Balik Tanaw Invitation

Why Waldorf Dolls don't have Faces

I was chatting with the school's ensemble teacher one other day and he mentioned that his friend told him that Waldorf Schools are cults.

I asked what made his friend say so, the friend gave him one question as an answer "Why do your dolls don't have faces?"

Our ensemble teacher didn't know that fact, for one he teaches middle school and up so he hasn't seen lower school and kindergarten dolls, two we got him for his love of children, talent as a motivator and as an accomplished musician. One thing I like about him is he's always eager to learn and is up to any challenge.

This cult and faceless dolls myth was a long time coming, I finally got to encounter the question.

Fact 1: ALL our school dolls are faceless and have cylindrical bodies, except for the marionettes in upper grades.
Fact 2: ALL our school dolls are hand made by the teachers, students and parents.

I love those faceless dolls, my daughter has seen them in school during puppet stories, she treasures the few she received as gifts, and she's looking forward to making one in craft class.

Those faceless dolls stir up my daughter’s imagination. She can use any expression she can imagine when making stories with the dolls, and my daughter always makes at least three stories in a row. Her stories are not confined to the dolls' shapes, colors and sizes. She uses a few props to change the dolls gender and age to suit her stories. Stories have a wonderful way to make children grow and improve, and these dolls help.

One more reason I love those faceless cylindrical bodied dolls is that my daughter’s sense of beauty is not affected by commercialism and is not skin deep. Beautiful for her is not long blonde hair, blue eyes, big breasts, and long legs with small feet.

Beautiful for her is security, calm, awe inspiring, relaxing.

Beautiful for her is someone she can trust and depend on, one who would never let her down, one who would set her straight and tell the truth.

For her, the most beautiful person in the world is her mother who gives her security, courage, warmth and love. I imagine my daughter's protagonists would always have her parent's faces.

Waldorf Summer Workshops 2009

Let your children experience a new form of summer workshops with these Waldorf/Steiner teachers:

Rowena Miral-Sy is a mother of two boys ages 11 and 12, currently a Waldorf teacher for Grades 1 & 2 students and has 10 years experience teaching in a Waldorf Kindergarten.

Annie Flores is currently a Waldorf handcraft teacher for Grades 1 to 4 and has four years experience teaching Waldorf Kindergarten and Grade school students.
Myra Querouz is a mother of two toddlers, and apprentice Waldorf Kindergarten teacher. She is a chef who specializes in desserts, breads and pastries.

Janneke Agustin is a Waldorf Kindergarten teacher and experienced theater coach for children and teens.

Wendy Angsico is a mother of three ages 2, 6 and 9; apprentice Waldorf Kindergarten teacher and has 14 years experience as a gym and fitness coach.


Basic Recorder Playing 1 (solo pieces) with Rowena Miral-Sy 6 sessions * Every Tuesday and Thursdays * April 14 to 30, 2009
8am to 9am * Fee of P2,160.00 each * Minimum of Five students
Children Ages 6 to 8 years old

Basic Recorder Playing 2 (round music) with Rowena Miral-Sy 6 sessions * Every Tuesday and Thursdays * April 14 to 30, 2009
10am to 11am * Fee of P2,160.00 each * Minimum of Five students
Children Ages 8 to 10 years old

Knitting with Annie Flores 6 sessions * Every Tuesday and Thursdays * April 14 to 30, 2009
9am to 10am * Fee of P2,700.00 each * Minimum of Five students
Children Ages 6 to 8 years old

Crochet with Annie Flores 6 sessions * Every Tuesday and Thursdays * April 14 to 30, 2009
11am to 12nn * Fee of P2,700.00 each * Minimum of Five students
Children Ages 8 to 10 years old

3-Day Baking Class with Myra Querouz
10am-11:30am * Monday to Wednesday * Children Ages 5 to 8 years old
Fee of P2,300.00 each * Minimum of Eight Students
Pick a schedule: April 13 to 15 * April 27 to 29 * May 11 to 15

5-Day Baking Class with Myra Querouz 1pm-3pm * Monday to Friday * Children Ages 8 to 11 years old
Fee of P3,800.00 each * Minimum of Eight Students
Pick a schedule: April 13 to 17 * April 27 to May 1 * May 11 to 15

Theater Workshop 1 with Janneke Agustin 12 sessions of 3 hours each * Every Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
8:30am to 11:30am * April 13 to May 9
Fee of P4,860.00 each * Children ages 9 to 12 years old
Minimum of Eight Students

Theater Workshop 2 with Janneke Agustin 12 sessions of 3 hours each * Every Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
1pm to 3pm * April 13 to May 9
Fee of P4,860.00 each * Teens ages 13 to 17 years old
Minimum of Eight Students

Filipino Games 1 with Wendy Angsico 6 sessions * Every Tuesday and Thursdays * April 14 to 30, 2009
8am to 9am * Fee of P2,160.00 each * Minimum of Five students
Children Ages 6 to 8 years old

Filipino Games 2 with Wendy Angsico
6 sessions * Every Tuesday and * Thursdays April 14 to 30, 2009
10am to 11am * Fee of P2,160.00 each * Minimum of Five students
Children Ages 8 to 10 years old

INQUIRIES and RESERVATIONS, contact:
MERCI SILAGAN
(632) 723-1549
0920-402-3860
kolisko.waldorf.school@gmail.com

Musuc + Play + Art + Movement = Math, Science, Geography, Reading and more

We recently conducted this workshop and we're doing it again on April 26, 2008:

How do you teach

Math, Science and Reading

to children?

Learn about

Alternative Education in the 21st Century

Discover how Steiner/Waldorf Education

uses Music, Play, Art and Movement
to teach Math, Science, Reading and other subjects

FREE Parents Orientation on

APRIL 19 & 26, 2008

9-11 a.m.

at

The Kolisko School

10 22 Alabama St., Brgy.Kristong Hari,

New Manila, QC

Register Now!

710-5279/0917-6048725

723-1549 or 0920-402-360

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICANTS

for PRESCHOOL, GRADES 1-4

for PRESCHOOL, Grades 1-7

Limited Slots Available

It takes two to tango: The Artist and the Mathematician

How indeed does one learn Math, Science, Reading etc etc through play, movement, music and art?


My little girl was taught this song in school when she was four (4) years old:

Limang ibon nakaupo sa sanga
Lumipad ang isa
Apat natira...

Five birds sitting on a branch, one flew away, four stayed. On and on the song went with one bird always flying off until none were left.

She was singing with her fingers representing the birds and her other arm as the branch. She was changing lyrics of the song too as the days and weeks progressed:

Limang ibon nakaupo sa sanga
Lumipad and tatlo
Dalawa natira...

Dalawang ibon nakaupo sa sanga
Duamapo and dalawa
Apat na sila...

She was adding and subtracting birds as she sang the song. One day she asked for my arm to be the branch so she can work with ten fingers for ten birds.

It was wonderful to see her discover things on her own and her knowledge of arithmetic unfold through song and finger movement. She has since branched out from the birds and gone as far as buying her taho on her own.

She has progressed pretty well for her age. Discovering the universal truths in arithmetic as she plays.

Discovery is a powerful tool for children to learn. I noticed that children who discover their lessons do not get bored as compared to children who are fed their lessons.

Formdrawing has many uses

I would have wanted to teach my daughter to read much sooner but she wasn't interested with reading. So I held back the reading. Why teach her something she would easily discard anyway. To teach a child something she isn't ready to grasp, for me is a waste of time and energy.

But, she loves listening to stories. Rest after play for her always includes listening to stories. She would always pull out a book and ask me to read to her. Sometimes she'd ask me to read aloud whatever I am reading - even office work.

One day, she started asking me about letters. Children know when they're ready for a new lesson, they ask. As a parent, I realized that adults should be very keen to the type of questions children ask for these are signs for new discoveries.

What is that? Letter A
What is this? Letter V
and this? O
This? C

This went on and on for days and weeks. Then she changed her questions:

What does this say?
THE
What about this?
AVOCADO
And this?
IS

First it was just a book she saw. Then the avalanche. We revisited all her books. She would pull one out flip through pages and ask What is this word? What about this? What does that mean?

I was ready to teach her how to read but she wasn't ready. She was discovering letters and how letters strung together can make words. She'd even string together random letters and ask me what it meant or say or read:

What does this mean? SKENAMLX
Nothing.
OK. How about this? SEGAORLP
Nothing.

This went on and on. Almost ready to learn but not quite.

Then one day, she sat beside me and showed me that she can distinguish one letter from another. Then she pulled out a card and said:

I know this says TO
I know this is says my name HAPPY
I know this says FROM
I know this says MOMMY

Then she pulls out a book, points at a word in a page and asks:

How do I read this?

Can you see the K in King?

My very independent daughter knew it was time to ask for help. She hit a wall in her process of learning to read. I didn't overwhelm her, I just gave her a little clue to nudge her in the right direction.

A few days later, her mom was getting dressed for a meeting in Makati, my daughter says:

Your shirt says GREED.

Ah! The joys of discovery.






Arns Jara

http://koliskofoundation.blogspot.com/
http://arnsjara.multiply.com/journal
http://whywaldorfworks.org/