Waldorf100 celebration at Escuela Caracol

/in /by
Last Friday, September 27Th, students and teachers got together to have a moment for learning and celebrating the 100th anniversary of Waldorf Pedagogy. Our special guest, Thomas Wildgruber, gave some words introducing the celebration and was followed by the screening of a series of videos of our school. The experience of seeing each other projected on the screen was very special and fun for everyone.
 
The activity ended when everyone sang “Caracol está presente”, a song composed by our teacher Diego Sacach in commemoration for the Wadorf100.
 

As part of the celebration, We also had some delicious “tamales” for lunch; the “tamales” were part of a kind donation made by the Waldorf schools of Freiburg, in Germany, that got together to celebrate the Waldorf100 and had some informative and fundraising activities to help support our wonderful Escuela Caracol.

We want to especially thank our dear teacher Petra Michelle, who is always looking for ways to help our school and was the main promotor of the previously described donation.

– Waldorf100 –

/in /by

– 100 years of Waldorf –

Waldorf Pedagogy can be seen as a learning approach with a system based on respecting the natural developmental stages of the human being, looking to develop the abilities and individual talents in an integral way, within an environment of freedom, full of love and respect.

The first Waldorf School was founded by Rudolf Steiner in 1919 in Stuttgart, Germany, as a branch of the Anthroposophical movement. At that time, right after the end of the World War I, Waldorf Pedagogy was seen as a possible way to transform the world into a more human place, with sensitive and more responsible people fully developed from their essence, and thus, a world of peace.

The pedagogy grew all over the world rapidly. By 1930, there were Waldorf schools in many countries of America and Europe. With the arrival of the Nazi regime, many of the Waldorf schools in Germany and the occupied countries were shut. These, except for the ones located in countries occupied by the Soviet Union, were reopened after the end of World War II.

Today, there are many Waldorf Schools all over the world, that are continuously growing in numbers as in students within their classrooms.

So, this is how in 2019 we are celebrating 100 years of the Waldorf Pedagogy. A worldwide community sharing, as bees on a hive, of this marvelous way of learning and teaching.

Within this wonderful event, we can proudly say:

“¡Caracol está presente!”

Enjoy this video made for you with deep appreciation and share it with the whole world.


 

Visit by the students of el “El Pilar”

/in /by

It’s been almost a year since our dear friend Juan Pablo Mendez came to visit Escuela Caracol for the first time. He is a well-known Guatemalan photographer and graphic artist who is also currently teaching visual arts to a group of wonderful kids from “El Pilar” school in Quetzaltenango.

Since his first visit, Juan Pablo wanted to let everyone surrounding him know how special Escuela Caracol is and to return to our school’s facilities. Recently, the opportunity came and he arrived with his group of students.

Everything was new for this group of visiting students, used to traditional education, and that knew nothing about Waldorf Education before this journey.

They attended in pairs to each of the classrooms to observe and interact within the daily routine of the groups and received a short talk about Waldorf education, this gave them the chance to get a gplimpse of how wonderful Waldorf pedagogy is.

By the end of the journey, the common word between the visits was:

 

I wish I had studied at Escuela Caracol!

 

 

 

Mayan Ceremony for the beginning of the construction of the new classrooms

/in /by

Last Monday, September the second, we held a very special ceremony celebrating the start of the construction of the new classrooms unit for our students.

Every opportunity to show the appreciation we have for our community and friends is priceless. This is why today we thank all the people that, one way or another, supports Escuela Caracol. It is thanks to you that year after year we continue nurturing heads, hearts, and hands of our beloved Caracolitos and Caracolitas, it is also thanks to you that today we are starting this new project with the sole intention of offering a space full of love and respect for each of our Caracolitos and Caracolitas.

Thank you, family! Matiox Ajaw!

 

Winaq ye Kemon (slideshow)

/in /by

With the background of our beloved song “Matiox Ajaw” we remember all the beautiful moments lived during the Firs International Encounter of the Waldorf Community “Winaq ye Kemon”

Enjoy.

 

 

The Numbers Star (Video)

/in /by

At Escuela Caracol we seek to provide our students with the necessary tools for their comprehensive development, through Waldorf pedagogy.

With each of the lessons taught, we seek to nourish our student’s heads, hearts, and hands, so they can, in the near future, become fulfilled human beings.

The Numbers Star is a tool used by Waldorf teachers to teach students, visually, the multiplication tables and topics related to logical series while developing their psychomotricity and concentration skills.

Enjoy the video.

 

Extraordinary Assembly, August, 2019.

/in /by

Last August the 21st, Asociación Caracol held an Extraordinary Assembly, in which, among many points, we highlight the election of the new Board’s Treasurer, Colleen Donovan. The associates also were informed about the achievements of the classroom building fundraising campaign and the immediate plans related to the construction of the new two classrooms unit for our school.

We welcome all the new members of the Association, especially our dear Colleen, who is returning to the board after a short absence.

We invite all the people interested in becoming part of the association to ask for information at the school’s office.

Towns cleaning day

/in /by

Escuela Caracol is deeply committed with the environment, which is a priority subject we constantly share with our students, their families, and the whole community.

The last day before the summer break, the Caracolitos and their teachers had a cleaning day that covered the areas between the town’s lakeshore in Barrio Tres and Escuela Caracol.

It was thrilling to see the joy in the sight of our Caracolitos when they realized the difference achieved, after the journey, in our lake and the trails we walked by.

With these actions, we promote the feelings of belonging, caring, and respect in our Caracolitos, and we also facilitate the elements needed for our students to become fully developed human beings.

Afro Peruvian drumming in Escuela Caracol (video)

/in /by

During the first week of July we got the visit of Marcos Napa, Peruvian musician based in the USA for the last few years. Marcos is an expert in Afro-Cuban dance and percussion. He arrived at Escuela Caracol as part of Kim d’Angelos wonderful team of volunteers to share with our Caracolitos his musical knowings and culture.

Not only he shared an incredible artistic presentation, where he danced and performed the “Cajón”; He also imparted amusing and fun musical workshops for which he made 20 “cajones” that he left as a donation for our school and our Caracolitos.

 

 

 

Thomas Hartig

/in /by

After a process that lasted for many months, we can gladly communicate the arrival of a new member of Escuela Caracol’s team. Thomas Hartig, the new person in charge of the fundraising campaigns. Thomas is a German professional with plenty experience on the subject. We wish you nothing but success and the best of lucks on this new challenge!