As we enter this season of gratitude, I’m reminded of a poem written by a Waldorf teacher that begins with the two lines…
Home is where the heart is
So let this heart beat strong.
For the children in our care, home and school is the heart of their world. The support of our parents and the hard work of our teachers create a nurturing culture that we are grateful for at this time of Thanksgiving.
For our students, the heartbeat of the day starts with a greeting from a teacher, a rhythmical verse with classmates, and a measured song of reflective meaning. The challenge of the main lesson transcends memorization and recall to focus on the essence of learning: reflection, debate, understanding, and application. When I observe our dedicated teachers at work, I am thankful for their energy and talent to create authentic learning materials that challenge critical thinking and nurture self-discovery.
Susquehanna Waldorf’s teachers are aware of society’s influences on young people that can lead them to feel entitled to many things we can take for granted. Each teacher accepts the challenge by modeling reflective behavior and designing lessons that build awareness for all we have. How exciting to think about the impact of our grateful and resilient students will have on our future world! To borrow from the principles of Waldorf schools…
As an individual in society, our students are empowered to serve humanity with the strength of will, depth of feeling, clarity of thought, and the ability to work with others.
Thank you again for all your support of SWS. Have a warm and reflecting Thanksgiving!
Tom