The focus topic for the month of September 2011 is Storytelling.
We'll look at:
The riches Waldorf education brings through storytelling
Age appropriate stories and why, what story best supports the child at what age?
Tutorial on making table puppets
How to set up the space for puppet story
Ideas for creating a puppetry group in your community
Friday, August 26, 2011
{this moment}
A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
I am so very excited to share with you the news of the return of the Celebrating the Rhythm of Life in Caring for Children through the Year materials. I have read all of your very kind, honest and thorough comments in the feedback and taken them to heart. The new format retains all of the elements you love with some expansion in a few areas. I've been striving to keep it all very simple, easy for you to read and digest. I have also made it more process and community oriented this time around.
The material will be available in a packet (pdf) and online along with the rest of the program. Participants may sign up for the month or for the school year, from September to July
Each month the material for The Celebrating the Rhythm of Life in Caring for Children Program includes:
Materials packet with verse, song, circle, finger play, story, activities
Daily and Weekly rhythm plan (if you want it sketched out ~ it's here)
Menus with recipes based on Steiner's grains (breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea)
Handwork for each month with hands on tutorial
Artistic Activity for each month
Festival life ~ background and celebration ideas
Seasonal foods to plant, harvest and prepare with children
My favorite book suggestions
In the Morning Garden ( a tip each month for group programs)
After school (Activities, Recipes, Stories for the grade school child)
Focus topic for each month
Pedagogy behind the topic
Practical activity with monthly topic
Exercise to do with the topic ~ practice
Reflection ~ questions for nurturing the inner life
Partners to support each other
Private online discussion group
Occasional blog posts throughout the month
Ideas for creating community where you live
Come join in, create community, find support, receive encouragement!
Often the artistic, handwork and practical activity with overlap with each other so you will not have a huge number of projects each month.
After many years of giving freely to help others along the Waldorf Way, I have made the decision to charge a fee for this material to help me continue to do this work and support my family. The Wonder of Childhood will continue to be free of a subscription charge.
Cost:
By the month $45 per month
From September until July (with July as bonus) $45
A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
I'm trying so hard to get here.
I am supposed to be working this week: writing, editing, washing, ironing, cooking, painting and planning.
Big brother is off on a Kroka expedition and little brother and his dad are off having adventures together. This is my time to work through the "to do" list.
The first articles of August are up on the Magazine and looking good. I love bringing together the work that expresses the passion of so many gifted people. I have more ideas and visions than I have time to put together in a day or a week, maybe in a lifetime. So I keep at it, "inch by inch and step by step," as my dear friend Aaiyn says. But after a while my thoughts get frazzled.
And you know how it goes when your brain is so scrambled from trying to think too much, in too many directions at the same moment? I usually try to step out of my life without going too far away, a walk in the woods helps, so does a movie. So the other night I watched a movie, a really good movie, one of those movies with beautiful lingering images and the reminder that even though life is hard, life is beautiful.
Have you seen it? It's A Sunshine of Rainbows? It takes place on the rugged coast of Ireland. It's a timeless movie with simple, natural, beauty. So much beauty, the rugged coast, the simple life, the kindness and goodness of people. The clothing of the characters is so lovely, all of it, handmade and surely full of love, knit sweaters, crochet scarves and wraps, hand made socks, woven fabrics, all gorgeous and beautiful in their simplicity and connection to the land and animals. Chickens, sheep and the garden supply food and wool. So simple. Such beauty and loss and grief. It's not all happy happy you know.
Back to work for me. Have you seen the movie? Did you like it? Any not- to- miss movies you might recommend? I need more movies.
