Summer goodbye, summer goodbye

You may no longer stay,

Autumn is on it’s way

Summer goodbye, summer goodbye

Roses sweet petals shed

Apples are turning red…..

At the Equinox (on Friday 20th March), day and night are of approximately equal length, and it’s the time that often heralds the change of seasons (rather than the beginning of the calendar month), with cooler weather and rain, Djeran/Autumn is here! 

The leaves on some of the deciduous trees are turning gold, the swamp bottlebrush is blooming and the first fungi are popping up out of the ground.  For the Karri Kindergarten children the rain heralds excitement as our water course begins to flow, rubber boots are pulled on and they love to wade in the “river” or go “fishing” from the bridge.

This is traditionally a time of harvest, thanksgiving, and preparation for the cold weather, as well as a time for looking at balance within our own lives.  It is a time of the year when we are naturally drawn more to indoor, quiet activities and longer periods of rest.  It is a time when we must gather our courage and strength to overcome the challenges of longer hours of darkness, cold and storms, and the inevitable winter illnesses that occur every year. 

This year we will need to be more courageous than ever as we face a health crisis that is already creating much disruption, panic and fear.  For the time being though, our Karri Kindergarten rhythm continues, with greater awareness of personal hygiene, something that is always an essential part of our daily rhythm anyway.

In our kindergarten, as in all Steiner kindergartens worldwide, a strong rhythm is a fundamental aspect.  Having a predictable daily and weekly rhythm of activities helps children to feel safe and supported as they know what will happen next, which enables them to relax into the presence of what they are doing.  Then there are seasonal rhythms, celebrated through preparing festivals, gathering and displaying treasures from nature.  This week we planted some wheat grains in a dish to create an “Easter garden”, planting the seeds for what is to come…

Warm wishes to everyone,

Denise