Celebrations
“To celebrate seasonal Festivals gives our children an opportunity to live these long rhythms, the rhythms of the earth and sun. These children will begin to know the long, slow sequences of their own human lives.” Sharifa Oppenheimer
A festival is a joyous celebration of time as humanity connects with the rhythm of the seasons.
In our kindergarten the teachers share stories , sing songs , share food , invite nature and dress up to celebrate the occasion. Festivals are celebrated not only in the physical level but also in a way to nourish their soul mood.
Kite festival
It is that time of the year when the Aadi wind swirls its way through Coimbatore. The trees swaying as the wind whistles and whispers to the leaves and blowing the dust high in the air. What better way to enjoy the winds than to fly kites. Its an exciting evening for families to come together and discover the joy of flying kites. The joy of running on the soft brown mud of the vast fields and seeing your kite soar to the sky amongst many others. The pleasure of munching on muffins, popcorn, and paani puris in the midst of the wonderful community and festive atmosphere. Dotting the boundaries of the fields are food, games and other stalls put up by the community.
Sunset dinner
Many young children go to bed with a bed time story with a candle by their side, cuddling with their favorite toy as their mommy/daddy hum their favourite song.
What if they could come to school around 5:00 p.m, cook a meal together enjoying the sunset with their friends and Aunty, singing songs of light… The shadow puppets come alive with a story and they go back home after a sumptuous meal. Its not just any meal, but a meal that depicts our ancient ‘Nila soru’ tradition where the Teacher makes small balls of rice and fill their palms, hearts and stomach. It truly is magical!
Krishna Jayanthi
“Who stole the butter?” asked Mother. “Not I!” came the immediate reply of Krishna, as he stood at the corner with his innocent eyes. But the butter smeared around his lips gave him away. Such are the antics of our little Krishnas and Radhas in school. The children come dressed as Krishna with their flute swaying away, the beautiful Radhas enticing in their traditional attire. The teachers enact a scene from one of many antics of Krishna through a song and dance, as the children sit entranced throughout the performance.
Diwali
The Festival of lights is always celebrated in full fervour. It is all about ‘the Joy of Sharing’. The children experience the joy of giving for one whole week. It is heartwarming to see the children take out packets of rice and dhal to place it in the magic basket kept for offering the needy. On the day of the celebration, the whole space looks colorful, as the children are all dressed in traditional attires. Teachers decorate their class with rangolis and light diyas along with the children before the Diwali story is narrated.
Christmas
Stories from around the world enthrall us as it takes us into another land filled rich in culture. One such folk fare is Christmas. Children excitedly sing the carols as they joyously celebrate family and friendship while welcoming the New Year too. The surprise visit from Santa who always come bearing gifts is always a treasured time in our Kindergarten.
Pongal
We sow methi along with the children a week ahead, to set the mood for the harvest.
The kindergarten campus comes alive with Maa ilai Thoranam, Pacharisi Maa kolam, Karumbu as we make Pongal on a fire wood stove. Children join us to do the traditional kummi dance and offer the pongal to the Sun God. We also play traditional games with the children and “Uri Adi” with teachers and akkas as children cheer us all with their loudest voice.
Nature Trail
It is always a joy to be in the midst of nature, to walk on crunchy leaves, to spot a bird, to collect seeds and seed pods, to smell the flowers, listen to the crickets and frogs and walk with friends and most important, to visit the Grade school. It is an adventure for the little children to go on their Nature trail to experience the flora and fauna of our land.
Bridge Ceremony
“I have grown big now, I have crossed the Rainbow bridge”.
As the year draws to a close, it is time for the oldest children in our fold to bid goodbye to their kindergarten teachers and begin their grade school journey. We at Yellow Train celebrate and cherish this important milestone with a beautiful ceremony. In the Waldorf tradition, the Rainbow Bridge ceremony is “a rite of passage” or graduation for kindergartners entering the first grade.
The ritual begins with the Kindergarten teacher narrating a special story about a child who lives in a garden and waits to see what lies beyond . The wait continues until he has crossed the sun 6 times before he is ready to embark on a journey to meet life. This is symbolic of the sheltered unhurried years in the Kindergarten and their readiness now to meet the world with all its demands as they venture into the grade school years. The children then pass through the Rainbow bridge and are received by their Grade 1 teacher who receives them with her Beloved Authority.