At Rainbow Bridge, we had twelve children, ranging from one to five years old. Each year, we developed our Michaelmas theme over several weeks starting in late September. We would open our circle with “The Autumn Winds Blow Open the Gate, St. Michael for You We Wait” (see blog entry by Mara Spiropolous on […]
Celebrating Michaelmas with Toddlers, by Rahima Baldwin Dancy Read More »
In September, we celebrate the festival of Michaelmas, with Michael the archangel and his expulsion of Lucifer from Heaven. We often tell the story of St. George slaying the dragon and saving Princess Una and the rest of the village, for St. George is the earthly representation of Michael. On the blog this month, we
Celebrating the Jewish High Holidays of September, by Mara Spiropoulos and Maya Levanon Read More »
At Spindlewood we always begin the year with a Family Work Party. It’s a bit of a Parent-Child Morning Garden, with work projects, and an opportunity to observe the children out of the corner of our eyes as they imitate our meaningful and cooperative activity. Yes, I always feel that I am asking too much
Family Work Day to Start the School Year Read More »
I’d like to share with you something I learned last Fall. It was mid-September, and there was a new little boy in the room, one of many. This boy however, rather than bond with all the teachers equally, bonded exclusively with me. I must admit, it made me feel special. I alone had the power
Helping a New Child, Then Stepping Back Read More »
Because young children love stories, and magic, and anticipation, it can be especially enriching for children if we add those three aspects to any project that we do with them. Let’s take the idea of making Apple Crisp: it can be done in half a morning. Simply chop up some apples, stir in some cinnamon
The Art of Apples in the Fall Read More »
The first time I read Laura Ingalls Wilder’s book The Long Winter I was in fourth grade. The impact of that book, if any, faded quickly when I picked up By the Shores of Silver Lake and began reading about Laura’s romance with a young and handsome Almanzo Wilder. The next time I picked up The
The Long Winter, by Jane Sustar Read More »
Here in the Midwest, September brings change. Fall winds begin to blow as the air grows colder. Farmers bring in the harvest as the days grow cooler, shorter and darker. Toward the end of the month the Autumn Equinox heralds in the beginning of darker days and a few days later, on the 29th of
Celebrating Michaelmas and Slaying my Own Dragon, by Mara Spiropoulos Read More »
For me, providing a rhythmical day for the children at Rainbow Bridge (ages 1-5) felt like one of the most important and life-giving things I was doing with and for them. The Veiled Pulse of Time, a book on biographical cycles by William Bryant, increased that conviction through his consideration of the nature of time.
Rhythm and the “Time Organism”, by Rahima Baldwin Dancy Read More »
We tend to think of rhythm as a schedule or a sequence of activities that flows with the energy of the day, the energy of the week and the energy of the seasons. Yet there is another type of rhythm that surrounds us all the time, the rhythm of the familiar, the predictable, and the
Rhythm and Repetition in the Child’s Environment, by Lisa Boisvert Mackenzie Read More »
One of the tasks of the growing child and one of the functions of parenting is to bring the child into rhythm. It may seem as if the life of a newborn completely lacks rhythm. Feeding and sleeping occur at irregular intervals and the baby’s breathing is erratic. The first hours, days, and weeks of
Creating Rhythm at Home and Work, by Jaimmie Stugard Read More »
