Dear Friends,

 

          May this newsletter find you in the midst of spending time with friends and family and experiencing the overcoming of darkness with Light and Love.  The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas can be daunting at times, and this year, on top of the diminishing daylight, we also had a few weeks where Mercury went retrograde.  Did you have any machinery breaking, any well-laid plans getting reversed, any heightened levels of frustration?  Ahhh ... Mercury!  Well, let's celebrate that this dear red planet returned to its direct path a few days ago, just in time for our winter breaks, joyous celebrations, and deepening of our contemplative practices.

           Our LifeWays board is actively contemplating a few things right now.  We are engaged in a process with a publicity firm in Milwaukee that is helping us create a new logo that will more easily identify what we do.  We are also developing a new brochure and other outreach materials as well as coordinating our efforts to reach a broader range of people.  These steps are made possible because of your interest and support, and we thank you.  

          I don't want to turn this newsletter into an annual report, but I do want to tell you that 2011 has been a year of expansion.  In addition to our established trainings, we are laying the groundwork for new trainings in Buffalo, Vancouver, San Diego, and Hawaii.  Please encourage people to contact us about these locations.  We also welcomed new Representative sites with a few more in process (please check the website now and then to see our list of members).

           At least two of our members (Rahima Dancy and Bianca Lara) were interviewed regarding screen-free child care, an initiative of Michelle Obama's to get children moving.  We thank our friend Joan Almon for helping us make that connection.  As a side note, Joan is retiring from the director's role for The Alliance for Childhood, and we send her our deepest thanks for all that she has done and is doing to further the protection of childhood and the fundamental needs of children to play.

           We are completing our first year of having an on-line newsletter, and we hope you have found it inspiring.  Please let us know.  Many thanks to Faith Collins for sharing her creativity with us!  Faith is one of a number of expanded part-time support staff, and again we thank all of you for helping us to grow.

           We want to reciprocate your support by offering interesting and engaging content, and in this issue we are addressing a question that comes up very often - how do the things that we do in our daily life practices with children actually lay the groundwork for their academic learning.  This is often a question asked by parents.   Lisa Gromicko wrote her LifeWays graduation paper on this theme, and it is included here.  In my introductory article on the theme, you will see an invitation to carry it on into our next newsletter with your own anecdotal stories. 

           Also in this newsletter you will read about the inspiring work happening in the Philippines with LifeWays graduate Kahlil Sucgang Apuzen-Ito.  Thank you, Kahlil, for sharing this with us. 

          So, we welcome you to pour a cup of your favorite warm drink, wrap up in a cozy blanket, and enjoy our winter newsletter.  And, in the meantime, tell your favorite story to a small child, pet a pup or kitty, and give a warm embrace to a fellow adult who treads this life path with you!

           I want to close with one of my favorite winter verses from Dr. Rudolf Steiner's Calendar of the Soul:

The soul's creative might

Strives outward from the heart's own core

To kindle and inflame god-give powers

In human life to right activity;

The soul thus shapes itself

In human loving and in human working.

 

 

Peace and Love,

Cynthia

 

Click here to read the full article.

 By Rahima Dancy

        Rahima Dancy shares her methods of communicating with parents at her LifeWays program, Rainbow Bridge.  These links reassure parents that their children are "learning," build community and connection, and help keep retention as high as possible.

 

Rahima is the director of the Representative LifeWays program Rainbow Bridge in Boulder, Colorado, and is a member of the LifeWays board of directors.

 

Click here to read more...

 

Click here to read the full article.          

Rosario looks at how LifeWays care providers can work with parents to protect children from the craziness that often comes with the holiday season.

 

Rosario Villasana is a member of the LifeWays board of directors, and lives in California. 

Rahima wet-felting with the children at Rainbow Bridge

 

Workshop participants

Nurturing Our Children and Communities: A Workshop in Mindanao, Philippines

 

By Kahlil Sucgang Apuzen-Ito

 

On October 15 and 16, 2011 in Davao City, Philippines, nineteen elementary school teachers, childcare providers, community activists and organizers, pastors, nongovernmental organization (NGO) staff, and individuals participated in our workshop called Creative, Holistic, and Mindful Nurturing of Children: Sharing Steiner-Inspired Educational and Childcare Philosophy.  Many of the participants hadnever heard of Rudolf Steiner or Waldorf education, but there was an overwhelming interest in learning more holistic ways of raising and teaching children, especially from teachers of the Barangay (village) Sibulan community, for which the workshop was originally created. 

 

The Story of Sibulan and Their Search for Sustainable Livelihood          

 

Bagobo-Tagabawa tribal dance performed at the workshop

 

Sibulan is a village in Davao City, on the island of Mindanao. It is nestled on the slopes of Mt. Apo, the highest mountain in the Philippines and is home to more than 4,000 rural indigenous peoples, most of whom are of the Bagobo Tagabawa tribe.

 

The idea of a Steiner-sharing arose when I had a meeting with organizers from the Foundation for Agrarian Reform Cooperatives in Mindanao, Inc. (FARMCOOP) and teachers of Barangay Sibulan's Mt. Apo elementary school regarding funding for the integration of their indigenous Bagobo Tagabawa culture into the school's curriculum. After the meeting, the FARMCOOP organizer asked if I could share Waldorf and Lifeways philosophy to the teachers. I gladly accepted the honor, considering that there are aspects of Waldorf education such as oral storytelling, nature observation and nature play, andreverence for nature, to name a few, that can be found in many indigenous cultures in the Philippines. As the community organizer and I were walking on the red muddy road towards our truck, discussing plans, I remembered being filled with awe and respect for the Sibulan community for its perseverance and determination to preserve its own Bagobo Tagabawa culture and pursue not only a more inclusive education but also a sustainable way of earning a living for its community, despite pressures from outsiders to give in to conventional agriculture.

 

I first heard of the Sibulan community from my father who manages Foundation for Agrarian Reform Cooperatives in Mindanao, Inc. (FARMCOOP). FARMCOOP is a social development nongovernmental organization founded in 1995 by leaders of agrarian reform beneficiaries in the banana industry that provides technical, legal, credit and market accessing, and capacity building services to agrarian reform beneficiaries and small-scale farmers and indigenous peoples groups. 

 

In 2003, agents of banana multinational companies (MNC's) frequented Sibulan, enticing the farmers to lease their lands for banana production.  The agents allured the farmers with five years advance rental, the amount of which sounded a fortune to the farmers, and employment as farm workers. But they were not that easily persuaded having witnessed the destruction of the farmlands and forests and pollution of the environment in the other tribal villages where these MNCs were operating. To come up with a well-informed decision, the village council called a village assembly where they invited the agents of the MNCs to present their proposal. Having heard of FARMCOOP, they also asked my father, to be one of the presenters. While the agents promised advance payment of rental and community development through monocrop and chemical farming, my father spoke of the farmers' need to preserve their environment and culture as they struggle to alleviate their poverty by growing the bananas themselves the organic way.

 

The village people made the right decision and opted for organic banana farming. With the help of FARMCOOP, they organized two cooperatives: SOBAGROMCO (Sibulan Organic Banana Growers Multipurpose Cooperative) for the small-scale farmers, and PACOBAGROW (Pamara Cooperative Banana Growers). To enable them to engage in organic banana production, FARMCOOP provided them access to grants and credits from CORDAID and BROEDERLIJK DELEN (Dutch and Belgian funding agencies, respectively) while FARMCOOP provided technology, capacity building, and marketing. But success in growing organic banana did not come easy for the cooperatives and FARMCOOP as there was as yet no model for commercial organic banana farm in the Philippines from which to learn. They were the first. I was told that for four years they experienced failures and setbacks but their combined determination and perseverance pulled them through. Since then, the cooperatives have been producing the only upland certified organic banana in the Japanese market.  Organic farming is only part of the cooperatives' Sibulan project.  They are also planting endemic fruit trees and are researching vegetable crops and animal husbandry to incorporate in their long-range goal of a sustainable agroforestry program.

 

Vision of Sustainable Community Integrates a Holistic Perspective in Raising Children and Families

As poverty is being slowly addressed and alleviated through efforts of SOBRAGOMPCO and PAGCOBAGROW, FARMCOOP is expanding its perspective on community development to include the quality of family life, the quality of the environment in which children are raised, andthe values being formed in families and community-the approach is more holistic towards the sustainability of community and spirit that holds the community. When we proposed this workshop, I was astounded by the full financial backing, logistical and staff assistance this workshop received from FARMCOOP in a way that we were able to offer the workshop for free, abound with reading materials.

 

Workshop on Holistic, Mindful Nurturing: Sowing Seeds on Steiner Philosophy

 

"I don't know what is happening with the children and teenagers these days," says one of the Sibulan early childhood teacher in tears, "They no longer listen. I don't know what to do.  Children are different now; not like the old days." She continued to give her gratitude that this workshop was being offered and looked forward to learning.  Such were the sentiments shared by several teachers and other participants, setting a general mood of openness to what would unfold for the next two days. 

 

 

Learning the Caterpillar-wrap movement game

Nurturing the Twelve Senses 

On the first day of the workshop, we explored the phases of childhood followed by participants drawing their memories of childhood.  This exercise gave us a natural transition to the topic of Steiner's picture of the twelve senses wherein, nurturing the four lower senses--touch, life, movement, and balance-and their connection to the higher senses were emphasized. To demonstrate further how these lower senses can be nurtured in early childhood, we explored body games and massage for children, sung verses and told stories with movements and finger games.

 

 

Free Play, Nature Play We also covered the importance of free play and in particular, nature play in which participants brought leaves, rocks, flowers, and shared the variety of ways they have played with elements in nature.  Our discussion exemplified that regardless of economic, ethnic, educational, and cultural background, all the participants shared a joyful, dynamic, and creative exploration of nature in their own childhood play. We briefly touched on child study through objective child observation.

 

A Surprise Conclusion for First Day: Bagobo Tagabawa Dance  The day was concluded with teachers from Sibulan dressed in traditional lumad (tribal) attire and danced to the gongs being played by a couple of Bagobo Tagabawa youth. They invited a few of us to dance with them and what appeared like simple footwork was in fact a far more complicated movement giving one the essence of earth, plant growth, and air. Indeed, I learned much about the sense of touch, of life, of balance, and of movement in the Bagobo Tagabawa dance that day.

 

Day 2 of Workshop:  Phases of Childhood, Brain and Heart Research, and Mindful Parenting

On the second day, we delved deeper into the phases of childhood and covered the recent brain and heart research that corroborated the age-appropriate approaches of Waldorf education and Lifeways childcare philosophy.  We also talked about the studies and research showing effects of media, particularly television, movies, video games, and computers on children.  Participants used drama and songs to demonstrate some foundations on mindful parenting and creative discipline.

 

Follow Through and Moving Forward  As the workshop ran its course, participants expressed that the topics covered in the workshop were not only relevant but also much needed.  They shared their feelings and thoughts regarding the changes taking place in their communities and in their own families, as well as their concerns for the future of their children, their students, and their community.

 

The following summarizes the group and personal plans of participants:

 

-The Mt. Apo Elementary School teachers of Sibulan planned to do a sharing with other teachers who were not able to attend the workshop. They hope to learn more about Rudolph Steiner's ideas on teaching and nurturing children and apply what they learned in their work. The teachers also plan to conduct parenting seminars on holistic parenting and to create organic herbal and vegetable gardens in their schools.

-The Community Childcare providers of Sibulan plan to enhance Parenting Effective Seminars and encourage mothers to have backyard gardening.

-Plans by the FARMCOOP staff and community activists as well as other attendees  included improving their parenting and nurturing skills; creating a Waldorf-inspired homeschool; learning and continuing with Child Study and Nature study; learning songs and movements and further sharing with colleagues in coordination meetings.

 

The week after the workshop, I conducted a few follow-up exchange with the NGO community workers and FARMCOOP staff, sharing with them meditation techniques such as picturing the child, backward review, and child observation. The meditations were well-received and it is my hope that they will be able to share these techniques in future meetings with their families and respective communities.

 

Currently, FARMCOOP is having a bimonthly "lunch and learn" where its' staff explore different topics of the Holistic, Mindfulness and Nurturing Workshop. The FARMCOOP staff reported not only on the growing positive changes in their parenting outlook and ways of caring for their children but also transformation in their children.

 

From Community to Individual, Individual to Community

 

For individuals who choose a career in a community service organization such as the FARMCOOP; who work in social change as have the community organizers and activists at the workshop; or who are dedicated to education for the future of the children in rural indigenous communities as are the teachers and caregivers of Baranggay Sibulan-- it is common for these individuals to devote their full energy toward these pursuits.  While doing so, however, it is often a struggle to make ends meet especially with the changing demands of today's socio-economic system.  And often, the family unit, the individual's own health, and the energy and time to raise children in a healthy natural way suffer.  By exploring the twelve senses that need to be nurtured not only in children but also in adults; by educating ourselves about the effects of media, materialism, and consumer culture on the health of children as well as the community; by learning the phases of childhood and adjustments we must make as parents and teachers; by learning to bring back free play and nature into our families and schools; and in making time for integrating mindfulness, in nurturing our children and ourselves--this workshop was able to provide a breathing space, a time to pause and reflect on how one can better support one's personal, family, and community ideals for a more sustainable, holistically healthy life.  Our own striving to grow as parents, teachers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends while continuing our active work in the community brings to mind one of my treasured verses.

 

The healthy social life is found

Kahlil and her mother, who helped organize the workshop.

When in the mirror of each human soul

The whole community finds its reflection

And in the community

The virtue of each one is living

                        Rudolf Steiner   

If you have any questions, comments, ideas for future articles, or news items that you'd like to share, please don't hesitate to contact me!  Just press "reply" to this newsletter, or email me directly at faithrainbow@yahoo.com 

 Faith Collins, Editor

You can find the blog on the LifeWays website, or by clicking here. Be sure to follow the directions and subscribe. 

We would like our blog to be written by LifeWays providers, FOR LifeWays providers!  Would you like to be a guest writer?  Or, if you have a blog of your own, we will happily provide reciprocal links.  If you write a newsletter for your program, we'd love to see your article!

Send articles, suggestions and inquiries to Faith Collins at 

For more than fifty years, children's free-play time has been declining, and it's keeping them from turning into confident adults, writes Esther Entin in The Atlantic Magazine.

 

For pricing and enrollment information, click here or email Faith at 

faith@joyfultoddlers.com 

This article reviews the findings published in a new book, The Genius of Natural Childhood, by Sally Goddard Blythe, published by Hawthorne Press.  The book asserts that lullabies, songs and rhymes play a key role in preparing a child's ear, voice and brain for language.  Music and rhyme are an integral part of the LifeWays curriculum.

 

 

Much of this newsletter is about why it's better to let academics wait, and how the domestic arts, nurturing arts, (find others) are setting a good foundation for later academic life.  This article takes a peek ahead, and looks at when we DO start teaching children academics, how can we do it in a way that fits in with how children develop, both physically and intellectually. This article, written by Susan Johnson, MD, FAAP, is a fascinating look at these issues.  See her article here.

Also check out Susan Johnson's website, youandyourchildshealth.org

 

Worksheets, computers--America's hypercompetitive education system is trickling down to preschool.  But growing research shows that pushing academics at an early age can backfire, writes Joyce C. Tang.

Learn more about LifeWays childcare.  For early childhood professionals and parents.

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