7/9/2013 0 Comments September 07th, 2013 Michaelmas Circle
You can say and sing these verses and songs to your children at this time of the year; powerful words, bringing the energy of Michaelmas. Songs and verses compiled from the Wynstones Autumn book, the oral tradition, and other sources The autumn wind blows open the gate, O Michael, you, you we await. We follow you, show us the way. With joy we greet the autumn day, Good morning, good morning And I wonder who is this Michael? And I hear the wind sing: Michael, God’s great knight, Strong and pure and shining bright. I’ll be a knight of Michael, too, And polish my crown to a golden hue. Ask the gnomes the iron to mine, Iron from the stars, from the earth, so fine, To bring to the blacksmith, who with his might Will make me a sword, so strong, so bright. And we follow the falling stars to the mountain cave where the gnomes are working. And the gnomes say: With fire and stone, we work with a will With our strength and our skill. The iron we soften and then we bend Into hammers, swords, and nails to mend. Dear gnomes, may I have some iron? Are you noble? Oh, yes. Are you good? Oh, yes. And do you hear the singing of the stars? Oh yes. Then you may have some iron. (Song) Thank you little gnomes, in your crystal homes. Oh bring me a galloping horse for to ride, A crown on my head, the iron by my side. Off to the blacksmith we must go. Galloping, galloping, off we go. Dear blacksmith, will you make me a sword? Of course! for: I am a blacksmith, strong and true, Best of work I always do. All day long my hammers go, slinging, clanging, clanging, so, A rickety, tickity, tickity, tick, A rickety, tickity, tickity, tick. Thank you, kind blacksmith, for your might. I’ll polish my sword, so fine, so bright. I will use it for the right, Not for some silly quarrel or fight, But to drive away evil, I will try And protect those who are weaker than I. Oh bring me a galloping horse for to ride, A crown on my head, my sword by my side, For it’s off the to castle we will go. Galloping, galloping, here we go. The knights came together and proclaimed No fear here! Michael, be my guide and stand by my side. And they knew that Michael was always ready to help. Michael, God’s great knight, Strong and pure and shining bright. The Most Beautiful Dragon in the Whole World That evening Farmer John lit the first fire of fall in the living room. He sat down in his armchair, put his feet on the grate, and told his children about Chiron. “You should have seen him this morning,” he said. “He was so full of energy he raced about the paddock with his tail held high.” “That’s how I feel at Michaelmas too,” said Tom Nutcracker. “Bursting with energy and ready for brave deeds.” “Me too,” chimed in June Berry. She was tired and already had her thumb in her mouth. “Then he charged towards the fence and leapt right over it,” continued Farmer John. “He galloped down the meadow and followed Running River towards the mountains. He didn’t come back for a long time.” “Where did he go?” asked Tom Nutcracker. “I don’t know,” replied Farmer John. “But when he came back his eyes were burning like fire.” June Berry came over and settled on Farmer John’s lap. “Story time,” she said, and snuggled up. Her brother came over and wiggled his way onto his dad’s lap too. Farmer John scratched his beard and thought for a minute. “Hmmm,” he said at last. “Today is Michaelmas Day, and I will tell you a dragon story. It’s called: The Most Beautiful Dragon in the Whole World.” “Once, a very long time ago, there lived a dragon. He lived in the air like a bird, but never came down to earth. He was a beautiful dragon, with wide, golden wings and a fiery red body. As he flew, the sun glistened and shone from his scales as if they were jewels. And when he breathed, his fiery breath burst forth in yellow and orange flames and burned brightly in the air. Then the flames changed to violet and lilac clouds. “I am the most beautiful one in all the world,” thought the Dragon. “Nothing can compare to me!” And it was true. There was nothing in the world as beautiful or more gorgeous than him.
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1/9/2013 0 Comments SteinerThe First Three Years
One day workshops Autumn 2013 AT RUDOLF STEINER HOUSE, 35 Park Road, London October 5 What makes a childminder “Steiner inspired”? A gathering for those who are or wish to be childminders and who feel drawn to work from an Anthroposophical understanding of the young child and practical wisdom of the Pikler approach. The day will include presentations by Dorothy Marlen and two Steiner inspired childminders. There will be video/slides, singing, a seasonal craft and plenty of time for questions and discussion. Dorothy Marlen, Nicole Wickenden, Una Archer November 2 Outdoor Pikler An introduction to the Pikler approach and its application in outdoor play and kindergarten settings. The day will include presentations from Dorothy, Clare who has pioneered “NaturePlay” and Karolina and Katerina who run “Outdoor Children”. There will slides and full discussion. The day will also include singing and a seasonal craft. Dorothy Marlen, Clare Caro, Karolina Joiner and Katerina Filipova December 7 Simplifying family Christmas An introduction to Simplicity Parenting and the “incredible power of less”. The day will offer time to reflect on personal meanings of Christmas, with exercises and sharing of ideas to help prepare for a joyful and simple Christmas. There will also be singing and a seasonal craft. Dorothy Marlen Workshops are from 10-4.pm. Cost: £40 a day (£105 total if booking for all three.) For concessions please email. For more information and a booking form please contact:: DorothyMarlen [email protected] www.dorothymarlen.net EARLY CHILDHOOD STUDY WORKSHOPS: 2013 - 2014
Early Childhood Study A course in professional development for educators, doctors, therapists, care workers, curative educators and parents Course carriers: Thea Kaesbach and Jill Taplin 11-13 Oct 2013 Workshop 6 The Anthroposophical Inner schooling path in connection to education. This workshop will focus on the path towards the source of inspiration. Anthroposophy and pedagogy meet through the understanding of the developing human being. The teacher can become an artist in education through inspirational forces derived from such an understanding. This workshop will focus on the path towards the source of inspiration. -with Christof Wiechert More details and Application: http://www.earlychildhoodstudy.com/workshop5.php for more info and more courses, including summer special events and story telling festival go to: http://www.emerson.org.uk/part-time-courses-0/early-childhood-study/ 2/6/2013 0 Comments On rhythm and breathingIn breathing, grace may two-fold be.
We breathe air in, we set it free. The in-breath binds, the out unwinds And thus, with marvels, life entwines. Then thanks to God when we are pressed And thank Him when he gives us rest. —Goethe 'A key part of working with the young child's need for activity is to understand that activity must be held with a sense of rhythm. You, as the parent, can form your child's days, weeks and seasons so that there is a healthy balance between activity and rest. Think of a beating heart - sometimes it is faster, other times slower. But, in health, it is always rhythmical. So, for health, a young child needs time to run and shout and be exuberant as well as times of listening, resting and being quiet. In Steiner inspired settings and groups this is often expressed in terms of out-breath and in-breath.' (http://www.christopherushomeschool.org/early-years-nurturing-young-children-at-home.html) 'As human beings, we are creatures of rhythm—from the moment we are born, our hearts beat, our blood pulses, and our lungs beat to a steady rhythm. We give children a gift and nourish their healthy development by being mindful of a young child’s need for rhythm, and offering them consistency, and the comfort of knowing what comes next, as we move through our days, weeks, and years together with them. Names of the days of the week are a meaningless abstraction for young children, but the children in my class knew that Rice Day was always followed by Soup Day, and then in turn comes Bread Day, Millet Day and Oatmeal Day.' The children also knew that on Rice Day we painted, on Soup Day we chopped vegetables, on Bread Day we kneaded dough, on Millet Day we colored with beeswax crayons, and on Fridays we polished and cleaned our classroom. It was all part of the “Rhythm of the Week.” Seasonally, the children would experience the “Rhythm of the Year” by preparing for and celebrating the festivals of the year—Michaelmas in September, All Hallow’s Eve, Martinmas, Advent, St. Nicholas Day, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, and May Day. Festivals are a much more meaningful way for a child to mark the passage of a year than dates on a calendar.' (Sarah Baldwin) 'The children go through the day in alternate periods of concentration and expansion, as if in a breathing rhythm where there is inhaling and exhaling. In the inhaling or breathing-in phase the child directs his attention to an activity that basically relates him to himself. For little children each breathing-in period (drawing, water painting, and knitting, eating…) is very short because little children can only concentrate for short periods of time. In the exhaling or breathing-out period, the child relates mainly to the surrounding world (free play, free running etc.). For each breathing-in period the child needs a breathing-out period and so a pattern is established. This rhythm is something that you can bring into your home. You have to try to find out when the children breathes-in and when they breathe-out. And when the children are in the breathing-in period, you have to make sure you are present, so the child feels ah, here I feel my parents, they are there for me. After that, for very short time, you can do what you have to do at home and you can tell your child you have to wait because I need to do this. And this will be all right because you know you have been present with the child.' (http://www.waldorftoday.com/2011/11/daily-rhythm-at-home-and-its-lifelong-relevance-by-helle-heckmann/) Resources and more reading on this subject: http://www.christopherushomeschool.org/early-years-nurturing-young-children-at-home.html http://www.iaswece.org/waldorf_education/what_is.aspx http://www.erziehungskunst.de/en/article/early-childhood/the-breathing-day-of-the-small-child/ http://www.erziehungskunst.de/en/content/early-childhood/ 1/6/2013 0 Comments Summer verses and songsSummer Verses and Circle
Full early in the morning Awakes the summer sun The month of June arriving The cold and night are done The cuckoo's a fine bird She whistles as she flies And as she whistles "cuckoo" The bluer grow the skies ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Come out, come out this sunny day The fields are sweet with new mown hay The birds are singing loud and clear For summer time once more is here So bring your rakes and come and play And toss and tumble in the hay The sweet wild roses softly blow All pink and white the roses grow The nodding daisies in the grass Lift up their heads to hear you pass Upon this happy, sunny day When you come out to make the hay. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* The summer's warm showers are falling like mist My face and my hair by their soft touch are kissed The dry thirsty ground becomes fragrant and cool On every green leaf lies a small shining pool Earth blossoms again I do love the rain. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Come bright butterfly, close to me Your beautiful wings I should like to see You fly like a bird, you sip like a bee But you're really a flower the wind set free ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Sunshine Fairies Circle Dance We are the sunshine fairies And with our sparks of light We shimmer and glimmer in the air Hugging flowers with colours so bright (Begin standing in a circle, children hold out their arms at their sides and turn in place clockwise as fairies. Stop and flick fingers as sparks. Hold out arms at sides, flutter fingers, then turn in place anti clockwise; hug self and rub hands up and down over folded arms.) ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Butterfly Game Dancing among the flowers with dainty painted wings Flits the golden butterfly, joy to my heart she brings Stopping only for a rest to sip the morning dew Then flits and flutters off again Butterfly, I can't catch you! (Children sit in a circle with hands held up and cupped on top of head acting as flowers. Butterfly dances inside the circle, flitting in and out of the space between seated children. Butterfly stops behind one child in circle for a rest, bends, and sips dew by tickling a flower in the child's palms. Flower child jumps up and chases butterfly back to his place, then becomes the next butterfly. Repeat game with new butterfly.) ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Over in the meadow Over in the meadow, In the sand in the sun Lived an old mother toad And her little toadie one. "Hop!" said the mother; "I hop"said the one, So they hopped and they hopped In the sand in the sun Over in the meadow, Where the stream runs blue Lived an old mother fish And her little fishes two "Swim!" said the mother; "We swim!" said the two, So they swam and they leaped Where the stream runs blue Over in the meadow, By the big oak tree Lived an old mother bird And her little birdies three "Fly" said the mother; "We fly"said the three So they flew and they flew Round the big oak tree Over in the meadow, In the reeds on the shore Lived an old mother muskrat And her little ratties four "Dive!" said the mother; "We dive!" said the four So they dived and they burrowed In the reeds on the shore Over in the meadow, In a snug beehive Lived a mother honey bee And her little bees five "Buzz!" said the mother; "We buzz!" said the five So they buzzed and they hummed In the snug beehive Busy Bee I am busy busy, busy, says the bee I shan't be home for dinner nor for tea it takes me hours and hours to visit all the flowers I am busy busy, busy says the bee Happy Summer! 9/5/2013 0 Comments Maria's FlapjacksHere is the basic flapjack recipe which I generally adapt. It makes 16 small
squares. I tend to go a bit lighter on the golden syrup and butter, and usually add coconut to the mix. 12 tbsp porridge oats 150 grams butter 6 tbsp golden syrup 2 tbsp dried fruit grease a 18cm square tin and preheat oven to gas mark 3 (160c) melt butter and syrup, then add to oats and fruit and mix together press mixture into tin fairly firmly cook for about 20 minutes while in tin mark out pieces - I usually wait awhile before taking out of the tin, as the flapjack can easily crumble Best wishes, Maria (Maria Lockhart, mother of two boys, comes to the outdoor sessions with Jacob now, also runs the Wednesday morning sessions with Miguel - 10.30 to 12.30) 30/3/2013 0 Comments Thursday Soup - recipeHere it is, finally: my soup recipe, which has been passed down from Kindergarten to Acorns, not quite modified or re-adapted, but rather changed and slightly distorted, as in a recipe Chinese Whisper!
It has never been written down, by us in Acorns, nor Greenwich Steiner School, as far as I know! I am sure there is a recipe in one of the Steiner books somewhere... I am slightly reluctant writing this down, so I do it with the knowledge that you understand two things: it will be similar but never exaclty the same as Susannah's soup, and for this reason, each soup is unique and the product of one or two or more kitchen fairies! The second thing is that this is an ever changing and quite flexible recipe as it needs to change according to the season and ingredients available! I have one rule of my own: I do not put nightshades in with the exception of an occasional potato or tomato, but for sure, never aubergines and mushrooms. I simply do not like them in a soup! Perhaps sauteed or grilled but not swimming in broth! It's a personal thing! So, for the Acorns soup there are different options: with grains added at the beginning or at the end; this depends on how long the grain needs cooking. As for quantities, this soup fills the pot and it is a sharing soup, I do not measure anything and it should feed the whole group - avarage number of people, 15! Barley and vegetable soup: Sautee 1 onion in sunflower oil Add pearl barley - about one cup stir and add 2 chopped carrots, add a bit of water and a bay leaf add root vegetables such as half a swede, cubed turnips, a parsnip, sliced/chopped or cubed add some golden beetroot or some butternut squash and/or some sweet potato all root vegetables cut small stir add more water cook for 15 minutes add some more water add leeks, sliced maybe add greens such as kale, cabbage cut or shredded small parsley marigold boullion, I like the orange top one or the purple-reduced salt- about one large tablespoon switch off and cover with lid serve after about 10 minutes, so is cooler for little mouths! Vegetable minetrone soup Sautee 1 onion or two shallots in some olive oil add chopped carrot, a stalk or two celeri, finely sliced stir until they start sweating a bit add 1 potato cubed ( could be a sweet potato) add water- about 2 litres add chopped/cubed butternut squash 1 red beetroot cover and simmer for 15 minutes then, add leek, cabbage, broccoli or peas, or all of above! add some garlic add some tomato passata or some fresh chopped plum tomatos without skin some herbs, like basil oregano and parsley marigold boullion, about a tablespoon add some more water if necessary (already boiled from kettle) and a packet of pasta around 250 gr or a bit more- up to 400gr this could be short pasta or baby pasta stars or maccheroni, penne or even spaghetti but broken in small pieces - I often add rice or millet pasta or corn kamut or quinoa pasta when I want a wheat free soup, and it is lovely- the best brands are Biona, La Terra e Cielo, Bioidea, but also supermarket own brands of wheat/wholewheat or wheat free pasta are good, my favourite one ( being a fussy Italian) are the Marks and Spencer's pastas. Stir and simmer for a further 5 minutes and switch off and cover the soup will rest a bit and you may serve it with bread and butter after 10 minutes Hope you enjoy these recipes and please, if you have any recipes send them in! Sometimes parents bring lovely soups at the outdoor group, and I would love those recipes! Susannah 30/3/2013 2 Comments Spring time songsSpring Circle for little children
A collection of verses and songs for ring time Spring is coming, spring is coming: birdies build yournest! Weave together straw and feather, doing each your best! Spring is coming, spring is coming: flowers are coming too, Pansies, lilies, daffodillies, All are coming through! Spring is coming, spring is coming, All around is fair! Shimmer, quiver on the river Joy is everywhere! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Wake up, wake up, all you little children, Sunlight, sky bright, Spring is coming now Gusty March winds blowing Daffodils a blowing, Birds sing, bells ring, There’s blossom on the bough. ~~~ Piper, piper , play your happy music! Singing, singing, we will follow on. Dancing through the daytime Lead us to the May time Ding-dong-Spring song, Winter ‘s past and gone! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In and out the dusty bluebells, In and out the dusty bluebells, Who will be my partner? Tippy-tappy tippy-tappy On my shoulder.............. Tippy-tappy tippy-tappy On my shoulder.............. Tippy-tappy tippy-tappy On my shoulder.............. You will be my partner. Or: Pit-a-pat on your shoulder…different version! Sleepy Bunnies See the little bunnies sleeping ‘till is nearly noon… Shall we wake them with a merry tune? Oh so sweet- Are they ill? Wake up soon! Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop, Hop little bunnies hop,hop, hop ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Finger rhyme Ten little fairies stand up straight Ten little fairies make a gate Ten little fairies bow to the King Ten little fairies make a ring Ten little fairies dance and play Ten little fairies fly away ( hide away) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Daffodilly down came to town With her yellow bonnet and her green gown! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Crocus, crocus , open up - Catch a Sunbeam in your cup! ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The silver raindrops patter upon the earth today Tip tap, their knock is gentle and this is what they say “Awake now little flowers and open wide your door, Put on your rainbow dresses as Spring is here once more! |
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