Grandparents Day 2016 at RSSAA

On a wonderful spring day last week, Andrea Basso [Lower School Librarian] was delighted to meet and talk with many of the grandparents who were visiting the school for our special Grandparents & Grandfriends Day on April 14th. 

Here are some happy images and shared memories from this wonderful event...

"Welcome to Grandparents and Grandfriends Day at the Rudolf Steiner School. This is a special day for many of our students. They are eager to share with you the life of their classroom and introduce you to teachers and friends. We hope you enjoy this glimpse into your grandchild's experience at our school."  ~Program Greeting, April 14, 2016

A beautiful and special morning outside at the Early Childhood Grandparents event, playing together and sharing a treat of homemade bread and jam. [More pictures shared on Facebook.]

"The recent Grandparents/Grandfriends day at the Steiner School was not only a real joy from morning until the end of school day, but also a heart-warming and welcoming experience. The kindergartners are welcomed in the morning to a nourishing environment weaving together outdoor play and creative projects. The gradeschoolers receive enthusiastic and creative learning experiences both in main lesson and in the special classes.

We were privileged to sit in on Señora Perla's Spanish class and it was tempting to jump in and join the fun! The children are swept up in learning the language within games, songs, rhymes and non-stop enthusiasm! What a fun and nourishing environment.  

We are blessed to be a part of this wholesome environment for our grandchildren and their peers! Thank you for inviting us to a well planned school day for all of us to share. 

Heartfelt thanks to the staff and faculty!"

~Brigitte Lozano, Grandmother of Rowan (K) and Bekan (3rd Grade)

Reception in the Art Room, before Classroom Visits

"As grandparents, Larry and I were grateful for the chance to share a school day with our granddaughters. We saw caring and talented teachers in the classroom. We saw children exhibiting that zest that comes from being totally engaged in the moment as they walked, talked, sang, wrote and read their way through Spanish and Math. We were struck with their ease in helping each other along the way.

As we ate lunch together with other grandparents and heard teachers talk about the Waldorf way, I realized that these other grandparents were probably sharing my wonder, as we compared what we were hearing with the schools that we ourselves experienced years ago.

Thank you, staff at Rudolf Steiner School, for giving us a very happy day."

~Susan Whitelaw, RSSAA Grandmother & E.K. Library volunteer

“We enjoyed our day seeing your school and being immersed in the children’s element. We felt very welcom in this busy, happy place. Being part of the actual school day provided us with background to enhance future communication with our grandsons. Now we know what kinds of questions to ask and will better understand their responses and stories about their day at school.”

~Sue and Dave Davis, RSSAA Grandparents, Rowan (K) and Bekan (3rd Grade)

Coatesville, PA

Performances by select grades in the Gym

"I talked with my friends and I will try to summarize their experience...

They are Teresa and Alfonso Tercero, Godparents of the Rosas Family, from México City who have lived in the USA for more than 30 years. They raised two kids back in México but their grandsons were born here and have attended public schools; they are now graduating from high school.

They were amazed with the enthusiasm and energy of one of the foreign language classes teachers, Señora Perla. They were very amazed by the dynamics of the class which was really fun, and the kids used all their senses, they sang, read and played full of joy for one hour. They also noticed that some of the students are pretty fluent and have acquired great pronunciation.

The other observed class was Math Skills with Mr. Zang who explained to them how students without repetitions, nor tons of homework, can learn and practice math to solve daily problems. The class was fully hands-on, figuring the total amount of money contained in a jar full of coins. Students made teams to group and count all the coins until they got the grand total, applying the skills they have acquired in 4th grade.

They also visited the Art Room and were amazed by the quality of the kids' work. They really got to know more about this pedagogy and clearly could see the benefits of it for our kids, nowadays full of activities and media, rescuing the importance of handwork and gardening to reconnect with our senses. When they were leaving the school, they greeted their 7th grade granddaughter who was going to gardening class with her friends. They also loved the camaraderie between families. They had a great day visiting our School."

~Maribel Rosas, Lower School Parent

It was a treat to have our Grandparents & Grandfriends visiting!

We welcome grandparents and parents to visit the Early Childhood / Parent Library and the Ellie Klopp Library which are open to the Steiner School Community --- full of books and resources for your children to explore and to further enrich your family's educational experience at our school.

Check out these books and more at the Lower School Library

on the theme of Grandparents (link to our online catalog).