s annual visit.

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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.